I have noted with serious concern how land brokers/agents/dealers hike/inflate prices left right and ctr. Partly aided by buyers from 'blue collar' enviroment who buy whatever is offered. Take juja farm for example, 2yrs ago, an acre was in the range of 100k. Same place, same size today is an M or there abt. Kitengela 1km frm kitengela town, in 06, quarter was 125k, today, dnt even try. If u go directly to owner, u get a clean, bigger, better and cheaper deal. Bt nairobians kawaida, you buy at whatever you are told. There is land we bought in kamulu @ 300k/acre. Even b4 we completed paying...in 2 months, the same land was now 600k an acre...if we wanted to, we could sell, make 100% profit.

very true @ali. infact we work so so hard in order to save and own some land but in the end the one who benefits most is the broker.I think the way our system is structured really favours these brokers.The other day,I was being shown some commercial plots(by a broker)in embakasi-pipeline area and in the process we came across this huge seven storey flat being constructed...and I couldn't belief it when I realised it belonged to this broker.He sold plots/land making huge/crazy commissions until he constructed a flat.... at that moment I realised he was one of those who were overpricing the plots in that area and due to his sweet talking nature he was able to convinve gullible potential buyers to buy at very high prices unknowingly..and guess what,I didn't buy the plots from him I later got a similar plot nearby at a far much lesser price...so the thing is one should do be prepared to do a lengthy research of land prices before purchasing.

i know of a case where a broker was offering land at 3.8 and the owner wanted 3M flat.

Its sad coz the brokers even go to the extent of removing the beacons so that owners dnt sell directly. Just 2 wks ago, in ruiru, brokers were selling land @ 1.2, half an acre. You may nt believe it bt the owner, an old woman just wanted 450k. I almst fainted when we met the lady . Too bad that some guy got it b4 me, bt glad that brokers lost it.

am sooo hating both... buyers do your research and try to understand the value of land the area you interested.

@ pablo....i see a potential danger in the way we are allowing brokers/ agents control the sector. I also blame the urbanites who just buy buy...please, as much as you can, do your research well, try get the owner where you can and use trusted referals. I noticed that guys even employ guys to mark proposed bypasses/highway and use such pretexts to hike prices...saying that such and such a road is being built and therefore, the land is prime

You are very right. People have to take time to go to the ground and do research. You have to make several trips and talk to differnt people not just the broker... infact, take a trip there without even notifying the broker at all.

Ask around at the shops around as you casually chat up the mama mboga or shopkeeper... you will get a feel of how things are. But if you sit and wait to buy land from the comfort of your chair, you are gonna pay for that comfort.... and it doesnt come cheap, you knot. Recently, i committed to a piece of land that i was about to pay double in the same area.... Got it at 1/2 the price i had been told by one broker!

@dunkang..if u hate 40x80, wait till you see 40x60.

There are 50 by 60 and 50 by 50 in some estates in Mombasa..