Kenyans Now Dumping Agents As House Hunting Sees Big Change

Amidst the tough economic times with high costs of living reducing the spending power of Kenyans, the era of paying real estate agents to get a house might be coming to an end.

As they say, house hunting in Nairobi tests two things among you; either your physique...because you have to walk for several kilometres amidst tough natural elements to find your preferred house, or you have to pay an agent, which ends up costing you thousands of shillings that you did not budget for.

On February 2, an X user named Ricky wrote "It's so crazy that you want to charge 2k for house viewing, I don't understand how that business model works because there's no way I'll pay that amount just to view a house." Other users shared similar sentiments about the exploitation the agents subject them to during their house hunt.

Since that post, everything changed. "Since this tweet, there's been a shift in house hunting, people have created groups helping each other get houses for free, I love it."

"Those agents are reducing their prices and some are even hiding comments because people are giving out the exact location," he wrote on February 23, a post which went viral.

Kenyans took it upon themselves to make the daunting house hunt easier for their peers. What has been popular on Facebook for years has now spread to social media apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram in the Kenyan spirit of unity to make the house-hunting journey easier.

A review of one of the numerous WhatsApp groups by Viral Tea has revealed that the process has been simplified such that one joins the group where a user posts a house or posts that they are looking for a house, coupled with photos and the necessary details, including running water.

All you have to do is peruse through the listings, pick a house you like and pay a visit to that house. The catch? You don't have to pay viewing fees, a matter which has rendered the work of real estate agents meaningless.

With the middle class downgrading residences as their budgets continue to crumble under the strain of inflation and hefty taxes, this is proving pivotal as even Kenyans about to move out from their residences share with any other tenants seeking to occupy their places, as well as other affordable houses in the area, all without the use of middlemen.

Additionally, when someone visits a promising house but finds it unsuitable, they share pictures of it with others in the group for consideration. The groups also include landlords who post vacant rental houses directly.

This approach has eliminated middlemen who traditionally helped people find houses for a fee. In most areas, Kenyans typically pay agents between Ksh2,000 and Ksh3,000 to be referred to a house in a specific location.

The 'broker' tactic has been a go-to for agents who reap big by also charging landlords to connect them with potential tenants. However, many agents are now struggling to find work.

The group is part of a network of 54 other communities covering various estates across the capital, including South B, South C, Karen, Rongai, Fedha, Syokimau, Kitengela, Kasarani, Umoja, Kahawa Sukari, Kahawa West, and Wendani.

While these groups are making house hunting easier and more accessible, they are not without risks. Like many technology-driven initiatives, there is a potential for scams.

Despite this, the collective effort has turned house hunting into a crowdsourcing-like process, where members actively help those in need find housing that best caters to their needs.

Other than the social media groups, Kenyans are even turning to their social circles, including family members as the road to their next rental becomes less of an adventure, almost without spending an extra penny.

A photo of rental apartments in Nairobi. /LINKEDIN