UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | If you are looking for a space to rent in Kampala, you have probably looked for a reliable agent, or browsed through numerous websites. To support your search further, this article evaluates various real estate websites and mobile apps, and assesses how user-friendly, reliable, affordable and informative some of the country’s leading real estate search tools are.
Below are the real estate websites and applications ranked in order of review score:
1. Real Estate Database (RED)
RED is a user-friendly and resourceful website for people looking for rentals in Kampala. The filters are easy to navigate through. It also has the most comprehensive listings; just doing a simple search for houses/apartments in Naguru, and it will give you a choice of 255 houses/apartments. Each property has a unique code. The site delineates rental property into houses and apartments. Additionally, the website provides a solid description of each property, including agent fees and the nature of tenure.
All brokers who list properties on RED are licensed and trained through the Association of Real Estate Agents Uganda (AREA-U). Agent’s contact details are provided with the listings. An agent-facilitated viewing of a property costs UGX 50,000 (a fee payable to the agent). However, the agent can show you 2-3 other properties as well within that cost.
Cons: Some properties were listed twice with a different agent, which leads to confusion.
2. Bulooka
This application is available on IOS and Android for free, and is very user friendly. It divides properties into houses, hotels, lands and also has an option for vehicles. The application has decent property descriptions and good quality pictures. It allows you to bookmark your favourite properties, and browse through the interior and exterior designs. The app is up-to-date with a new listing feature and inbuilt Google Map locations.
The property owners themselves directly post most of the listings to Bulooka. In such cases, there is no viewing fee as the app allows you to reach the owner themselves without having to go through an agent.
Bulooka also offers numerous features other than just property listings. For example, they have a partnership with Housing Finance Bank, and right from within the app you can pre-apply for a loan, open an account or chat with a banker.
3. Spectrum Properties
The website is full of very helpful resources; however, it’s a little hard to navigate. The drop-down menu is on the side, and is a little difficult to access. The filters and listings are limited, showcasing only 322 residential properties for rent in only a few areas around Kampala. The listings have ample high-quality pictures and are informative, providing details about the surrounding areas, agent details and viewing facilities. The charges of viewing 2-3 properties are UGX 60,000.
4. Jumia House
This website doesn’t allow you to choose what you are looking for, and the filters are not user-friendly (no drop-downs). Once you navigate through the filters, you see houses/apartments within Kampala but not within a specific area, making it very difficult to find a listing that suits your needs.
Agents are not verified, and some of the properties with phone contacts do not go through. The fees for viewing specific properties are unclear; however, posting ads for landlords is free.
Assessment: 5-Star Scale (5 being the best possible score).
| Agency/Website | RED | Bulooka | Spectrum | Jumia |
| User-friendly | 4 stars | 4 stars | 2 stars | 2 stars |
| Number of Listings | 5 stars | 3 stars | 3 stars | 4 stars |
| Affordability | 4 stars | 5 stars | 4 stars | unknown |
| Informative | 5 stars | 4 stars | 3 stars | 2 stars |
| Frequently Updated | 4 stars | 4 stars | 4 stars | 3 stars |
| Good Quality Pictures | 3 stars | 5 stars | 4 stars | 2 stars |
| Agent information | 5 stars | 4 stars | 4 stars | 3 stars |
| OVERALL | 4.3 stars | 4.1 stars | 3.4 stars | 2.2 stars |
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