What are the Methods to Remove Negative Reviews on Ierabu?

Ierabu is a comprehensive information site for real estate rentals and sales. On the Ierabu Real Estate Company Search page, you can search for real estate companies and stores, and consult about real estate. There is also a feature to post reviews of real estate companies, so users can look at these reviews and find a company that suits them. Among these reviews, there are cases where negative content such as “Employee A (real name) of the △△ branch of ○○, his work is too slow and it’s annoying. He said he lives in □□” or “The property I contracted because it was recommended was a defective house. I wonder if they recommended it knowing it was a defective house” is posted. In such cases, users who are searching for real estate companies on search engines like Google and Yahoo or on Ierabu may see negative reviews. If negative reviews are written on Ierabu, is it possible to have such reviews deleted? Also, when should you consult a lawyer?

What is Ierabu?

Ierabu is not just a platform for searching real estate properties, but also a place where you can post and view reviews about real estate companies. Additionally, you can consult about any concerns related to real estate and housing. Therefore, if there are negative reviews posted on Ierabu, there is a risk that users who are searching for properties or real estate companies on search engines like Google or within Ierabu may see these reviews and avoid requesting services from those real estate companies.

What are the Negative Reviews Posted on Ierabu?

When you search for a real estate company on Ierabu Real Estate Company Search, you can view the company’s information, staff, properties handled, and reviews. Among these reviews, there may be negative ones that could be considered defamatory. What kind of negative reviews can be posted on Ierabu Real Estate Company Search? Here are some examples of negative reviews.

Reviews Mentioning the Real Names of Branches or Employees

This refers to reviews like “Employee A (real name) at the △△ branch of ○○ is too slow at work. It’s annoying. He said he lives in □□.” There may have been a lack of communication between the real estate company’s representative and the customer, leading to such a review. If such negative reviews are posted, the real estate company may suffer adverse effects such as a decrease in customers.

Reviews Claiming the Property is Defective

This refers to cases where reviews like “The property I was recommended and contracted was defective. Did they know it was defective and still recommend it?” are posted. If they knew it was a defective property and still recommended it for a contract, it would be a problem. However, it could have been a defect that could not be detected even with proper investigation. In such cases, if a review like “The property I was recommended and contracted was defective. Did they know it was defective and still recommend it?” is posted, the real estate company may suffer damages such as a decrease in customers and business partners due to the review.

Other Groundless Defamatory Posts and Rumor Damage Posts

On Ierabu Real Estate Company Search, there may be posts of defamatory reviews and rumor damage reviews against specific companies or staff beyond the scope of reviews about real estate companies and their staff. Such reviews should be deleted, just like defamatory posts and rumor damage posts on anonymous bulletin boards like 5channel (formerly 2channel). For information on how to request the deletion of posts on 5channel (formerly 2channel), please refer to the article below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/deletionrequest-for-2chand5ch[ja]

How to Request Removal for Violations of Review Guidelines

If you believe there is a post that violates the Ierabu Review Guidelines, you can report it by clicking the “Report” button located at the bottom left of the review.

When you click the “Report” button at the bottom left of the review, the following screen will appear, where you can describe the details of the report (category) and contact the office.

According to the note at the top of the report form, the office will respond after confirming the content, but it does not guarantee removal or other actions in case of a report. Also, according to the Ierabu Review Guidelines[ja], posts containing false information or infringing on privacy are prohibited, and the office may remove inappropriate posts.

The actions prohibited by Article 10 (Prohibited Actions) of the Ierabu Terms of Use are as follows:

(1) Reproducing, duplicating, transmitting, transferring, distributing, reselling, modifying or storing information provided by this service without our prior consent, or for these purposes
(2) Violating these terms
(3) Acting against public order and morals
(4) Engaging in criminal activities
(5) Infringing on our or other users’ or third parties’ intellectual property rights (including but not limited to copyrights, design rights, utility model rights, trademark rights, patent rights, know-how), honor, privacy or other rights or interests, or engaging in actions that may infringe on them
(6) Causing disadvantage to us or other users or third parties
(7) Impersonating a non-user and using this service
(8) Sending false information
(9) Interfering with our operations or damaging our reputation
(10) Any other actions that we deem inappropriate

Ierabu Terms of Use URL: https://www.ielove.co.jp/rules/

The above review stating “Employee A (real name) of the △△ branch of ○○ is too slow at work and it’s annoying. He said he lives in □□” can be considered as violating the Ierabu Review Guidelines 7. “Posts that infringe on privacy” and Ierabu Terms of Use Article 10, Paragraph 1(5) “Engaging in actions that infringe or may infringe on privacy or other rights or interests”. In this case, for the “Report Content (Category)” in the report form, you would select “Contains personal information”.

