Category: Tips Advice

A title is a very important and legal document that proofs ownership of a home and of land. It should be the first thing to ask for when buying a property.

Title Deeds in Kenya are issued by Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development at the Ministry’ regional registries offices. See the four types of tittle deeds in Kenya

1.Certificate of Lease

Certificate of lease is the ownership document for leasehold property This Title deed is also known as Leasehold Titles. Leasehold land is one where ownership of the land is subjected to a definite period (maximum being 99 years). The lessee (occupant) holds rights to land for a specific period subject to conditions imposed on land rights by the lessor (landowner). The period can be 33, 50, 66, or 99 years for all urban plots. All plots in Nairobi County fall under this Lease Hold Titles. See general points relating to Lease Certificate

2.Absolute title deed

This type of Title deed is also known as Freehold Title. A Freehold title is where the landowner has the maximum rights to the land without any time period or any other restrictions. Once you have this type of Title Deed, the land is yours and has no conditions on ownership.

3.Sectional Tittle deed 

A sectional Title deed is issued to prove ownership for a unit within a building for example when you buy a house in an apartment or a flat.

4.Certificate of tittle

A title issued due to subdivision without change of user, it is under Registered Lands Act Cap 21.

Step by step on how to acquire a title deed

Step 1: Obtain Official land search

This stage is very important as it shows if someone else owns the land or if the land has been registered before.

Apply In-Person:

This is done at the ministry of lands and physical planning headquarters or in any of their Land Offices in local district/ Sub County. One is required to pay a fee of Ksh 500 for the search; submit a duly filled search application (form RL 26) and attach the copy title document. The land search at Lands office takes an average of 3 days.

After the search one is issued with a stamped Certificate of Official search (form RL 27) showing the status of the land.

Required documents

         i.            Duly filled Application for Official search (Form RL 26) Form RL 26

       ii.            Proof of land ownership

      iii.            PIN certificate (copy)

     iv.            Identity card (copy) for the applicant if Kenyan.

       v.            Foreign national registration certificate- alien card (copy) For foreigners who are residents in Kenya

     vi.            Passport (copy) for the applicant if a non-citizen.

Apply On-line

         i.            How to apply for a tittle deed online.

       ii.            Log onto the e-citizen portal E-Citizen and sign up

      iii.            Click on Ministry of Land, Housing & Urban Development link and choose the land search option

     iv.            Enter the title number and fill the online land search form Kenya and submit

       v.            Confirm the details and proceed to pay using the available payment method which can be a debit card, credit card, M-Pesa, or bank transfers. One is required to pay a fee of Ksh 500 for the search

     vi.            Once the payment is confirmed, the applicant can proceed to print the results, and if you choose not to, the information will always be available on the portal anytime you log in.

Step 2. Obtain land transfer documents

This step involves contacting a lawyer to facilitate obtaining and not arising the land transfer documents. The steps are as follows

i.                     Apply, pay and obtain rates clearance certificate from the County Government- This is done by the seller’s lawyer through consulting the local county government lands office. The whole process can take five days at the cost of Ksh. 10,000. This certificate proves that there are no outstanding fees to be paid at the City County’s office. Lawyer’s fees are calculated according to the value of the land. Upon payment of all outstanding Land Rates at the Local County Governments and upon an application and payment of the prescribed fees. The respective County Governments shall issue a Land Rates clearance certificate.

ii.                   Apply and Obtain Land Rent Clearance Certificate from the Commissioner of Lands – Upon payment of outstanding Land rent and on application, the commissioner of lands issues a Land rent clearance certificate. This certificate is proof that there are no outstanding fees to be paid to the County Government

iii.                  Apply and Obtain Consent to transfer from commissioner of Lands- The consent to transfer leasehold land held by the government under the repealed Act is required to be obtained from the National Land Commission. Upon payment and issuance of Both Land rent certificate and Land rate certificate, an application is made in writing by the lawyer to the commissioner of lands and the prescribed form executed for consent to transfer the desired property. Upon payment of the prescribed amount, consent to transfer is issued. This process takes nine days at the cost of Ksh. 1,000.

iii.

iv.                 File the transfer instrument at the Lands Office for assessment of stamp duty payable on the transfer- The draft transfer is done by the buyer’s lawyer and the transfer instrument has to be approved by the seller’s counterpart before it’s filled at the land’s office to be assessed for Stamp Duty. After the lawyer’s approval the instrument is submitted for assessment of stamp duty at the Lands registry. The stamp duty is 4% of property value for urban lands and 2% for rural lands. The stamp duty amount to be paid is indicated when the application is filed, but it takes approximately 7 days to obtain the receipt of payment (obligated to pay with a banker’s check) from the bank. The payment is made directly at the Lands Office.

