Cultura of Amigo

One of the important things to understand when living in Mexico is what is often called “amigo culture.”

In Japan, rules are generally well defined, and social order is largely maintained through those rules. In Mexico, however, personal relationships often play a much bigger role. When people have strong personal connections, they may receive preferential treatment or higher priority, which can lead to certain advantages.

This kind of culture is also commonly seen in the real estate industry. For example, someone who is good at building relationships may be entrusted with many attractive properties by landlords, regardless of whether they are technically the most skilled agent. Likewise, when a strong relationship has been established, it is not unusual for a landlord to say something like, “Your client doesn’t need to purchase rental insurance.”

This is something we would also like Japanese residents coming to Mexico to be aware of.Some people may think:

• “I can’t speak the language well.”

• “I’m not very comfortable communicating with people.”

However, if these reasons lead someone to avoid building a relationship with their landlord, they may encounter various problems. For example, home repairs may take a long time to be arranged, or the security deposit may not be returned smoothly when moving out.

On the other hand, if you make the effort to build a good relationship with your landlord from the beginning, there can be significant advantages—such as faster repair arrangements or more flexibility during negotiations.

At our company, we aim to serve as a bridge between Japan and Mexico. We place importance on helping Japanese clients build good relationships with Mexican landlords. Rather than handling everything entirely on behalf of our clients, we support them in developing these relationships themselves by offering guidance—for example, on appropriate communication, wording, and the right timing when making requests.