If someone asks you to pay a fee before they will show you a property in Zambia, walk away. It does not matter how convincing they sound, how attractive the property looks in the photographs, or how urgently they tell you the listing will be gone if you do not act now. A legitimate, licensed estate agent in Zambia does not charge viewing fees. Full stop.
This is one of the clearest and most important consumer protections in the Zambian property market — and one that is routinely violated by the illegal operators who continue to cause significant financial harm to buyers and tenants across the country.
What the law and ZIEA say
The Zambia Institute of Estate Agents — ZIEA — is the statutory body responsible for regulating the estate agency profession in Zambia under the Estate Agents Act. ZIEA's position on viewing fees is unambiguous: licensed estate agents earn their income through commission agreed with the seller or landlord, paid upon a successful transaction. They do not charge buyers or tenants upfront fees to view a property.
Any person who charges a viewing fee, a registration fee, a processing fee or any similar upfront payment as a condition of showing you a property is almost certainly not a licensed estate agent. They are operating outside the law — and the money you pay them is almost certainly gone for good.
How illegal agents operate — and why they target you
Illegal property operators in Zambia are not always easy to spot at first glance. They often present themselves convincingly — using professional-sounding names, posting photographs of attractive properties on social media and WhatsApp groups, and creating a sense of urgency that pressures you to act before you have time to verify anything.
Their most common tactics include:
Viewing fees and registration fees
The most widespread scam is the upfront viewing fee — typically a small amount, often between ZMW 50 and ZMW 500, charged as a condition of viewing a property or accessing a list of available properties. The fee feels minor enough that many people pay it without questioning it. Multiplied across dozens or hundreds of enquiries, it becomes a significant and entirely fraudulent income stream.
Fake listings
The property being advertised often does not exist, is not available for rent or sale, or belongs to someone who has no idea their property is being advertised. The illegal operator collects viewing fees and disappears before the deception is discovered.
Double-listing and multiple deposits
A more sophisticated scam involves an illegal operator who has obtained access to a genuine property — sometimes through deception, sometimes through an informal arrangement with an owner who does not know what is happening — and collects deposits from multiple prospective tenants or buyers simultaneously. Only one person, if any, will ever occupy the property.
False mandates
Some illegal operators present themselves as representing the owner of a property without any mandate or authority to do so. The owner may be completely unaware that their property is being marketed, or may have been deceived into thinking they are dealing with a legitimate agency.
Subletting fraud
In some cases, a fraudulent tenant who has legitimately rented a property then sublets it — either without the landlord's knowledge or in direct violation of their lease — collecting rent from multiple people simultaneously. This is particularly common in high-demand rental areas of Lusaka.
How to protect yourself — before you pay anything
The good news is that a few simple checks will protect you from the vast majority of illegal operators:
Ask for their ZIEA registration number
Every licensed estate agent in Zambia must be registered with ZIEA. Ask for their registration number and the name of their registered firm. A legitimate agent will provide this immediately and without hesitation. If they cannot or will not, do not proceed.
Verify the firm has a physical presence
A legitimate estate agency has a physical office, a registered business name, a verifiable website and a consistent social media presence that shows genuine market activity over time — listings, articles, client engagement. An operation that exists only as a WhatsApp contact or a Facebook page with a handful of recent posts should be treated with significant caution.
Never pay cash before viewing
No legitimate agent will ask for cash before you have viewed a property, received a written offer or lease document and had an opportunity to verify the documentation. If payment is being requested before any of these steps, it is a red flag.
Verify the property is genuinely available
If possible, drive past the property before committing to anything. Check whether it appears occupied. Ask neighbours if the property is genuinely available. Look for any signboards from the agency claiming to market it. Cross-check the address against other listings online.
Use this simple message to decline a viewing fee:
If an agent asks you for a viewing fee, you can respond with:
"Thank you for your message. I only work with ZIEA-licensed agents who do not charge viewing fees. If you are licensed, please share your ZIEA registration number and I will be happy to proceed. If a viewing fee is required, I will not be able to continue."
This simple response will immediately reveal whether you are dealing with a legitimate operator or not.
How and where to report illegal agents in Zambia
If you encounter an individual or operation that you believe is practising as an estate agent without a ZIEA licence — or that is charging viewing fees, collecting deposits fraudulently or otherwise acting illegally — you have two primary reporting options:
Report to ZIEA
The Zambia Institute of Estate Agents is the first port of call for complaints about estate agency practice in Zambia. You can report unlicensed operators directly to ZIEA, providing as much detail as possible — the name or trading name of the operator, contact numbers, social media profiles, the nature of the complaint and any money lost. ZIEA has the authority to investigate complaints and take disciplinary or legal action against unlicensed practitioners.
Report to the Zambia Police Service
Where money has been taken fraudulently — through fake listings, false deposit collection or other forms of financial deception — this is a criminal matter and should be reported to the Zambia Police Service. Bring all documentation you have: screenshots of communications, receipts if any were issued, property addresses, contact details and any other evidence you have gathered.
Report to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)
The CCPC is Zambia's consumer protection authority and has a mandate to investigate unfair and deceptive trade practices. Fraudulent property listings and illegal agent activity fall within its remit and can be reported directly to the Commission.
In all cases, document everything before you report. Take screenshots of all communications, advertisements and payment requests. Note dates, times and amounts. The more evidence you preserve, the stronger your report will be.
A note on social media listings
A significant proportion of illegal property activity in Zambia now takes place through social media — Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp groups. Properties are advertised with attractive photographs, competitive prices and urgent language. Viewing fees are collected via mobile money before anyone has verified anything.
If you are using social media to search for property, apply the same verification standards you would to any other source. The platform on which a listing appears tells you nothing about whether the person posting it is legitimate. Always verify ZIEA registration, always refuse to pay upfront fees and always confirm the property's existence and availability before committing any funds.
Property Partners Zambia's commitment
At Property Partners Zambia, we do not charge viewing fees. We are a ZIEA-licensed agency. We operate from a registered office, maintain a professional website and conduct all our business in writing with proper documentation. Every mandate we take on is signed. Every deposit we handle is receipted and accounted for. Every client who enquires through our website or contacts page receives a documented, written response.
We take the issue of illegal agency in Zambia's property market seriously — not only because it harms our clients, but because it damages the credibility of the entire profession and makes the market less safe for everyone.
If you have encountered an illegal operator or have been a victim of a property scam in Zambia, we encourage you to report it through the channels above. And if you want to ensure that your next property transaction — whether you are buying, selling, renting or letting — is handled by a licensed, accountable and professional team, we are here to help.
To get in touch or to browse our current listings:
- Browse properties for sale: 103 Properties and Homes For Sale | Property Partners Zambia
- List your property with us: List Your Property | Property Partners Zambia
- Read our latest articles: Latest News | Property Partners Zambia
- Contact us directly: Property Partners Zambia
Please enquire directly from the relevant listing page or via our Contacts page so that your query is properly recorded and handled in line with our obligations under Zambia's Data Protection framework.