Step 3. Obtain valuation for stamp duty

i.                     Receive inspection by land officer- Once the draft transfer has been filed at the land office, an inspector visits the site to verify the development and state of the property. Due to lack of transport, in practice, the inspector often has to be picked up in-person and driven to the site. There are no prior appointments made and the actual inspection may happen within one day or, in the worst case, one month. However, note that this time is not limited and, in some cases, entrepreneurs may wait months for a valuation. Once the evaluator has inspected the property, a report is compiled which the value is endorsed on the transfer.

ii.                   Obtain valuation of the property by Government evaluator- The inspector visits the site to evaluate and verify the indicated purchase price of the property in order to ensure accurate tax payment. If the assessed value differs from the one indicated by the parties, an additional payment is requested.

Step 4. Stamp duty payment

i.                     Endorsement of value for Stamp Duty and assessment of Stamp Duty- Complete the Stamp Duty from including the purchase price. The stamp duty assessment officer will then assess the stamp duty payable and indicate the amount on the forms. This takes three days.

ii.                   Payment of Stamp Duty- It is mandatory to pay the stamp duty with a banker’s check. The payment is made through commercial banks and the approved banks include the Kenya Commercial Bank and The National Bank of Kenya. Payment is made to the Commissioner of Domestic Taxes on behalf of the Commissioner of Lands. It takes four days for the Kenya Revenue Authority to confirm receipt of payment. This Stamp Duty is payable online via the KRA Itax portal

iii.                  Submission of the documents for franking/ obtaining franked documents- After payment of stamp duty, the transfer documents are submitted for franking to confirm that any charges or taxes, such as the stamp duty on those documents have been paid.

Step 5. Land Registration

i.                     Pay registration fees- A payment of Ksh 500 charged and one issued with a booking form to fill.

ii.                   Lodge the completion documents with Lands Office for registration of the transfer- The franked transfer documents are lodged for registration at the Lands Office. The seller’s lawyer obtains these documents which include; original certificate of Title, Rates Clearance Certificate, Land Rent Clearance Certificate and the consent transfer. This process takes 12 days.

i.         Duly filled booking form

ii.       Consent to transfer land (copy)

iii.      Official land search (original)

iv.     Land rates clearance receipt (copy)

v.       Land rent certificate (copy)

vi.     Transfer instrument (3 original + copy)

vii.    Identity card (copy)

viii.  PIN certificate (copy)

This process takes two weeks and Ksh. 5,000 is charged to obtain process a new title deed certificate.

After a successful registration you will receive the following document

i.         An original title deed with the name of the buyer

ii.       Registered transfer forms

iii.      The pay in slip of stamp duty

iii.                  Post purchase activity

After a week or two, you as the buyer should do another search with the ministry of Lands to confirm that the land is now under your name.

Required Documents

i.         Duly filled Application for Official search Form RL 26

ii.       Proof of land ownership

iii.      PIN certificate (copy)

iv.     Identity card (copy) for the applicant if Kenyan.

v.       Foreign national registration certificate- alien card (copy) For foreigners who are residents in Kenya

vi.     Passport (copy) for the applicant if a non-citizen.

vii.    Duly filled booking form

viii.  Consent to transfer land (copy)

ix.     Official land search (original)

x.       Land rates clearance receipt (copy)

xi.     Land rent certificate (copy)

xii.    Transfer instrument (3 original + copy)

Summary

For more details visit the ministry of lands and physical planning, ardhi house 1ST Ngong Avenue, Nairobi or vvisit their website : https://lands.go.ke/

When buying a home, most people only go for the one with a low price. Only for them to later in life make many regrets about the decision they made. Below is a list of six benefits of buying a home in a good neighbourhood that you should keep in mind before settling on where to buy.

