Get a real estate lawyer Negotiate price directly with the owner on title Run a search at Lands Commission Get your independent licensed surveyor Conduct a thorough due diligence Draft a lease or purchase agreement You need a witness Test the grounds Payment Register your land The internal revenue service Land title document First, let’s understand what is classified as land in Ghana. I know what you’re thinking, land in Ghana from a legal perspective is the bare land you’re buying including any other thing that is attached to it (that includes structure or home you built on it). In other words, anything that you cannot take away is part of the land. I’m not a lawyer, so don’t take my definition for it, seek legal counsel. One of the main cases in Ghana Court has to do with land litigation. To avoid litigation and losing money, here is a checklist to follow: 1.GET A REAL ESTATE LAWYER First thing first. Get an experienced real estate lawyer. All lawyers are not the same. I can’t stress that enough. Every lawyer has a field he or she specializes on. But in Ghana, most lawyers are generalist-they will take on any transaction. 2.NEGOTIATE PRICE DIRECTLY WITH THE OWNER ON TITLE Never negotiate the price with any middlemen or seller’s agent or so called care-takers (they come wearing different hats). I strongly advise you to meet the owner in person and have on-one-talk. During the meeting, ask the history of the land. I should also pinpoint that there are aggregators in the system. Some called themselves business partners, stakeholders, etc, still the same aggregator. I have come across such. What they do is to pay legal cost for disputed family lands or lands with litigation issues(in most cases family lands), if they win in court battle, they get a portion of that family land. Technically, they are not legal owners but they will pose as owners but in reality the family owns the land. So, let him lead you to the head of the family to discuss face-to-face. You might also be interested in why are so many land litigations in accra 3.RUN A SEARCH AT LANDS COMMISSION Once you are on the page with the price, request for site plan to conduct a search at the Lands Commission. In Accra, there has been land title search reforms or policies in three divisions namely, public and Vested Lands Management Division(PVLMD), Land Registration Division(LRD) and Survey mapping Division(SMD) searches merged into a consolidated search report(one search report). Just a heads-up, don’t get carried away when the search results match the name of the vendor on the indenture or site plan given. Leave nothing to chance, google search on the name of owner on the indenture given to you to see if there is any court case. Perhaps the land may have a court case pending or in progress, but the High court has not sent an order to the lands commission. So, the disputed owner’s name may still be on records, but not necessarily the owner. Now you understand? This happened to someone I know who end up losing several thousands of dollars. There are lots of nuances. 4.GET YOUR INDEPENDENT LICENSED SURVEYOR Take your licensed surveyor to the site to pick the coordinate according to what the vendor showed you and prepare you a site plan. Make sure the site is signed by a licensed surveyor (in this case your surveyor) and the Director of Survey or representatives. Another good thing is to visit the land by yourself or someone you can trust to do a preliminary due diligence on what is going on the land and ask neighbours about the land. Trust me, in Ghana, everyone knows what is going near their land. Most land vendors have several acres and when a buyer comes looking to buy, they can accidentally or purposely provide you a site plan is not for your land. 5.CONDUCT A THOROUGH DUE DILIGENCE Do a search at Ghana High Court to see if there is litigation or judgement against the land you’re trying to buy. Also, do a search at Land use and spatial planning authority, otherwise known as zoning search. Your land must match the type of development you want to build, otherwise you will have to apply to re-zone. Also make sure the vendor you’re buying the land from attorn tenancy to the allodial owner. In other words, make sure they paid ground rent to the allodial owner. It is not a lump sum, but if many went by unpaid it adds up to a huge amount. If it is unpaid, deduct that from the purchase price. That is not your responsibility. 6.DRAFT A LEASE OR PURCHASE AGREEMENT Once you are satisfied with the due diligence and want to pull the trigger, let your lawyer draft a purchase and sale agreement and endorse with a stamp. Make sure your name or entity you that will hold the title is properly spelt-out and without typos otherwise you wouldn’t be able to sell it later on. In the lease or purchase agreement make sure to insert a provision or clause for lease renewal(after 50years or 99years) and state the rates(the amount), the terms (if different from the current terms) so there won’t be any problem with person that will be inheriting the property. 7.YOU NEED A WITNESS The two parties (seller and buyer) need a qualified witness to sign the Lease or Purchase Agreement as well. Upon full executed purchase agreement, it cements the interest of the buyer and the owner. The seller or owner will then transfer the land title to your name or entity involved in the transaction. Please note: no one can transfer the land title to you except the legal owner of the land. 8.TEST THE GROUNDS Remember, i earlier recommend you visit the site with your licensed surveyor, that should be a preliminary visit, i recommend you go a step further

