Fine & Country Zimbabwe Launches Property Passport to Demystify Real Estate

by Sekai Manyere

HARARE — Buying property can be one of the biggest financial decisions a person makes, yet for many Zimbabweans, navigating the maze of land acquisition, legal processes, financing, construction and ownership remains a daunting task.

Seeking to bridge that information gap, Fine & Country Zimbabwe has launched Property Passport, an eight-week television and digital programme designed to demystify the property market and equip Zimbabweans with practical knowledge before making real estate decisions.

The programme seeks to take viewers beyond the glossy side of property advertising by giving them a closer look at how the property ecosystem works — from acquiring land to construction, financing, legal processes and ultimately ownership.

Speaking at the launch, Fine & Country Zimbabwe chief executive officer Karen Nyenga said Property Passport was created to educate, entertain, engage and inspire Zimbabweans to participate more confidently in the real estate market.

“People must understand what they’re buying, who they’re buying from, and what the process involves,” she said.

Nyenga said the eight-week programme would take viewers on a journey through different aspects of Zimbabwe’s property ecosystem while showcasing opportunities and developments across various segments of the market.

She said the focus would not be limited to properties themselves, but would also unpack the journey from raw land to a completed development, highlighting the professionals, institutions and systems involved along the way.

“Property Passport is a very ambitious eight-week property experience designed to bring the Zimbabwean property market closer to the people,” said Nyenga.

According to Nyenga, the programme will bring together different players in the property sector, reflecting the reality that purchasing or developing property involves far more than an estate agent and a buyer.

“It requires us as the estate agents. It requires our developers, financial institutions, legal practitioners, conveyancers, valuers, architects, engineers, builders, suppliers and technology providers as part of the wider ecosystem,” she said.

A key target of the programme is the growing number of Zimbabweans living outside the country who want to invest in or acquire property back home but often face challenges accessing reliable information.

Nyenga said the desire among Zimbabweans in the diaspora to own property locally remains strong, making access to accurate information particularly important.

“For Zimbabweans, particularly those who are living outside the country, the desire to own property here is crucial and very real,” she said.

She said Property Passport would address some of the questions that frequently confront prospective buyers, including how to verify the legitimacy of a property, what documentation should be expected and the differences between purchasing vacant land, a completed property or investing in a development.

For first-time buyers, Nyenga said, the programme would seek to make property terminology and processes easier to understand, while experienced investors would also be exposed to opportunities, conversations and market intelligence.

“For the person who has never bought a property before, we want to make the language less intimidating and for the experienced investor, we want to surface opportunities, conversations, and market intelligence that is worth paying attention to,” she said.

Education, not a substitute for professional advice

While Property Passport is positioned as an educational platform, Fine & Country Zimbabwe emphasised that the programme should not be viewed as a replacement for professional advice.

Nyenga said prospective buyers would still need to consult qualified professionals on legal, tax, valuation and financial matters before committing to property transactions.

“We are not presenting Property Passport as a substitute for legal, tax, valuation, or financial advice,” she said.

Instead, she said the programme would help viewers understand when professional advice is required and what questions they should be asking before making major property decisions.

The initiative comes at a time when property buyers are increasingly seeking greater transparency and understanding of the processes surrounding real estate transactions.

Nyenga said an informed market ultimately creates more confident participants and encourages better decision-making.

“Our philosophy at Fine & Country Zimbabwe is that an informed client is a more confident client. And a confident client makes better property decisions,” she said.

Through Property Passport, Fine & Country Zimbabwe is therefore positioning the property journey not simply as a transaction, but as an experience that requires knowledge, due diligence and engagement with the wider property ecosystem.

##JournalistsWithoutBorders#