 1.High capital growth of your home.

 Even though buying a home in a good neighbourhood is not so pocket friendly, it comes with many advantages. For example, the value of your home will appreciate in value steadily and consistently over time. This is not normally the case with bad neighbourhoods. Most of them actually drop in value.

2.Better security.

With a good neighbourhood comes a low crime rate or even none. Your safety and that of your family and your property should come first always. No one would love to come home to an empty house or get attacked at their place.

Before buying a home it’s good to do thorough research about the security of the area. You can get information regarding security issues from statistics that are compiled and kept by locals, you can also visit the police or check their posts on social media platforms since most will regard security in the surrounding.

 3.Quality schools.

One thing for sure you can get in a good neighbourhood is good schools. It doesn’t matter if you have school going kids, one day you could get yours or those of relatives. You may also one day wish to sell your home, if there are good schools around then the likelihood of you selling the property sooner is high as schools affect the buying decision of almost all prospective homeowners.

Your Ultimate Neighborhood Guide to Juja

Before buying a home, it is also important you visit the schools around to get first-hand information on their performances. You shouldn’t just rely on what you are told since whoever is selling you the property may tell you biased information for them to make a sale.

 4.Easy access to amenities and facilities.

 In a good neighbourhood, good shops, roads, churches, cafes, playgrounds, will always be in close proximity which is not the case with other not so good neighbourhoods. These facilities and amenities will see a locations value increase. This is good also for the future as one day you may wish to resell the property. These have been and will remain the variables against which people measure a good neighbourhood.

 5.Increased privacy.

Overcrowded neighbourhoods have so much commotion, noise pollution and very little privacy. There are normally so many shared amenities and facilities including bathrooms and toilets. In a good neighbourhood, you get a chance to own almost everything privately for example gardens, parking lots, hanging lines and many other.

Pipeline Neighborhood Guide : All You Need to Know

6.Good Community companionship and ties.

In most communities, there is how things are run there. In planning on how to run things then it means people have to come together and discuss or draw the rules. When they come together, they tend to bond because they have so much in common.

Their children are not also left behind. The togetherness of children with their age mates as they are growing up is very vital. Most of the things teachers or parents don’t teach their children, they learn from their friends. In a good neighbourhood, the kind of things children learn from one another are majorly positive. 

Summary.

When buying a home, you should know that you are making a lifetime decision.  The decision you make is likely to affect either positively or negatively, you and those you love. I hope that after reading the above, you are going to make a decision with zero future regrets.

Alot of people ask how they can become the best top-selling real estate agents.

Most of them want to know how they can sell tens or hundreds of homes and make millions.

Well, this article will show how to do that in 5 easy steps.

You can be a real estate agent working on your own or a real estate agent employed by a company to sell their products. In case you are interested in getting a job as a real estate agent, then just go to the company and drop your CV/resume.

Then after several years working as a real estate agent with a broker you could go it alone. Because you are known in the industry. And you have saved up some working capital.

This article will concentrate on what to do in case you want to start your real estate agency.

So, let’s dive in on the steps to take to start off in real estate. There are no special skills or any amount of money needed to start. Just your willingness to help other people.

Step 1:  Find the best real estate agent in your area for mentorship.  

Yes, you heard me right. Work for free. I know you have bills to pay, so you can start off on a part-time basis. A side hustle or a side gig if you wish.

And what exactly will you be doing as you work for free?

You will do a lot of jobs for them including ensuring there is tea in the office, the daily newspaper is delivered, the office is cleaned, and the boss is generally happy.

If you are lucky, you get to participate in more serious stuff like handling customer inquiries, taking customers to site visits and growing the list of the number of people you know.

This step helps you to gain knowledge in the industry, get recommendations and start growing your network.

To register with the Kenyan Estate Agents registration board, you will need a letter of recommendation and this is how you get one. 

Step 2: Network and Build your sphere of influence.

As you continue to work for free, you get to gain a lot of knowledge in the real estate industry. From how to handle sales, property prices, market trends and how to handle customers.

 You will accompany your mentor for meetings. Here, you get to meet other real estate agents who will become part of your network.

 Your network is your net worth, and this is where you start growing that.

