Kenya's residential market booms: opportunities and challenges ahead

Zawya

16-04-2025

Kenya's residential market is thriving, driven by rising demand from buyers, expatriates, and international investors. The luxury and affordable housing markets are having a moment with potential buyers. These dynamics will take center stage at the 2025 East Africa Property Investment Summit in Nairobi from 7-8 May at Pullman, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya (https://www.APIEvents.com)​.
Kenya's residential market is experiencing remarkable growth across the income spectrum, driven by increasing demand from local buyers, expatriates, and international investors.
This segment has become a focal point for developers and stakeholders seeking to capitalize on Kenya's evolving real estate landscape.
Kenya's housing market is divided into two segments: the luxury and affordable market.
On the luxury end of the residential market, Kenya's growing number of high-net-worth individuals and expatriates are driving demand for premium properties in exclusive neighborhoods.
This demand for premium properties is driven by affluent buyers, with projections indicating further growth to 16,900-dollar millionaires by 2026, according to the 2024 Africa Wealth Report published by Henley&Partners in collaboration with New World Wealth.
Nairobi ranks among the top cities globally for luxury real estate price growth, and in some cases, it has outperformed cities like London and Paris.
The dynamics of Kenya's high-end residential market will be explored during the upcoming East Africa Property Investment (EAPI) Summit, a premier real estate event that brings together over 450 global investors, developers, and professionals from the real estate industry. The 12th annual summit will be held in Nairobi from 7 to 8 May 2025, at Pullman, Upper Hill. This year's EAPI Summit will explore how developers and investors can capitalize on investment opportunities in countries such as Tanzania and Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. These countries are showing promising signs of economic recovery, improving political stability, and stabilizing interest rates.
Real estate experts will unpack investment opportunities in Kenya's high-end residential market. Institutional investors and development finance institutions are increasingly paying more attention to the country's residential market as they are funding several development projects and have ambitions of developing good neighborhoods. These investors continue to fund mixed-use developments that combine residential spaces with retail and leisure facilities, attracting younger buyers seeking modern living solutions.
Its financial solutions include mortgage financing to cover the property sale price plus closing costs like stamp duty and legal fees; financing for residential property construction; funding products targeting Kenyans seeking affordable housing solutions; cost for residential plots in major towns; and blended finance options for sustainable and affordable student housing.
Stanbic Bank/Standard Bank is committed to supporting sponsors that are addressing Kenya's housing needs while promoting sustainability and economic growth in the real estate sector. This is why Stanbic Bank is supporting this year's EAPI Summit as a gold sponsor.
While the luxury end of the residential markets remains shaped by location, size of the unit, and breadth of features that align with buyer tastes and aspirations, Stanbic Bank believes that the luxury segment is not starved of attention from investors. However, the affordable housing market remains neglected.
And because of this, the financial service company is choosing to back the affordable/middle-income housing segment, where the demand remains strong and impact benefits are richer.
'In that segment, factors shaping the evolution of successful projects are the proximity of projects to key business hubs, accessibility to transport networks, and quality of offering trade-offs relative to price point. It is useful to highlight that the demand in a large section of this market segment is driven by the rental markets and the retail and institutional property investment markets,' says spokesperson Niyi Adeleye, the head of real estate finance for Africa regions at Standard Bank Group, which is part of the Stanbic Bank.
The Stanbic Bank/Standard Bank's sponsorship will enable investors to understand Kenya's residential market over the two days scheduled for the EAPI Summit, connecting them with industry experts. The financial services company will back investors aligned with its mandate of investments in the affordable housing market.
'For Standard Bank/Stanbic Bank, our interests remain to actively participate in and contribute to the development and shaping of the built environment in key countries in our footprint of which Kenya is key. Our activities provide opportunities to participate in projects with significant social impacts and deepen environmental impacts in collaboration with the project sponsors through the development of green-rated properties and our provision of green loans to back those developments. In addition, these projects help shape the property evolution of the cities and countries to improve livability and the growth and availability of more robust social infrastructure,' says Adeleye.
Despite the growth potential of Kenya's residential market, it faces notable hurdles.
Real estate developers struggle with access to long-term financing due to high interest rates and stringent lending requirements, leaving them with limited financing options for residential projects.
There are also land tenure issues, with legal disputes over land ownership that can delay projects and increase costs for developers. Another conundrum is that the demand for residences and luxury homes often outpaces supply, which creates competitive pricing pressures.
At the EAPI Summit, there will be leading experts helping potential investors navigate through these challenges. Among the experts set to be in attendance is Hass Consult, a company offering high-end homes for sale all over Nairobi. To demonstrate its commitment to helping investors, Hass Consult has joined Stanbic Bank as a sponsor of the EAPI Summit.
Hass Consult is bullish on Kenya's housing market, particularly the luxury segment.
Farhana Hassanali-Hashmani, the CEO of Hass Consult, says Kenya's luxury housing market is increasingly opening to global buyers.
'As East Africa's economic and cultural hub, the city is increasingly attracting a global, more sophisticated consumer— one who has been exposed to premium real estate and world-class hospitality standards. This demographic, which includes a growing number of expatriates and globally mobile Kenyans, brings with it elevated expectations for quality, design, and lifestyle,' says Hassanali-Hashmani.
This global influence has translated into a significant increase in the willingness to pay for luxury and value-added amenities, says Hassanali-Hashmani.
She adds that property developers now have more latitude to invest in high-quality finishes, curated experiences, and thoughtful design that elevates not just the property, but the lifestyle it enables.
'Today, luxury is not solely about the physical asset; it's about the entire user experience. Homeowners and investors are looking for developments that offer seamless living—from top-tier management to integrated wellness facilities and thoughtfully designed communal spaces. The emphasis on lifestyle is now central to how value is perceived and how capital growth is sustained.
'There's a strong and growing demand for developments that offer world-class lifestyle amenities—spaces that speak to health, wellness, and fitness, all delivered through a refined user experience. Residents are looking for environments that support balance, well-being, and
convenience, echoing global trends in urban living,' says Hassanali-Hashmani.
There's also a significant shift in the demographic of buyers in the luxury housing market.
Says Hassanali-Hashmani: 'Luxury is no longer confined to the older, ultra-wealthy buyer purchasing sprawling homes. We're seeing a diverse mix of younger, aspirational buyers who are investing in compact yet premium residences—where quality, convenience, and lifestyle matter more than square footage.'
Buyers are also more environmentally conscious and are actively seeking housing developments that are eco-friendly, energy-efficient, and built with a responsible footprint.
Whether it is the affordable or luxury housing market, Stanbic Bank and Hass Consult remain positive about Kenya and will explore opportunities at the EAPI Summit.
The 12 th East Africa Property Investment Summit meeting will take place on 7 and 8 May 2025 at Pullman, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya. For more information and to book to attend the EAPI Summit visit https://EAPISummit.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of API Events.
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