The present invention discloses a method for performing device-to-device communication in a wireless access system supporting the device-to-device communication, and an apparatus for same. More specifically, the method comprises the steps of: a first device receiving from a base station resource allocation information for device-to-device communication with a second device; the first device transmitting to the second device an initial signal for device-to-device communication through a resource that is allocated; the first device scanning a response signal which is transmitted from the second terminal; and the first device performing the device-to-device communication with the second device when the first device receives the response signal from the second device, wherein the initial signal comprises a first reference signal for matching synchronization between the first and second devices, and a second reference signal for estimating a channel between the first device and the second device.