During this time, join any online groups you find. There are numerous groups on Facebook and WhatsApp that I have personally found quite useful.

Attend any available real estate webinars and meetings. This helps you expand your knowledge and become a force to reckon with.

 Step 3: Get a real estate license

Depending on the country or area that you operate in, certain restrictions apply to the real estate industry. Please do a quick google search on registration and licensing requirements.

In Kenya, all real estate agents should be registered with the real estate agent’s registration board. It takes around 6 months to get registered from the time you apply to when you get your license. This is because EARB processes registration in batches.

 In case more people apply, registration can be quicker.

If you are wondering how much a real estate license costs in Kenya, the amount is KSH 10,500. This covers an annual license and a practicing certificate.

Before you get your license, you can sell using the license of the agent you have from steps 1.

 Step 4: Sell like Crazy.

Once you have your own license, you need to start selling like crazy.

To do this, reach out to anyone within your network who could benefit from your services. Start with yourself. Can you buy the real estate you are selling? If yes, then go ahead. You have just sold your first property to yourself.

Start also by reaching out to your friends and family. This could be your best friend at work who has been coming to you for help. Make this they payback time.

Reach out to friends from school, church and your neighbors. If you say you will call, remember to call and follow up.

Call up your baby mamma, call your ex, call your sponsor. And if any of these have a sponsor, call them too!

Go out into the streets, talk to people, open social media accounts, google ads, blood sweat and tears.

 List your properties with listing websites available in your country. In Kenya, we have identified the top five real estate listing websites for you.

Make sure everybody buys from you. Follow them up. Constantly.

Stalk them in case you need to. Call them from a different number. Email them. SMS then. WhatsApp them.

And don’t stop until they buy………. or die of old age😊.

 If they die, attend the burial, and get contacts for the next of kin and sell to them. Not really, but you get my drift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-3j9A-w8s4

Step 5: Maintain contact with the clients you sell to.

Once you sold a property, this becomes the beginning process of the next real estate item you want to sell to them.

Resell to them your newest property. If they can’t afford it, ask them to refer you to their friends. And don’t relent until they do. And then do not let their friends go until they buy from you.

Or until their children buy from you.

Or their children buy from your children who are now managing your business.

Remember, it is far easier to sell products and services to existing customers than it is to sell to new customers. This is because there is at least a 60-70% chance of repeat customers buying from you.

 Bonus tip?

 We upload a new blog every week. Please subscribe to our so you get notified every time we release a new article. You will be receiving one email a week on the best tips to get you ahead in the real estate industry.

A ruling by the High Court stopped the charging of single business permit fees on certain professions that includes Real Estate agents registered under the Estate Agents CAP.533. This is because charging such fees would amount to double taxation.

Since 2010, there are two layers of Government, National and County Government. The National Government does have its own mandates and levies taxes on some functions. However, some functions are levied by the County Government in areas where the services fall within the County and where there are no similar taxes levied by the National Government. Once the National Government levies a particular tax, the same cannot be levied by the County Government.

In Constitutional Petition No. 97 of 2016, The Kenya Pharmaceutical Association and Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya sought the Court’s intervention to prohibit County Governments from demanding, seeking or receiving applications for Single Business Permits or fees for such application or permit or license or otherwise from its members. The Judge explained the crucial difference between trade license fees and practicing license fees stating that the County Government is prohibited from issuance of Regulatory Licenses. The trade licensing fee is paid for trading in the County. The Judge further reiterated that the function of the County Government is trade development and regulation which excludes the regulation of professions which render services only.

In the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution, among the services devolved to the County Government is Trade Development and Regulation which includes:

(a)……

(b) Trade licensing (excluding regulation of professionals).

The County Government is therefore prohibited from issuing regulatory licenses for professionals under which real estate agents falls under.

To take advantage of this regulation, you must be registered with The Estate Agents Registration Board.

Read the blog below on how to register as a real estate agent and the process of registering as a real estate agent in Kenya.

How to register with Estate Agents Registration Board as a real estate agent in Kenya

What other professionals do not pay single business permits?

Blacks’ Law Dictionary 10th Edition at page 1903 defines profession as ‘A vocation requiring advanced education and training especially one of the three traditional learned professions – Law, Medicine and the Ministry.”

