What started as a casual “Hey Chattie… I want to buy land in Kitisuru for Sh2 million [an example]” quickly turned into a reality check, a deep dive into Nairobi’s property market, and an unexpected lesson in land buying from artificial intelligence (AI).

The response was blunt: with Sh2 million, Kitisuru is out of reach.

That exchange captures a broader shift taking shape in Kenya’s real estate sector.

The traditionally laborious process of buying land, often involving multiple site visits, endless phone calls, and paperwork, is increasingly being complemented by artificial intelligence tools that promise faster, data-driven insights.

Yet despite this growing influence, both buyers and industry players remain cautious about how far AI can go.

“I think people use AI during land purchase, but mostly for research,” said Gladys Wainania, a relationship manager at AMG Realtors. “As an agent or even a buyer, you can ask things like where to find land within a certain budget or what a property can be used for.”

The trust problem

But when it comes to the actual transaction, the reliance on technology drops off sharply.

“For the purchase itself, not really. People still want to visit the site, see the surroundings, and understand the environment before making a decision,” she added.

Trust is a significant problem in Kenya's real estate industry due to fraud, disputed or fraudulent title deeds, and multiple selling of land.

Trust is further damaged by opaque land records, slow titling processes, and ambiguous ownership histories, particularly in rapidly expanding peri-urban areas.

The risk is further increased by the large reliance on unregulated agencies and varying development practices.

For these reasons, purchasers frequently approach transactions with caution, depending on due diligence and legal checks to navigate a market where confidence is not assured.

“People have bought land that doesn’t exist or from sellers who weren’t the owners. That’s why buyers still insist on physically seeing the property, verifying documents, and doing official searches,” said Gladys.

“Trust in real estate is built through proof, such as seeing the land, confirming ownership, and verifying titles, because many people are still afraid of being scammed,” she added.

Gladys also shared some of the ways she has used AI.

“While AI can be used in land buying and transactions, it doesn’t replace the legal process,” she said.

It mainly helps one research, verify, compare, and reduce fraud risk, while the actual transaction, she pointed out, is still done through lawyers, government systems, and banks.

Read: Digital revolution: Transfer of technology for next generation

“When you're doing research, AI can really come through. Like, ‘which areas can I afford with this amount of money?’ How much is a plot of land in this area? For instance, if I'm selling land in Naivasha, I can query “what can land in Naivasha be used for?” It helps,” emphasised Gladys.

In Kenya, land purchase takes months, involving several trips to the locations, many calls between the parties, lawyers and red tape at the land offices.

The process involves finding land, verifying ownership, doing an official search, having a lawyer check everything, signing agreements, paying taxes and finally the transfer of the title.

What Sh2 million gets you

Having being informed that Kitusuru was out of my reach, I further queried the artificial intelligence tool on where to get a plot of land for the same amount.

“If you’re working with Sh2 million, you’re actually still within the affordable land belt around Nairobi, just not the prime inner suburbs like Kitisuru. What matters now is choosing between growth corridors (investment) versus settled commuter towns (living),” said OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

ChatGPT recommends, satellite towns that are within my budget, including along the Kangundo Road corridor (Machakos County), Kitengela in Kajiado County, Ngong–Kiserian–Ongata Rongai belt or Athir River and Thika outskirts.

“In the Kangundo Road corridor, areas like Joska, Malaa, Kamulu, and parts of Ruai, with a budget of Sh2 million will typically get you about 1/8 of an acre (roughly 50ft by 100ft), which is the standard residential plot size in most of these fast-growing satellite towns,” added ChatGPT.

“In some slightly less developed pockets, you may find slightly bigger or cheaper plots, but in well-planned or gated developments closer to tarmac roads, the size may be smaller due to higher demand and better infrastructure access.”

“These plots are generally enough to build a family bungalow or a small rental unit development, depending on your design,” the chatbot added.

ChatGPT reckoned that I can get land for half a million to Sh2million in any of these areas on Kangundo Road.

Kangundo Road has become popular because it offers relatively affordable entry prices while still benefiting from ongoing road expansion, population growth, and strong demand from Nairobi commuters.

With Sh800,000, the AI guided that I can purchase a small plot of land in Kitengela to build for long-term investment. The area has strong infrastructure growth, and has an industrial and residential mix of properties.

For home owners, ChatGPT recommended the Ngong–Kiserian–Ongata Rongai belt with plots going for above Sh800,000 for an eighth of an acre.

“The Ngong–Kiserian–Ongata Rongai belt is a strong option for home construction, especially for buyers working with a budget of around Sh800,000 to Sh2 million for an 1/8 acre in the outer zones… These areas are already well-established towns with improving road networks and relatively good access to Nairobi, making them suitable for people who want to build and live within commuting distance of the city,” added ChatGPT.

Every chatbot has its limitations and OpenAI’s ChatGPT was quick to offer a disclaimer when I asked for the precise plots for sale on the given locations saying, “I can’t give you exact “precise plots currently on sale” in real time like a live agent with updated inventory, because those listings change daily and depend on agents, availability, and payment plans.”

→ emwenda@ke.nationmedia.com