Do Seoul's global real estate agencies actually speak English? We called them to find out.

To help foreign residents find housing more easily, local governments across Korea have designated “global” real estate agencies that offer housing consultations and property viewings in languages other than Korean.

The program has been in place in Seoul since 2008 and now includes around 250 designated agencies, with new offices added each year. But how well do these agencies actually communicate in English?

To find out, the Korea JoongAng Daily contacted six designated global real estate agencies over the phone as a foreign resident looking for a studio apartment.

The results generally fell into two categories: agencies that conducted the consultation comfortably in English, and those that understood English but preferred continuing the conversation through text messages or KakaoTalk.

Scenario 1: “Can you message us?”

There was one common response from agents who answered the phone but were not comfortable speaking English.

Client (in English): Hello. Is this XXX Real Estate?

Agent (in Korean): Um… yes. But I don’t speak English very well. Could you send us a message? Or our English-speaking staff can call you back later.

Within minutes, the agency followed up with a text: Hello, this is XXX Real Estate. You said that you’re looking for a one-room (a common description for a studio apartment in Korea). Are you looking for a place with a deposit under 5 million won ($3,500)? We currently have about three listings within your budget.

Several agencies did the same. Although they struggled to communicate over the phone, they were able to continue the consultation through text and asked about the preferred neighborhood, deposit, monthly rent and move-in date before recommending available listings.

Scenario 2: A consultation entirely in English

Other agencies handled the entire conversation in English.

Client (in English): Hello. Is this XXX Real Estate?

Agent (also in English): Yes.

Client: I’m looking for a studio apartment.

Agent: Which area are you looking at?

Client: Somewhere around Korea University.

Agent: What’s your budget for the deposit and monthly rent?

Client: Around 5 million won for the deposit, and 600,000 won for rent.

Agent: How long are you planning to stay there? And when do you want to move in?

Client: One year, and starting next month.

Agent: Great. I’ll look for available rooms and get back to you using this number.

The consultation closely resembled what a Korean client would typically experience when contacting a local real estate office.

Among the six agencies contacted, two conducted the consultation fluently in English. The remaining four generally understood English but preferred to communicate in Korean, often moving the conversation to a text chain, where they would respond in English.

Despite the language barrier, every agent was courteous and appeared willing to help. However, foreign residents who do not speak any Korean may have found the experience challenging, as some agents became flustered, used a mix of Korean and English or insisted on speaking only Korean.

How the Global Real Estate agency program works

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, agencies applying for the designation must be screened and interviewed to assess both their speaking and writing abilities in the selected language. Those that have violated the Licensed Real Estate Agents Act within the past year are not eligible for the designation.

Certified agencies are then included on various platforms, such as foreign resident support centers.

“With the number of foreign residents increasing, the city government has expanded the number of designated agencies every year in hopes of helping [them] navigate lease contracts more easily,” a city official overseeing the program told the Korea JoongAng Daily.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of foreign residents who have stayed in Korea for three months or longer has steadily increased from 1.57 million in 2021 to 2.16 million in 2025.

Seoul currently offers the Global Real Estate Agency program in seven languages, with English, Chinese and Japanese accounting for the vast majority of designated agencies. Only one agency per language offers services in the remaining four: Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Mongolian.

Foreign residents can search for designated global real estate agencies on the city government’s website and filter agencies by language and location.

Tips for foreign renters

Based on the calls, here are a few things worth keeping in mind before contacting a global real estate agency.

(1) Be prepared to tell the agent your preferred neighborhood, monthly rent budget, deposit budget and intended move-in date. Having this information ready will make the consultation progress much more smoothly.

(2) Don’t be discouraged if the agent initially responds in Korean. In many cases, the agent understands English but would be more comfortable communicating through text messages or KakaoTalk. If your agent first speaks to you in Korean, try asking to continue the conversation by message.

(3) On the global real estate agencies directory, some agencies list the representative’s personal phone number alongside the office’s number. As offices often have designated multilingual agents, calling their mobile number may increase your chances of reaching an English-speaking staff member directly.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]