How to Write a Property Listing That Gets Enquiries

Last reviewed: 17 October 2026.

Renters and buyers decide within seconds whether to open your listing, and within a minute whether to contact you. The listings that get the most enquiries are not the most expensive or the most luxurious. They are the clearest: good light, every room shown, the real price, the real location and a fast reply.

This guide covers what works, whether you are letting a bedsitter in Kahawa West or selling a plot in Kitengela.

1. Photos: the first impression

Before you shoot

• Clean and declutter. Remove personal items, laundry and anything on the floor
• Open curtains and turn on all the lights
• Fix small things that photograph badly: a broken bulb, a hanging cable, a stained curtain

How to shoot

• Shoot in daylight, mid-morning or mid-afternoon, when light is soft
• Hold the phone horizontally and at chest height, and keep vertical lines straight
• Shoot from a corner to show the whole room, but avoid extreme wide-angle distortion
• Show every room, including the kitchen, bathrooms and balcony
• Show the outside: the building, the gate, parking, the compound and the access road
• Show what makes it special: a water tank, a borehole, backup power, a view, a garden

What not to include

• People. Do not photograph tenants, family members or neighbours. Respect privacy, which Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019 also protects
• Other websites' watermarks or photos you do not own
• Photos of a different unit "because it is the same layout". If you must, say so clearly

2. Video and 360 tours: the biggest upgrade

A short video walkthrough answers most questions before anyone calls you, and it is essential for buyers and tenants who are relocating or living abroad.

• Walk slowly, in one continuous take, from the gate to each room
• Narrate briefly: "Master bedroom, with a fitted wardrobe and its own bathroom"
• Turn on taps and lights on camera
• Keep it to a few minutes

A 360 tour lets people look around each room at their own pace. On Kenya Home Search, plans with video and 360 tours are listed on the pricing page. Listings with tours stand out in search results and on WhatsApp shares.

3. Write a description people trust

Use a simple structure:

1. One line summary: "Two-bedroom apartment in Kilimani, fourth floor with lift, borehole water"
2. The home: rooms, sizes if you know them, finishes, condition
3. The building or compound: security, parking, water, backup power, lift, garbage collection
4. The area: nearest main road, matatu stage, shops, schools and hospitals
5. Costs: rent or price, deposit, service charge and what it covers, utilities
6. Availability: move-in date and lease length

Be honest

Mention the steep stairs, the seasonal water rationing or the road that gets muddy in the rains. Honest listings attract the right people and avoid wasted viewings, and an honest reputation brings repeat tenants and referrals.

4. Price it right

• Compare current listings in the same estate with the same number of bedrooms. Browse your area on Kenya Home Search, for example Kilimani or Ruiru
• Count what is included: a lower rent with a high service charge is not cheaper
• Adjust for condition and extras: new finishes, a lift, water and backup power justify more
• Watch the response: if a well-presented listing gets no enquiries in two weeks, the price is likely the reason

5. Location: accurate, with privacy

Pick the correct estate and town so your listing appears on the right area pages and in the right searches. For private sellers, Kenya Home Search shows an approximate location on the public map, and you share the exact location with serious enquirers.

6. Land listings need extra detail

Buyers of land, especially from abroad, look for evidence. Include:

• The size, in acres or fractions such as 1/8 or 1/4 acre
• Freehold or leasehold, and that a title is available for the plot
• The access road, water and power availability
• Photos of the plot, the beacons and the neighbouring properties
• A drawn boundary on the map (shown to buyers as indicative, not a survey)

Serious buyers will run an official search and send a surveyor, so make it easy: be ready to share the parcel number with genuine enquirers. Our guide to land title searches shows what buyers will check.

7. Get the Verified Owner badge

Listings from verified owners earn more trust, especially from buyers abroad. From your dashboard, open Get verified, upload your ID and your title deed or proof of ownership, and submit for review. Some plans include the badge, and it is also available as an add-on. See pricing.

8. Reply fast

Enquiries on Kenya Home Search come straight to you by WhatsApp, phone or email, with no commission. The first lister to reply usually gets the viewing.

• Reply within the hour if you can
• Save quick replies for common questions: price, availability, viewing times
• Confirm viewings with a pin and the gate details
• Never ask for viewing fees: they put genuine tenants off and look like a scam

9. Keep your listing fresh

• Mark it as let or sold as soon as it is, to avoid wasted calls
• Update the price and photos if it has been live for a while
• Re-shoot after renovations

10. Remember the tax side

If you let residential property, monthly rental income tax applies at 7.5% of gross rent for landlords earning between KES 288,000 and KES 15 million a year, filed through KRA's iTax by the 20th of the following month. Speak to a tax adviser about your situation.

Ready to list?

List your property for free in a few minutes from your phone. Every listing is reviewed before it goes live, and you keep 100% of your rent or sale price: zero commission. Want more photos, video, 360 tours or featured placement? See pricing. New to Kenya Home Search? Read how it works.