Olive setting the pace in title deed issuance

When Faith Selah thought of owning a piece of land in Ngong, Kajiado County, she certainly had visualized and analyzed her investment plan.  But even before she made the first step to her land ownership journey, she was worried about whether she would complete the journey successfully, and get her title deed.

Her uncertainty came about when she reflected on the experiences encountered by other investors while obtaining their title deeds from some property companies which acted fraudulently. Fortunately, her fears were only temporary.   

“I learnt about Olive from a friend. I came by myself when they had an open day and saw their prime plots in their Leleshwa Gardens Phase 1. During the event, I observed that other investors expressed satisfaction with investing in the company. The investors were also issued with title deeds even as they testified that it took a reasonable time to acquire them. This provoked my interest to do business with them. So far, I have no regrets about my investment decision,” recounts Faith as she flashes out smiles of satisfaction.

Peter Gitau, a Director at Olive, understands the uncertainties that face many investors, especially on the thorny issue of title deeds. He explains that a majority of land-selling companies have challenges when delivering title deeds, “……because when buying land from the native people, some do not complete payments of land. When re-selling the land to their clients, conflict of interest arises causing delays that inconvenience the buyers. As Olive, this is an area we have dealt with by ensuring we do not sell land that has underlying issues…”

As a result of sealing the loopholes, the company has now issued over 500 title deeds since its establishment in 2014. These title deeds are issued within the legal time frame of 90 days after the completion of payment.

At Olive, land prices are all-inclusive of title deeds processing fees. This is also a strategy to enhance the process. Some of the company’s projects include Tulia Gardens (Malaa) Leleshwa Garden Phase 1, 2 and 3, Naserian Ridge phase 1, 2 and 3.

“We also meet our end of bargain to deliver titles to our diaspora clientele. We different avenues through which we send the titles, and occasionally, we deliver them by ourselves even as we interact more with the diaspora investors,” says Gitau

To make it even more convenient for the clients, the company specifically issues freehold title deeds. As opposed to leasehold titles, any person who holds a freehold title need not pay land rates.

Additionally, freehold titles have no expiry of the tenure, and even more valuable, a property with a freehold title has no limitation for its use, either under national or county laws. In terms of financing, with a freehold title, it becomes easy since its ownership is outright.

“We always advise our clients to do due diligence while buying a property with us. The purpose is to confirm all the necessary details before investing their money. But most importantly, we encourage them to conduct another such once they receive their title deeds. For Olive Limited, issuing title deeds is not just a process. It is also an opportunity to enlighten our clients,” Gitau reveals.