The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
BOGUS estate agents that have sprouted across Manicaland are making a killing and pushing the cost of accommodation beyond the reach of many by charging desperate tenants anything between US$20 and U$50 to link them up with property owners, The Manica Post has established.
Some circulate adverts and pictures on various social media platforms asking prospective clients to pay the non-refundable ‘registration’ fees to view the properties they claim to be available.
However, once one pays, they find out that the property is either already taken or in a sorry state.
Desperate tenants are promised a new place and told to keep checking with the agents. However, the bogus agents have earned a reputation of never delivering on their end of the bargain.
Rusape resident, Mr Willard Chagwi, who was recently transferred to work in Mutare, said his wife approached an agent who gave them a list of ‘available’ houses to choose from.
“We were asked to pay US$35 before we could get the details of the landlord and the address.
“The house was in Fern Valley, with rentals pegged at US$150. When we got there, we discovered that the house was more like a fowl run. We told the guy that we were not pleased with the place and he promised to find another place for us. That is four months ago and we are still waiting,” said Mr Chagwi.
The couple approached another Mutare agent and was given the same list of vacant houses to choose from.
Investigations revealed that some agents refer clients to properties under construction and become slippery once the non-refundable registration fee is paid.
“Once you pay up, if you call them during the day they won’t answer you and if you call them in the evening, they will tell you to get in touch during business hours. They do so till the 6th of each month when the demand for accommodation decreases,” said Mr Chagwi.
Ms Lilian Manyere said the agents demand payments in United States dollars only. In cases where a client only has local currency, the agents quickly bring in forex dealers to convert the money.
“Accommodation in Mutare is like gold, very scarce and expensive. The estate agents ask you to pay in USD. They know people are desperate to find decent accommodation.
“They will refer you to one dingy place to another. It is like a merry-go-round.
“At one point I received pictures of a neat cottage in Morningside, with rentals pegged at US$120. When I got there I got the shock of my life, the cottage was in a deplorable state, with broken doors and windows. I lost US$60 to these agents between April and June. They never deliver on their word,” said Ms Manyere.
Estate Agents Council of Zimbabwe (EACZ) chairman, Mr Nicodimus Kuipa, said the law will catch up with those swindling clients.
“We are carrying out investigations in Manicaland and some of the cases are being handled by the police. These bogus agents are not our members and we continue with our blitz to flush them out of the industry. Tenants should not be paying those registration fees,” he said.
He said rentals should be based on negotiations between the lessor and lessee, taking into account factors like the location, size and the state of the property.
Mr Kuipa said those cheated by estate agents should report to the EACZ and the police.
He said EACZ has a compliance officer responsible for receiving and investigating all complaints.
“Accordingly, we wish to advise members of the public to deal with registered estate agents only to avoid being defrauded when buying or renting immovable properties. Registered estate agency firms are required by the law to have
Compensation Fund certificates that are issued and renewed annually by EACZ. The fund acts as insurance and members of the public are compensated in the event that they are duped by a registered estate agent,” explained Mr Kuipa.
However, sources in the industry accuse EACZ of blacklisting small organisations to create more business for the established ones.
“EACZ puts unnecessary stringent measures for someone to become an agent. They are trying to tarnish small businesses so that the big ones can get more business. Their blacklist is full of small indigenous companies who have never duped anyone, but only failed to recruit registered agents due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There are registered agents who are selling fake stands, but they (EACZ) turn a blind eye on those,” said the source who preferred anonymity.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxon Chananda encouraged the public to engage registered agents and demand to see active Compensation Fund certificates which should be displayed in the estate agent firm’s front office.
Verification of estate agent firms or agents can be done through the police, EACZ, Deeds Office or the local authority.
“They should deal with registered agents who are guided by professional ethics, with channels to follow when one is aggrieved. They should verify the ownership of the leased property to avoid dealing with bogus property owners working in cahoots with these agents.
“There are cases where individuals sign lease agreements with individuals who are not owners of the properties. We have cases where pretenders show tenants houses that do not belong to them,” said Inspector Chananda.
