How to start as a rental agent in Nairobi

Where you start matters a lot. In areas like Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Lavington and Westlands, many apartment buildings are run by a management team. A lot of these buildings pay a commission when you bring them a tenant.

In other areas, like South B or Rongai, many buildings do not pay agents a commission. You can still work there later, but it is harder to earn when you are new.

So start where buildings are used to working with agents. Pick one or two areas and learn them well before you move on.

Most big buildings have a management office or a caretaker on site. Walk in, greet them, and tell them you are an agent looking for tenants for their vacant units.

Ask them which units are free now and which ones will be free soon. Then swap phone numbers or WhatsApp contacts. That one contact can bring you many listings over time.

Before you spend any time working on a building, ask the management team how their commission works. Some buildings pay you when you bring them a tenant. Some do not pay anything, and if they pay nothing, your time there is better spent on another building.

Every building is different, so do not guess. Some are open and will explain everything clearly. Some are tight and will not tell you much, and if you do not have the right documents, they will keep the commission for themselves. So get it agreed before you start.

• Does the building pay you a commission when you bring them a tenant, and how much?
• When is it paid? After the tenant signs, or after they move in?
• What documents do they need from you before they release the commission?
• Do they need the tenant's details or a signed form from you?

You are already there with the management team, so get all the details at once. House hunters will ask these questions, and good answers help you close faster.

• Rent per month, and the deposit needed
• Service charge, and whether it is included in the rent
• Water: borehole, county water, or both
• Electricity: tokens or a shared meter
• Backup generator, and what it covers
• Parking, lift, security and gym
• Furnished or unfurnished
• Pets allowed or not

Ask the management team if you can take pictures and short videos of the vacant units. Shoot in daylight, keep the phone steady, and show every room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the view and the building entrance.

Clear photos make people trust a listing. Dark or blurry photos make them scroll past.

Now market the units. On Meridian Estates you can post your first 3 listings for free. Our listing form asks for the same details you collected in Step 4, so you will already have everything ready.

When a house hunter is interested, you get their details and can call or WhatsApp them to book a viewing.

This is the part most new agents forget. Stay in touch with each management team. Send a short message every week or two to ask what is free.

When they trust you, many teams will send you new vacancies on WhatsApp, often with photos and videos. Then you do not even need to go back to take pictures. Your listings stay up to date, and that keeps house hunters coming back to you.