The government has issued a warning to all estate agents operating against the law, threatening to take legal action.
The warning is to all persons who, by way of business, negotiate for or otherwise act with the selling, purchasing, or letting of land and buildings.
Through the Estate Agents Registration Board (EARB), the regulatory body for estate agencies asked Kenyans not to use any unregistered real estate agents.
“Persons practicing estate agency without registration are doing so against the law and risk prosecution,” EARB warned.
The announcement comes as cases of fake land ownership documents and double land sales remain rampant.
Numerous cases of unaware buyers losing millions to fraudulent agents who sell nonexistent or disputed properties have been reported, and the authority is working to bring sanity to the sector.
In a public notice on Friday, EARB explained that operating without registering is against the law and punishable by law.
“In order for the Board to continue protecting public interest and enhance professionalism in the real estate sector, consumers are advised to require that the estate agents they engage provide registration certificates and annual practicing certificates issued by the board,” the authority said.
With low entry barriers, the market is flooded with self-proclaimed agents, many of whom lack industry knowledge.
But some agents use dishonest tactics like inflating property prices to secure higher commissions. In the cases of swindling reported, some agents collaborate with compromised officials to manipulate land records.
Earlier this month, EARB announced it had registered and certified 500 estate agents. Most of them are based in Nairobi, with others in Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, and Thika.
Already, the government has initiated a major overhaul of the country’s construction laws, aiming to impose stricter penalties and enhance safety standards.
The process that is now at the public participation stage seeks to review the National Construction Authority (NCA) Act (2011) and NCA Regulations (2014).
Key among the changes being eyed is the introduction of harsher penalties for violations, including heavy fines and potential legal liability for contractors and developers found guilty of cutting corners.
The government hopes these measures will deter malpractice and improve compliance with safety standards, particularly after several high-profile collapses exposed systemic failures in oversight.
