
Land, rental units, apartments… Uganda’s real estate scene has seen steady growth over the past few decades. Everyone needs a place to stay, do business, or even simply store their property. Others buy and sell developed real estate for income, fuelling an industry that is closely tied to the country’s growing population. With more people in need of housing, it’s no surprise that at some point, everyone thinks about property, whether it’s renting a house to move out of the parental home, relocating, a commercial unit for setting up a business, storage space, or buying land to build a dream house.
And if you’ve ever searched for property online, chances are you’ve come across a social media post advertising something for sale or rent. The same applies if you weren’t actively looking, thanks to targeted ads. We already know social media marketing has overtaken traditional outreach methods, so naturally, the real estate industry jumped aboard. These days, real estate agents proudly showcase their listings in WhatsApp groups and statuses, share Instagram reels of the best and newest apartments on the market, and, perhaps most dramatically, flood TikTok with short videos of land for sale or rental units at jaw-droppingly low prices. But behind the flashy post are scams waiting to trap the desperate and uninformed.
Why Agents Are Turning to Social Media
If you have joined any marketing or sales WhatsApp groups, you have probably seen the postings from someone advertising a piece of land for sale. Or if you have taken to TikTok and minutely sought something to do with a home or house, you’ve got a barrage of apartments, rental units, all at questionably cheap prices. Simply put, social media is where people’s attention is, and savvy agents know it.
Massive reach: Social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok give agents instant access to thousands of potential clients, including people living abroad who might want to invest back home. This wider outreach makes marketing and brand-building easier for agents.
Affordability: It costs little to post photos or videos of properties, compared to traditional methods like radio ads, billboards, or newspaper listings. Even when an agent decides to boost a post, the cost is cheaper than when they choose something like television adverts.
Speed and convenience: Updates are instant. A new listing goes live right away and can be reshared, replied to, or even booked for viewing within minutes. This shareability means listings can go viral and reach hundreds of prospects overnight, leading to faster lead generation.
Personal branding: Agents use these platforms to build trust. They show themselves talking to the camera, giving advice, or even live-streaming site visits, making them look relatable and authentic.
Visual storytelling: With a smartphone and decent editing skills, a short video can showcase a property far better than a text description ever could.
In a nutshell, social media meets buyers where they already spend their time, online. And for agents, that’s marketing gold. However, while agents get the best out of it, the buyers have an entirely different story.
The Cons and Risks: What Could Go Wrong?
Fraud and scams. One of the biggest issues is agents, or even fake agents, charging inspection fees, only to disappear afterwards. It’s common for social media property listings to have an inspection fee, maybe a tactic to weed out unserious renters or those that are not quite ready but just want to look at the property. However, many agents will request you to deposit on their mobile money, then meet at the place, which leaves room for fake agents to disappear after the money has been paid.
Others list properties that have already been sold, or worse, never existed in the first place.
If you scroll through some social media comments on a property listing, it shouldn’t be surprising to find many sharing stories of losing money to inspection scams or finding properties posted at “offers” that turn out to be impossible to secure. Some even accuse agents of reselling the same listing to multiple hopeful clients.
Misleading pricing. It’s common to see “too good to be true” prices online. After the client pays inspection fees and commits emotionally, they find out the real price is far higher than their proposed budget, and thus lose their inspection fees without gaining value. It’s a bait-and-switch tactic.
No regulation. Many online listings have no oversight, leaving buyers exposed to shady characters and false information. Anyone with something to sell can post it on their social media and advertise it as the best deal on the market, leaving many of the prospective clients having to waste resources checking out each fake listing until they find the actual legit one. And that is only if they were lucky enough to spot a shady deal.
Information overload. With so many agents posting in groups and on timelines, genuine listings get lost in the clutter, or buyers feel overwhelmed. Every scroll leads to a seemingly better offer, which at the end leaves the buyers stranded on which to decide on taking.
Poor-quality listings. Some agents post blurry photos, incomplete descriptions, or inaccurate details, wasting clients’ time.
In short, while social media makes marketing easier, it also makes fraud easier, and that leaves many potential buyers or renters anxious.
Some will commend social media property marketing for helping them find options fast, compare prices, and avoid paying expensive agency commissions.
“At least I can see the place before wasting time,” one renter said, but at the same time, you will always find someone cursing and condemning for a deal gone wrong.
Why People Prefer Property Agents on Social Media
Despite the risks, social media is likely to remain the go-to platform for real estate marketing in Uganda. Its affordability, reach, and convenience make it nearly impossible for agents to ignore. And for buyers, it’s a chance to see what’s out there quickly and easily without going through the right channels with established property firms.
How to Avoid Real Estate Scams on Social Media
If you want to take advantage of social media real estate listings but avoid being scammed, consider these simple steps:
#1. Insist on meeting at the property before making any financial commitments through mobile money to personal numbers you haven’t verified. Inspection fees? Sure, let’s meet at the place…why should I pay inspection fees for a property I haven’t inspected?
#2. Use reputable agents with a solid online presence, reviews, or testimonials. For every listing, check out the comments, visit the agent’s social media profile and gauge whether they are decent.
#3. Beware of unrealistic prices. If you are looking for a house to rent, chances are you already have an idea of what prices a particular size of room and features it has will cost and in what areas. Certainly, if a TikTok is advertising a self-contained studio apartment in Ntinda, within a gate and your own Yaka meter, at 150,000 a month, be sceptical. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
There’s no question that social media has changed how Uganda’s real estate sector works, or any other sector for that matter. Every business today has a social media handle, at the very least a WhatsApp contact, where they advertise and reach out to their customers.
As a buyer, renter, or investor, staying sharp and alert is the best way to harness the benefits of social media while protecting your hard-earned cash.
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