Concise Oxford English Dictionary 12th Edition defines profession as â€˜paid occupation, especially one involving training and a formal qualification.”]

So registered professionals like accountants, surveyors, medical practitioners, engineers, accountants and lawyers may rely on court judgements not to pay the single business permit fees.

Some cases to rely on are:

·       High Court of Kenya at Nyahururu J.R.NO.8 OF 2017

·       High Court in Nakuru Review 14 or 2014.

·       Constitutional Petition No. 97 of 2016

·       Civil Application No. Nai 2 Of 2000

Do Pharmacies need to pay for single business permits?

Every pharmacy needs to pay for single business permits.

This was determined by J. Mativo in Petition 97/2016, the Kenya Pharmaceutical Association of Kenya Vs Nairobi County Government and 46 others County Governments. The court held that they are liable to pay trade licenses because they also sell pharmaceutical goods. The court said:

“Pharmacy is a profession but to the extent that it also involves selling of pharmaceutical products. It is a trade as opposed to a profession such as law or Architecture which render services only. By being asked to pay trade licenses, for their business premises, the County Government cannot in any manner be said to be regulating or controlling the profession.”

Let us know anything we may have missed on the comment section below.

Real estate is becoming a very competitive field. You need to find a way to list properties available for sale. Beyond listing your land and houses for sale, buyers and sellers are expecting a lot more.  To succeed as a real estate agent, you need to have something extra.

Several skills can give you an edge and help you make more sales. These skills will also set you apart from the competition.

Let’s read together based on my experience in the industry and what I have found to be important. You will also note that most of these skills are important in other industries as well. So, if you are not in real estate, you find these useful as well. Let’s get started!

1.Local area knowledge

Every real estate agent needs to have adequate knowledge of the area within which they are selling land or houses. If you know your locality, customers will learn to trust and depend on you for guidance. You will need to understand real estate regulations in Kenya. You also need to know of upcoming developments and other real estate agents in your area.

Real estate buyers prefer working with a real estate agent who is knowledgeable. This is because they are about to make one of the biggest decisions of their life. Customers are also about to commit a lot of money.

2.High Integrity and Trust levels.

Honesty remains one of the best skills to have as a real estate agent. Customers also expect you to show you can be trusted and honest. Thus, real estate customers rely on referrals from friends and family. Being dishonest, unethical and immoral can tarnish a career fast, and for good.

If you have a bad reputation, no real estate buyer will work with you. Reputation matters a lot in real estate. You need to maintain a good client base who can provide evidence of recent successful deals.

3.Technological skills

Technology advances every day. Therefore, you need to leverage technology to your advantage by being technological savvy.

As a real estate agent, you need to understand how to use social media to sell real estate. From posting to WhatsApp groups and Facebook or showcasing your real estate on Instagram. You can take things to the next level by having a website.

How to use Google Maps to sell more as a real estate Agent

If you do not have a website, then you do not need to worry. Various listing websites are available with some being available for free.

4.Resilience

Real estate is a tough field. On average, most real estate agents complete a few sales within the year. If you are not resilient, you will not manage to stay long in the field. As an agent, following up on leads requires constant calling and checking on your leads before they convert. Following up on every lead is crucial in achieving success in real estate.

You will need to have a way to keep track of leads.  Having a notebook is a good starting place. Else, invest in an automated system.

Successful real estate agents do not wait for clients to call them. They keep a check on all appointments, meetings and showings themselves. They are also flexible and will adjust their schedule if the client requests.

5.Passion

To succeed in anything, you need to have passion. Real estate is no exception.

For real estate agents, passion involves enjoying speaking and taking clients to site visits. You also need passion to help people. This is because you will need to support clients make decisions that are best for them.

6.Teamwork and networking

In real estate, your network is your net worth. If you work alone, you will find customers hard to come by. Referrals remain the way most agents find business. If you do not have a large network, then you will sell less and be unable to find success. Teamwork involves you also providing other real estate agents with referrals and leads.

Networking Tips for Real Estate Agents in Kenya.

For any career, building your network and reputation is important for success. If you’re a local agent serving a small market, getting involved with the community can be a great way to build your brand. By engaging with the community, you can become the ‘go-to estate agents in the area.

