How to Check if an Estate Agent in Kenya Is Genuine

Last reviewed: 24 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. For a large purchase, use an advocate.

He has a branded polo shirt, a lanyard, two phones and a confident handshake outside a block in Kileleshwa. He knows the caretaker by name. He says he manages "most of the houses on this road". None of that tells you whether he is a registered estate agent, or whether the landlord has ever heard of him.

To check if an estate agent in Kenya is genuine, search their name on the Estate Agents Registration Board's online members directory, ask to see their registration certificate and current annual practising certificate, and confirm with the landlord or agency on a number you found yourself. Then pay only into the landlord's or agency's account named in a written agreement. These checks take about ten minutes and stop most agent scams.

Why registration matters

Estate agents in Kenya are regulated by the Estate Agents Act (Cap. 533) and the Estate Agents Registration Board (EARB).

• Who counts as an estate agent. The Act covers anyone who, for payment, brings together a landlord and a tenant (or a seller and a buyer), or negotiates a letting or sale as an intermediary.
• They must be registered. Section 18 says no individual may practise as an estate agent unless registered, and makes it an offence. A firm may only practise if its partners or directors who do agency work are registered.
• They must carry cover. Section 19 requires a practising agent to have an indemnity bond or insurance approved by the Board, to compensate people who lose money through an agent's dishonesty or misconduct.
• The register is public. The Board publishes the list of registered agents in the Kenya Gazette each year. The 2026 list was published in Kenya Gazette Vol. CXXVIII No. 56 of 27 March 2026.
• The Board says check before you pay. On 1 April 2026 the Board told property buyers and tenants to verify agents' credentials before any transaction.

Two groups do not need to register to deal with property: owners dealing with their own property, and advocates acting in their practice. A landlord showing their own house is not an estate agent, and you can check an advocate separately through the Law Society of Kenya.

Step 1: Search the register

1. Open the Board's members directory.
2. Search by the agent's name or member number. You can also switch to the firms directory to search for the agency.
3. Look at the standing. When we checked in October 2026, entries showed either "In Good Standing" or "Not In Good Standing".
4. Make sure the name matches the person in front of you, not just the company on the polo shirt.

The directory site also has a page to validate a certificate and a page for complaints. For a big deal, you can also compare the name with the latest gazetted list on the Board's website.

Keja's tip: "I work under so-and-so" is not registration. The person taking your money should be on the register, or should be paying it into an account of a firm that is.

Step 2: Ask for these documents

Ask before you view, not after you have paid:

A genuine agent has these ready and will not be offended. Hesitation, excuses or an expired certificate are your answer.

Step 3: Confirm the agent with the landlord or agency

Find the landlord's or management company's number yourself: from the building's notice board, the company's own website or a neighbour in the block. Then call and ask, "Is this person authorised to let unit B4 for you?" Do not use the number the agent gives you; it may belong to a friend.

Step 4: Pay only the account named in your agreement

This is the step that protects your money even if everything else fails.

• Get a written agreement first. A tenancy agreement or sale agreement that names the landlord or seller, the property, the rent or price and the deposit.
• Pay only to the account named in that agreement: the landlord's account or the agency's company account or business paybill, in a name that matches.
• Never pay a personal number that does not match the landlord or agency, whatever the reason given.
• Get a receipt for every payment, on letterhead or from the paybill, showing what it was for.

The Act also lets the minister responsible for land make rules requiring agents to keep money held for clients in separate bank accounts, so a professional agency will have proper accounts and receipts.

Red flags

• Cannot give a full name, or the name is not on the register
• Practising certificate is missing or from a past year
• Wants a viewing, booking or "search" fee before you have seen anything
• Wants the deposit sent to a personal number, "because the office paybill is down"
• Says the owner is "abroad" and cannot be reached, ever
• Will not put anything in writing
• Pushes you to decide today because "three people are coming"
• Shows you a house, then asks for money before you have met the landlord or signed

One red flag is a reason to slow down. Two is a reason to walk away. Our guide to rental scams in Kenya explains how each of these plays out, and how to avoid property scams covers land and buying.

How Kenya Home Search helps you know who you are dealing with

• Every listing is reviewed before it goes live.
• Owner listings carry an "Owner letting" or "Owner selling" badge, and you can filter any search to Direct from owner if you would rather skip agents altogether. The badge shows the type of account; it is not an ownership check.
• Verified badges show a lister has passed our ID or ownership checks. They help, but they are not legal advice, so still run the checks above.
• You contact listers directly on WhatsApp, phone or email, and we never take a commission on a sale or rent.
• We never charge house hunters viewing fees. If a lister asks you for one, report the listing from its page.

Choosing where to search? Read what a good house hunting website in Kenya should give you.

If an agent has taken your money

1. Report mobile money fraud to Safaricom by SMS to 333, as soon as you can.
2. Call your bank if you paid by transfer and ask them to try to recall it.
3. Report to the police and get an OB number. The DCI toll-free line is 0800 722 203.
4. Report the person to the Board through the complaints page on its members site, or by email to info@estateagentsboard.or.ke, especially if they practise without registration.
5. Keep evidence: names, numbers, receipts, screenshots and dates.

Frequently asked questions

How do I verify an estate agent in Kenya?

Search their name on the EARB members directory, ask for their registration certificate and current annual practising certificate, and confirm with the landlord or agency on a number you found yourself.

Do all property agents in Kenya need to be registered?

Anyone who, for payment, brings landlords and tenants or sellers and buyers together, or negotiates for them, must be registered under the Estate Agents Act. Owners dealing with their own property and advocates acting in their practice are not covered.

What is the difference between a registration certificate and a practising certificate?

Registration puts the agent on the Board's register. The practising certificate is renewed every year, so an agent can be registered but not currently licensed to practise. Ask for both.

Can I report a fake estate agent?

Yes. Report to the Board through its complaints page or by email, and to the police if you have lost money.

Is a caretaker an estate agent?

A caretaker employed by the landlord to look after a building is not usually acting as an agent. If a caretaker asks you for money, confirm with the landlord directly and pay only the account in your written agreement.

Find homes and talk to the right person

Search houses and apartments for rent, filter to Direct from owner, or tell us what you need on Find me a home and we will match you with listings, free.