Accra is a peaceful and vibrant city but when it comes to finding properties either for sale or rent, it is a different ball game. Selling your home or trying to find a suitable home can be hell on earth. With the right real estate agent (and i mean they are direct to the property owner) that will save you time and the hassle of daisy chain brokers when finding your next home in Accra. On VillaShark.com , you can find your next new home, office space for free, no obligations. VillaShark provides real estate listings and leases marketplace intended to offer a transparent way to buy or sell homes or rent commercial real estate in Ghana. We enable home seekers to seamlessly discover new listings that fit their criteria, make offers directly with sellers, and close deals without the hassle. Verified real estate agents can post their listings for free. The platform bring home seekers, property sellers, renters of homes, and commercial spaces in Accra together. Ultimately, home buyers and sellers, and renters engage directly to build deeper, differentiated partnerships to support long term, high value relationships. We are more than just a marketplace, we are a community where members can have a sense of belonging to a community of real estate professionals with a shared interest on our platform, the first of its kind in Ghana. On Villashark.com, our listings are exclusivity which means only verified members are allowed to list on our platform marketplace. Think of real estate transparency and online marketplace security in Ghana, think of VillaShark. Check out for new listings right here for free.

  To start with, every career is rewarding depends on how you “play your cards” .Although some careers are more rewarding than others, being a real estate agent can give you financial freedom(for that is what everyone strive for daily). Sit back and sip your cup of tea and follow me, i will elaborate. Firstly, real estate agents supposed to be richer in real estate space. Why? Because they have got the best deals at the best price (because in most cases they dictate to homeowners the value of their property) in great locations. All they have to do is find money partner to take it down. It doesn’t matter if you are real estate agent in Ghana or any other country you can replicate it anywhere. Secondly, most people get into real estate to make a commission (quick buck) but what majority don’t know is that they can be property owner if they can think long term by sacrificing today’s commission for tomorrow’s gains. For example if a real estate agent is willing to roll the commission into the deal(partnering with investor), that way he or she will have a piece of the deal when it is later sold and walk away with a hefty cash out if the property is properly managed. Real estate always appreciate in value. By the way, throughout my real estate journey i have met quite a few individuals using this approach to own properties with and investor with no money out of  their pockets. Now, here you have it. Is it rewarding? You bet, it is all about how you play your cards in real estate game. If you looking for real estate agent to represent you in a transaction in Ghana, or you want to browse for new homes listings to purchase or perhaps you are real estate agent, you can list your listings or find  new homes for sale or rent on real estate marketplace right here for free.

Accra is seen as one of the most central cities in the world— never too far from any destination, faces an undersupply of housing units, with the mid to low end sector accounting for majority of the demand. Based on market analysis, while there are up to 800,000 residential units in Accra, the development pipeline is set to bring an additional 23,000 units on to the market. This will account for approximately 3% of the total stock, with majority of this pipeline (80%) falling within the middle income to affordable sectors. The mid to low end residential segments also continue to record relatively high occupancy rates owing to the domestic nature of demand. On the other hand, vacancy rates remain high at approximately 20% in the prime residential segment of the market due to a decline in demand from expatriates and multinational employees. However, the short let segment of the market has continued to see increasing demand with tourists and business travellers preferring this medium to hotels. Overall, the outlook for the prime residential sector remains negative as it is oversupplied while the mid-low end segment is positive. Credit: estateintel If you are looking to buy your new home or sell your house, villashark.com platform is the right place for you to post your listings for free. If you are hearing it for the first time, no worries, Villashark is an online real estate marketplace that brings together home seekers, property sellers, renters of houses, and commercial spaces in Accra, Ghana. Ultimately, home buyers and sellers, and renters engage directly to build deeper, differentiated partnerships to support long term, high value relationships without any middleman. What are you waiting for? Check it out right here to post your ad for FREE!.