7.Negotiation skills

Most buyers start their real estate journey online. With a lot of information being available online, buyers have more information than before. With a more knowledgeable client, negotiation skills are becoming important for real estate agents.

The crucial lesson to remember about negotiating is that your goal is not to win, but to get a deal done. To do that, you will have to come up with a solution that will satisfy both the buyer and the seller.

8.communication skills

People prefer to work with people they get along with and like. Buying and selling properties is no different. To have a good rapport with real estate buyers, you then need to have good communication skills.

Good communication skills help to create a good relationship with customers. It also helps to enhance your level of professionalism. You need to be available on most communication channels like email, Skype, WhatsApp, or text messages. You should also be quick at replying to your client’s messages.

You don’t only communicate with the buyer but also the seller during negotiation. In some cases, you’ll need to communicate with your colleagues. Other real estate agents will give you advice or guidance as you grow in the business.

9.Great marketing skills.

The real estate market is becoming more competitive. More real estate agents are joining the industry. To sell land or houses, you need to have great marketing skills.  With the right marketing strategy, you can get more clients and referrals that will help you grow your business.

Here is a more detailed article on top 9 strategies to earn more as a real estate agent.

10.Familiarity with Rules and Regulations

A real estate agent understands how rules and regulations apply to real estate. In Kenya, you need to understand the Estate Agents Act, The Land Act, Rent Restriction Act and tax matters as well. You need to understand how these affects real estate.

Process of buying property in Kenya

As a real estate agent, you must guide your customers in navigating through all the regulations and not mislead them in any way. Most homeowners are unaware of real estate laws when they buy or sell a house. They depend on a real estate agent to guide them through this complicated process.

There are many skills a real estate agent should have. The above skills are the core skills that will make a successful real estate agent. The effective implementation of these skills will help you have a great and rewarding real estate career. These skills are important whether you’re starting out or already a professional.

Real estate is always a tough market. There are thousands of properties for sale in the area, and a shortage of buyers. This can be from all the competition or from the fact that people don’t know how to find properties they’re interested in. Either way, getting your property noticed can sometimes be difficult. With these tips, you’ll be able to catch the eyes of potential buyers.

1.     Use good SEO practices

Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, is the secret to getting your listing prioritized and seen. Thorough keyword research is necessary for this. This helps users utilizing an online search engine to find listings to focus their search. Choose the right keywords or phrases to precisely describe your listing so that the target audience will find it in search results.

ALSO READ: Seo For Real Estate –seven Tips On How To Improve Your Real Estate Website

2.     Get the Most Out of Local Real Estate Listings

Online real estate listings are a great way to get noticed, and they’re free! These sites will allow potential buyers to see all the properties you want them to see. These free real estate listing sites like Premier Agent are very useful and it’s a good idea to at least have a profile on one of them. To really get the most out of these websites, you’ll want to edit your listing regularly and respond quickly to any messages you receive through the website.

ALSO READ: The Top 7 Real Estate Listing Sites In Kenya

3.     Take excellent photos

Do you have professional photographs of your property? Great! They’re an invaluable tool in selling your property, and they can help attract a lot of traffic to your listing. If you want to really get the most out of these pictures, though, you might want to consider doing a virtual tour of your property. In addition to taking pictures, a professional photographer will be able to film footage inside the property and offer it for viewing on websites like YouTube, where people can see homes in motion and make comparisons between different properties. These videos are an excellent way to get noticed online, and they’re all free!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEgyd_VqrXA

4.     Share your listings on social media

Social media is quickly becoming one of the most significant components of digital marketing, offering great benefits that allow businesses to contact millions of people around the world. If you are not using social media to sell today, you are stuck in the past. If you can find a way to use social media, your property has a great chance of getting noticed. To begin, you can use your personal Facebook or Twitter accounts to inform your friends and family about your real estate listing. Focus on developing a great marketing campaign and release it on Facebook or Instagram.There are social media marketing tools that can help you run your pages. You will benefit from increased online visibility and interest from potential buyers. If you need help Digital Marketer will help you run all your social media accounts.

5.     Know Where Your Audience Is

If you’re going to get your property noticed, you’re going to need an audience. The best way to find out who might be interested in seeing your home is to find out who’s already looking for properties like yours. This can be done through websites that offer free information on the demographics of different neighbourhoods in the area, as well as through online forums dedicated to selling or buying properties of a particular type. Take some time to read up on all these sites and see how you can use them to sell your property.

