Estate Agents’ Conference 2025

Theme: Redefining Growth, Innovation and Compliance in the Real Estate Sector in Kenya

Chairperson’s Address

It is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest welcome to all of you to the 3nd biennial Estate Agents Conference,2025 organized by the Estate Agents Registration Board (EARB). This year, our conference theme is ‘Redefining Growth, Innovation and Compliance in the Real Estate Sector in Kenya’

Over the past two decades, we have witnessed the Kenyan real estate sector transform dramatically. From a modest, largely informal market, we now see a vibrant, fast-evolving industry that contributes significantly to our national GDP, drives employment, and remains a key pillar in our Vision 2030 agenda. This rapid expansion has brought with it complex challenges and growth pains: this includes creation of emerging disciplines and practices outside the regulated fields to fraudulent transactions, money laundering and proceeds of crime, compliance and enforcement challenges, challenges and increasing number of quacks operating outside the regulatory framework. These issues threaten the very integrity of our profession and the confidence of the public in public service and official documents and processes and leads to loss of government revenue, loss of investors’ funds and property.

The rapid growth, change in demographics as the Kenya’s urban population continues to grow rapidly, the changes to architectural design approaches geared to serving a more and more youthful population. We are living in an era that demands inclusivity and greater involvement of the citizens in policy development and development of laws and implementation. The urban landscape has incrementally transformed to the adoption of mixed developments and multi storied buildings in major towns. This calls for a fresh definition to growth away from square metres developed, units sold, and investments attracted. While those metrics are still important, but they are insufficient. In our era, true growth must also reflect the impact on quality of life, resilience to climate shocks, access to opportunities, and the ability of the sector to catalyse equitable economic outcomes. Apart from numbers, growth must mean improved service standards, client protection, and the professionalization of the practice. Growth must be responsible. Innovation must be human-centred and inclusive.

With growth comes a call for all players in the sector to redefine themselves and their services. This is not merely a call for incremental change; it is a call for a recalibration of purpose. It calls for continuous innovation solutions, a critical review of how we do things and why we do them. It calls for the regulators, professional associations and the Government have a fresh look at their objectives and plans; for objective review of policies and laws that govern the real estate landscape. The sector must also embrace innovative IT solutions as technology continues to dictate the way we do business.

As we develop and improve the legislative environment, this must go hand in hand with improvement of the structures that ensures compliance and enforcement. This calls for a collaborative approach with all the relevant and related agencies and no – one institution can achieve it alone. This must be done in a fair and enabling environment that also spurs business growth and not a deterrent. The professionals must also embrace compliance as a national duty and not a burden and work with the agencies to improve the sector. A unified approach by the professionals and the regulatory bodies in finding innovative ways to handle our challenges and adapt to emerging realities will ensure the estate agents stay ahead of the curve, adapt to these emerging realities, seize the opportunities they present and rid the industry of malpractices and quacks. It will bring order to the sector and improve confidence to investors.

The biennial Estate Agents Conference aims to serve as a platform for real estate professionals to gather and exchange ideas. By sharing knowledge, we will be sharpening each other’s skills for individual and collective gain and for the benefit of the society that we serve. It is a safe place for exchange of knowledge through insightful discussions and deliberations among the professionals in the real estate sector and a perfect setting to showcase our services and products. By involving a wide range of stakeholders in the real estate industry among them the professionals, the regulators, government agencies, financiers, training institutions, developers among others, it provides a wholesome understanding of the industry. The participants will get a clear understanding of ongoing initiatives by the government in which they can take advantage, the regulatory framework under which they operate for better compliance and advice to their clients. Interacting with financial institutions will help both participants understand the financial landscape and available financing options for the real estate developments.

I know take this opportunity to invite you to join us at the 3rd Annual Estate Agents Conference, where we will embark on an exciting journey of ‘Redefining Growth, Innovation and Compliance in the Real Estate Sector in Kenya’. Together, let us embrace the opportunities that lie ahead and shape the industry for sustainable growth and success.