Buy in Nairobi without flying over, and without getting burned.
We do the running around you would have done if you still lived in Nairobi. On-the-ground search in Kilimani, Westlands, Lavington or Karen, in-person inspection, price negotiation, title verification at the Ministry of Lands and handover. All of it, free for you as the buyer.
Six things we do before you pay a single shilling for the property.
Everything a careful buyer would do if they lived in Nairobi full time. Done by people who actually do.
Brief and Search
We start with your budget, target yield, timeline and lifestyle constraints, then shortlist in Kilimani, Westlands, Lavington or Karen and the rest of Nairobi from both on-market listings and off-market inventory in our network.
Remote Tour and Inspection
Live video walk-throughs so you see the property as if you were there. In-person inspection by our team with a written report on condition, finishings and neighbourhood.
Price Negotiation
We benchmark against comparable sales in the same neighbourhood, negotiate on your behalf, and walk away when the number does not work.
Title and Legal Verification
Our Kenyan property lawyers pull the title at Ardhi House, verify there are no undisclosed caveats or charges, confirm service charge arrears and draft a watertight sale agreement in your name.
Building Due Diligence
For apartments, we pull service charge history, reserve fund health, AGM minutes and developer track record. For standalone homes, we run the physical survey against the title deed.
Handover at Completion
Keys, title documents, snagging list, utility transfers, management committee contacts and furnished inventory in one clean pack. Ready to rent the day you receive it in Nairobi.
Five steps from brief to keys in your name.
Timelines are indicative. Most clients go from first call to completion in three to four months, depending on financing.
Brief call
30 minutes on WhatsApp or Zoom. Budget, target yield, timeline, whether you will eventually live in it yourself, what you absolutely do not want in Nairobi.
Shortlist in 14 days
We come back with 5 to 8 properties that fit the brief in Nairobi, with video, photos, rental comps and expected net yield for each. You approve a short list.
In-person inspection
We physically inspect every property on the short list, write condition reports and flag anything that would concern an owner who had not been to Nairobi recently.
Negotiate and secure
We negotiate on your behalf, lock in the price with a deposit, and run the conveyancing with our Kenya property lawyers to completion.
Handover, rent-ready
At completion we hand you a turnkey property: keys, title documents, snagging list, utilities in your name and management committee contacts.
Free for you. Built to find a property in Nairobi you will actually keep.
The service is free for you as the buyer. That means we can only succeed by finding you a property good enough that you want us to manage it afterwards, or good enough that you recommend us to the next diaspora buyer in your circle. The incentive is to find the right property in Nairobi, not to close the first one.
Nairobi specificIn Nairobi the most common buyer trap is a clean-looking title that hides a charge against the property, a survey discrepancy or a service charge in arrears. We catch all three before you wire a cent.
- On-the-ground search across Kilimani, Westlands, Lavington or Karen
- Written brief up front, written rationale for every shortlist
- Walk away at any time, with no obligation
- Seamless handover into Goldstay management in Nairobi when you are ready
2-bed apartment, Kilimani or Westlands
- Indicative purchase priceUSD 180,000 to 220,000
- Long-term rent (gross)USD 1,400 to 1,900 / month
- Short-stay potential (gross)USD 2,200 to 2,800 / month
- Typical long-term net yield7 to 8.5% per year
- Paid to you inUSD
Indicative only. Actual price and yield depend on the specific unit, building, finishing and market conditions. We give you a specific estimate after the first shortlist.
Straightforward answers to the questions we get most.
What is your management fee?
For long-term management we charge 10% of rent collected. For Airbnb and short-stay we charge 20% of revenue. Tenant finding only is a one-time fee equivalent to one month's rent. No hidden charges, no surprise deductions.
How do you remit rent to my foreign account?
We collect rent in Nairobi in KES, convert at a transparent wholesale FX rate, and wire USD to your bank account in Europe, the UK, USA, UAE or Canada. You receive a statement every month showing every shilling collected and every cent remitted.
What currency do you collect and remit in?
In Nairobi we collect in Kenyan shillings (KES) and remit in US dollars by default. We can also remit in EUR, GBP or AED on request. FX is done at wholesale interbank rate with the spread disclosed on every statement.
Do I need to be in Kenya to sign you on?
No. Everything from the first call to contract signing happens remotely. Documents are signed electronically and witnessed under Kenyan law where required. Your first visit to the property can be long after you've started earning.
How do you vet tenants?
Every applicant goes through ID verification, employer confirmation, income verification, referee checks and a face-to-face interview. For corporate tenants we verify the entity and signatory. We only present shortlisted tenants to you for final approval, and nothing is signed without you.
What happens if a tenant doesn't pay?
We chase on day one, not day thirty. Our lease agreements are enforceable and we have Kenyan legal partners in Nairobi who can serve notice and begin eviction proceedings within the statutory window. You'll know within 48 hours of the first missed payment.
What happens to my property if Goldstay closes?
Your property is yours. Your tenant relationship is yours. Your bank details stay on your own accounts. If we ever wound down, every landlord would receive a full onboarding pack within 14 days: tenant contact, lease, statements, vendor list, keys. No lock-in is built into our operating model.
Do you manage Airbnb properties?
Yes. We run full short-stay operations including listing creation, dynamic pricing, guest communication, cleaning and maintenance. We pay only the portion of our fee that corresponds to revenue actually collected. We do not guarantee a specific revenue number, we guarantee the execution.
Can Goldstay help me buy a property in Nairobi?
Yes. Our Property Sourcing service is built for diaspora buyers who want to buy in Nairobi remotely without getting burned. We search to your brief, run in-person inspections, negotiate the price, verify the title with our Kenyan property lawyers, and hand you a turnkey asset at completion. The service is free for you as the buyer.
Who pays for repairs and maintenance?
You do. It's your asset, after all. But the job is entirely ours. We source quotes, supervise the work, pay vendors directly from your collected rent, and send you the receipts. Anything under USD 50 is handled without disturbing you. Anything between USD 50 and USD 250 appears on your statement with a photo receipt. Anything above USD 250 is pre-approved with you in writing before we spend a shilling.
How is Goldstay different from my current Nairobi agent?
Three things: we live in Nairobi full time, our entire operating model is built around diaspora reporting and USD remittance, and we take zero commissions from contractors or listing platforms. If your current Nairobi agent offers all three of those and you're happy, we'd genuinely tell you to stay.
Thinking about buying in Nairobi?
Start with a 30-minute brief call. No commitment, and the first shortlist lands within 14 days.