How to List Properties on Property254

Conclusion

Getting your property noticed, especially in such a large market, can be difficult. You will need to improve your marketing efficiency as much as possible for this. In addition, while addressing a potential client, we will want you to be as professional as possible.

Create a free account with us here and list all your properties for FREE.

As real estate agents, we are trying to convince our customers to buy the properties we have. Whether we are selling land or selling houses, learning how to get others to buy is important.

Here are 10 ways to persuade others to buy from you.

1. Be willing to take a deposit.

Real estate is one of the most capital-intensive business ventures and investments. At times, most customers do not have enough money to buy the property outright. These customers could be willing to complete the sale if given more time.

Providing the customers the ability to pay in installments spread over time could be a way to get them to buy. You may provide a 3, six or 12 months repayment period when selling land. When selling houses, a longer period may be ideal as buying a house need much more money.

2. Create a fear of missing out.

The world’s properties are all distinctive in some way. Although this may not be obvious to a buyer. There are always things you can do to make people think your property is “one in a million.”

Let the customer know the number of inquiries you have been receiving on the property for sale. You can also identify why the price, size and location are hard to find. Let the customer know that there have been many inquiries.

But do not lie.

3 Little White Lies That Are OK to tell when selling property

3. Highlight the upcoming economic wins

Let the customer know of any new developments that make buying the property a good deal. When dealing with land for sale, explain upcoming developments. These include roads, schools and police stations. This helps to explain the potential price increases to the customer.

Expert Tips on How to Land Your First Real Estate Client

When selling a house, explain factors like the growing presence of Airbnb. This will help the customer see how the house can fetch income if listed on Airbnb. Let the customer know of opportunities like furnishing the house and letting it.

4. Be Responsible in Your Transaction

When buying and selling properties, there are laws to follow. Do not be in a rush to sell and then skip some of these steps. These steps include conducting due diligence, signing agreements or making a down payment. If legal support is needed, do not hesitate to let the customer know.

5 Key Steps in the Process of Buying property in Kenya

Let the customer follow the due process to enhance the level of trust.

5. Listen to Your Clients wants

You may gain very little by speeding your purchasers to shop for a property. Create trust and let the buyer understand that you’re operating in their best interest. See things from the customers perspective. This way, you can recommend properties that best suit their wants. That way, customers feel valued, and they’ll appreciate you a lot.

6. Talk from expertise, bank on your information

A broker’s business relies on experience. A buyer would need to make certain that you have sound information. When speaking to customers, back your conversations with facts. you must be ready to state different aspects of the property you’re pitching to them.

Best Tips to Get Real Estate Clients

7. Be Kind and Helpful

People feel compelled to give when they receive something. How can you use this in your company? Being kind, helpful, and giving is all there is to it.

I have spent hours of my life freely sharing information (take this blog, for example). People can tell when someone is being helpful even if there isn’t a direct financial benefit. If you put this into action, you’ll discover that it’s not hard to find people who can assist you when you’re in need.

8. Show your authority

Credibility and the capacity to show your expertise are both prerequisites for authority. Because there are so many “wanna-be experts on the internet. These “wanna-be” agents talk big but have no experience or outcomes to back them up.

Having enough expertise is crucial. You don’t have to be an expert, but you do need to understand the subject at hand.

Create a well-designed website to further build your brand. A website helps build confidence in the people about you. This increases success as you can show evidence that you can be trusted.

9. Become Reliable and Likeable.

Once you’ve gained commitment, follow up with customers. You can do this by reminding them of your agreement. When trying to sell a house, these are some of the greatest leads you may pursue.

We are much more likely to say yes to people we like, and the fact is we tend to like people who are similar to us, who make us feel good, or who help us achieve what we’re looking to do. Build this with your customers so that they can call you back.

10. Ask for reviews and recommendations

It is a good practice to ask for feedback, once you have closed the deal. If you have a website, ask a satisfied customer for their recommendation. These reviews may be the difference that shows your experience and service quality.

Conclusion
As with any other form of sale, you must have the authority to sell the property. You then need to know how to convince a homebuyer to make a deal. By following the steps above, you can sell the property easily.