Ghana Real Estate Market   Let’s cut to the chase with  the numbers and forecasts for Ghana’s real estate and the economy. Grab your mouse , a pen and a cup of coffee and lets get to it. Market overview: Ghana’s real estate sector has seen significant growth in the past few years. This has been spurred by growth in demand for both residential and industrial property. The residential market is the most active, registering an estimated 85 000 transactions per annum over the past decade. The housing deficit in Ghana is estimated to be in excess of one million homes. To address this deficit, there is a need to deliver approximately 150 000 housing units per annum for the next 20 years. To make this possible, the government is embarking on a housing program to build over 300,000 housing units over the next five years, with the strong participation of the private sector through public-private partnerships. For example, Sekondi-Takoradi, the Western regional capital, is benefitting from the effects of recent oil discoveries in the form of increased demand for residential property. Demand is driven by both foreign and local employees directly connected with oil exploration, together with members of the local economy providing goods and services to this new market. The outlook for the real estate or property development sector remains positive as the Ghanaian economy general shows great signs of resilience with an impressive growth rate of 8% in 2017 and a downward trajectory of inflation. It is expected that investors will continue to show great interest in the sector in order to diversify their investment portfolios in the economy. Credit: Real Estate, Building the future of Africa. The Oxford Business Group “The Report, Ghana 2017”   The Economy: Ghana recorded a strong recovery in 2017 with GDP growth rebounding to 8.5% from 3.7% in 2016 (Oxford Economics). Typically underpinned by exports of oil, gold and cocoa, investors have been encouraged by efforts to diversify the economy in the last year, with agriculture and services set to underpin more stable growth As we write, Ghana looks set to have one of the strongest economic growth profiles on the African continent in the short and mid-term. Indeed, the country’s recovery from 2016 has been quite impressive, largely bolstered by a pick up in oil production. Ghana’s GDP growth has come in at 8.5%. This growth has largely been fueled by a pick up in oil production which, according to the World Bank, rose by 16.6% against a decline of 11.2% last year for the first nine months of the year. Growth has also been supported by a recovery in the services sector. Although GDP slowed in H1 2018, largely due to the adverse weather conditions and the impact on the agricultural sector, the economy is expected to maintain a GDP growth rate above 5% per annum to 2020.   Outlook: Ghana has one of the most stable and developed economies in Sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world over the last ten years. The country is a major exporter of natural resources and has benefited from a substantial pick up in oil production. Ghana is also one of the world’s largest diamond and gold producers and the second largest producer of cocoa globally. As such, the country should benefit from the recovery in global commodity prices through 2017/2018 which should underpin economic growth. Combined with this, the market will look to Ghana’s ability to tackle a substantial budget deficit. Revenue mobilisation and tax compliance are key, as is a sensible approach to expenditure planning to contain the government’s wage bill. Credit: JLL 2018 Accra Report.

  Real estate is the most tangle asset, better yet, the most secured investment you will ever make. If you want to buy a property to let for cash-flow or selling it for profit in the long term, there are various investment options that are available for you. First, let’s explore rental option. To be conservative, rental income yields here in Accra is anywhere from 8% to 12 percent a year. We will say these are the highest numbers you will actually find in Africa. Let’s explore the second option which is home appreciation value or the rate of appreciation. Accra is one of the fastest growing cities on Africa. Against this background, there is growing demand for housing. Conservatively speaking, home appreciation value is anywhere from 15 to 20% annually. Third option is short term rentals for cash flow. Airbnb has proven to be the effective and profitable way to generate more income from your home rentals than conventional rentals. You can rent out your property for nightly and even weekly rates. The best part is that you could earn if not a double of what you will earn if you were to rent it the conventional way. At La Margo villas, we have done all the heavy liftings for you, your part is to contact us, own a home, and enjoy the cash flow and capital gains. Get in touch with our sales team today for showing. If you are looking to rent or buy your new house in Accra and beyond, jump on our search bar to search for your preferred property . If you are real estate agent looking to list your properties, you can do so for free on our platform, right here. No obligations.