Examples of Removal Requests Based on Illegality

According to Article 10, Paragraph 1, Item (5) of the Ierabu Terms of Use, which states “Acts that infringe or may infringe on our or other users’ or third parties’ intellectual property rights (including but not limited to copyrights, design rights, utility model rights, trademark rights, patent rights, and know-how), honor, privacy, or other rights or interests,” it is necessary to consider defamation (infringement of the right to honor). The requirements for defamation to be established are as follows:

• Publicly
• Pointing out facts
• Defaming someone’s honor

For example, if a review is posted stating, “The property I was recommended and contracted was a defective house. I wonder if they knew it was a defective house and recommended it,” then:

• The statement “The property I was recommended and contracted was a defective house. I wonder if they knew it was a defective house and recommended it,” has a specific meaning,
• The act of recommending a contract while hiding the fact that it is a defective house is subject to certain legal regulations, and being perceived as a real estate company that engages in such behavior is disadvantageous for the company,
• The company does not engage in such behavior as recommending a contract while knowing it is a defective house and hiding it,

will be the argument. However, even if the requirements for defamation are met, defamation will not be established if the following conditions are met:

• There is public nature
• There is public interest
• It is true or the truthfulness is recognized

Not only the above example, but also other slanderous reviews and rumor damage reviews need to be considered whether they fall under defamation. However, removal negotiations based on such specialized claims and legal arguments can be difficult if you are not familiar with the law. Consulting with a lawyer with extensive know-how can often lead to smooth removal. The requirements for defamation are explained in detail in the following article.

https://monolith.law/reputation/defamation[ja]

Removal by Provisional Disposition

If your report to the Ierabu office via their contact form does not result in the removal of a review, it is possible to request removal through the courts. Reviews on Ierabu can be removed not only through litigation but also through a process called provisional disposition. Litigation often takes 3-12 months to proceed without issues, and in some cases, it may extend over a year. On the other hand, provisional disposition, when entrusted to a lawyer with extensive knowledge of reputational damage, often concludes within 2-3 months from the request to removal. The flow of provisional disposition is as follows:

• Filing for provisional disposition
• Examination
• Payment of security deposit
• Issuance of provisional disposition order
• Execution

In the case of provisional disposition, in addition to legal claims, evidence to prove those claims must also be submitted. For example, if a post states, “The property I was recommended and contracted was a defective house. I suspect they knew it was defective and recommended it anyway,” you would need to submit:

• The property’s important matter explanation document (Japanese ‘Juyou Jikou Setsumeisho’)
• A manual related to the contract conclusion
• A document showing that an appropriate investigation was conducted on the property

As evidence, and make a claim such as, “The real estate company in question conducts appropriate investigations on the properties they broker, and they do not engage in practices such as hiding the fact that a property is defective and recommending contracts.” However, making such claims and proving them can often be difficult without the assistance of a lawyer. For more details on removal by provisional disposition, please refer to the article below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/provisional-disposition[ja]

Identifying the Poster through Provisional Disposition

If baseless defamatory reviews or damaging rumors are repeatedly posted over a long period, you can request a lawyer to make a sender information disclosure request. A sender information disclosure request is a procedure based on Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Japanese Provider Liability Limitation Act. Through this procedure, you can request the disclosure of information such as the IP address, name, and address of the person posting the defamatory reviews or damaging rumors.
On Ierabu, there may be individuals who hold a grudge against a specific real estate company or its staff and post false information or defamation. If the information such as the IP address of the poster is known in such cases, it may be possible to identify the poster. The procedure for identifying the sender is described below.

1. Request for information disclosure to the content service provider
2. Application for provisional disposition for sender information disclosure
3. Identify the transit provider
4. Application for provisional disposition to prevent deletion of sender information to the transit provider
5. Lawsuit for sender information disclosure request
6. Identify the sender based on the court’s judgment
   

After going through the above procedures and identifying the poster, you can claim damages from the poster for the attorney’s fees and consolation money incurred in identifying the poster. For more details on the sender information disclosure request, please refer to the article below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/disclosure-of-the-senders-information[ja]

Summary

Ierabu is a website where you can not only search for properties but also real estate companies, and view their company information and reviews. While it is a very convenient site, it cannot be completely ruled out that reviews based on misunderstandings or malice, such as defamation or reputational damage, may be posted. For malicious reviews, you can report them through the report form, but in some cases, it may be better to request deletion or identify the poster through the court if the review is not removed even after reporting. Legal claims such as defamation are often difficult to handle without the assistance of a lawyer. If you are troubled by defamatory reviews or reviews causing reputational damage, it is important to consult with a lawyer who has extensive knowledge.