TrueHome Kenya List

Buying land or a house in Kenya from abroad

TrueHome Kenya · Updated 23 October 2026

Buying property back home is a big goal for many Kenyans abroad, and fraudsters know it. Distance, trust in relatives and pressure to "act fast" make diaspora buyers easy targets. These steps keep your money safe.

1. Never rely on photos and promises alone

Insist on a visit by someone independent of the seller: a trusted friend, your own advocate or a surveyor you hired. A live video call walking the boundaries helps, but is not proof of ownership.

2. Do the official search yourself

Get the title or parcel number and run the official land search on Ardhisasa or eCitizen, or have your advocate do it. Many registries are online, so you can do this from abroad. The registered owner must match the seller's ID.

3. Hire your own advocate

  • Choose an advocate you selected, not one recommended by the seller.
  • Confirm they are an advocate in good standing with the Law Society of Kenya.
  • The advocate should handle the sale agreement, consents, stamp duty and transfer.

4. Pay safely

  • Pay deposits into your advocate's client account or an agreed escrow, not to the seller's or a relative's personal number.
  • Release the balance only when the transfer is registered in your name.
  • Be very suspicious of last-minute changes to bank details sent by email or WhatsApp; confirm by phone with a number you already had.

5. Check the ground

  • A licensed surveyor should confirm the beacons and that the land matches the map.
  • Check access roads, water and electricity: see what's actually connected, not promised.
  • For agricultural land, ask your advocate about Land Control Board consent.

6. Watch for these red flags

  • "The title is with the bank / at the lands office, just pay and it will come."
  • Prices far below the area, or "only today" discounts.
  • Sellers who refuse searches, surveyors or your own advocate.
  • Off-plan projects without approvals you can verify.

Using TrueHome Kenya from abroad

Look for listings with the Verified badge: we've checked the lister's ID and ownership documents against an official search. You can confirm any badge code under Check a badge and contact listers directly on WhatsApp from anywhere in the world.

General information only, not legal or financial advice. Speak to a Kenyan advocate before buying.