Real estate association is an industry body of agents and brokers that unite for the purpose of effectively exerting combined influence upon matters affecting real estate industry.  The association can also provide trainings to other estate agents, seek to influence the government, produce market research, and operate multiple listing services for the benefit of its members.  Real estate associations operate as independent organizations with a budget and leadership approved by the members. Starting a real estate association is very easy. You can start as informal gathering and grow it to formalized arrangement with officials and membership dues and later have permanent staff.

Associations are registered under the Societies Act in Kenya by the Registrar of Societies. This is the procedure of registration.

1. Name Search: Have an official name search and secure the proposed name of the association. A name search is conducted to ascertain if proposed names are available for registration. This is a guideline on how to conduct the association name search.

2. Visit the offices of the Registrar of Societies in the Registrar General Division of the office of the Attorney General to make the application for registration. Here you will be given application forms to make the application.

These forms include;

           i.            Application for Registration of Society Form A

           ii.            Notification of Registered Office Or Postal Address Of A Society Form B

           iii.            Specimen constitution for a society : Specimen constitution for a society 

3. Drafting of the Constitution. Preparation of the proposed constitution of the Society. A guideline is provided in the Act

4. Submit your application documents, society’s constitution, required documents and application fee of Ksh.2000 payment receipt to the office of registrar of societies.

Requirements for registration of a real estate association.

        i.            A list of designated members ( 10 members minimum);

      ii.            The names, occupation and postal addresses of the officials Chairman, treasurer and secretary;

    iii.            Constitution of the society which must contain name, postal address and objects of the society;

     iv.            Application form A and B each in duplicate signed by three of the officers.

     v.            Copies of the ID, PIN and Passport photo of the officials.

     vi.            Application fee of Ksh. 2000

The processing of the application takes a maximum of 120 days to be ready. If the application is approved a certificate of registration of the association is then issued. If the application does not comply with the societies rules a Notice of refusal is issued.

Every registered society shall furnish the Registrar annually, the annual returns of the previous year by filing in the prescribed form and at a prescribed fee based on the number of members of the society.

The Registrar of Societies office is located in sharia House, Harambee Avenue, Nairobi. For more information call +254-2-2227461/2251355 /0711 9445555/0732 529995 or   send an email to [email protected]. You can also check their website on  https://www.statelaw.go.ke

Ardhisasa is an online platform that allows Citizens to interact with land information held and processes undertaken by the government. What are the services you can access from the NLMS digital platform? Below is a look at them:

Land Registration

This is one of the services you can access on the NLMS is land registration. It deals with several things such as:

•  Application for issuance of cautions and restrictions and registration of executors
•  Leases short term and long term
•  Registration of title deeds and leases
• Replacement of title deeds
• Land searches and transfer of title.

Other services under land administration include the registration and termination of joint ownerships and stamp duty-related issues.

Land Administration

Services offered under land administration include:

• Paying of land rents
• Subdivision of land
• Preparation, renewal, and extension of leases
• Changing or extending the rights of use on a land.

How to Create an Individual Account on Ardhisasa

 Physical Planning

Physical planning services include the application and approval of development plans for various intended uses on a parcel of land. You can also receive a certificate of compliance for development projects, provided they meet the required provisions.

 Survey And Mapping

Survey and mapping services include:

·         Subdivision or amalgamation (joining of two pieces) of land

·         Issuance of new grants and allotment letters

·         Surveying and re-surveying of land to issue and confirm boundaries.

 Land Valuation

Land valuation services involve the valuation of a parcel(s) of land for purposes of asset valuation, government land leasing or purchase, estate administration matters, or arbitration matters.

Ultimate guide to understanding Ardhisasa

 Adjudication And Settlement

Services include dealing with adjudication and settlement of land dispute matters.

Land Allocation

You can also access land allocation services on Ardhisasa, a docket handled by the National Land Commission.

For enquiries, please visit Ardhi House, Off Ngong Rd: P.O. Box 30450-00100, Nairobi,Kenya or email: [email protected]. The ministry can also be reached on phone: 0743922876.

In case of more information, keep visiting our website www.premieragent.co.ke or call us on 0726982982 or on email through [email protected]