How We Verify Agents: ID, Selfie, Title Check, Interview
Updated 3 November 2026 · Land & Property editorial team
Every agent on Land & Property passes a standard check: a National ID number (NIN) match and a live selfie, which earns a Verified badge. Higher-value land needs a registry title check. A paid office or phone interview adds a further badge for that month. Verification proves who the agent is. It does not guarantee the title, the price or the outcome of a sale.
- Standard check (free)
- National ID number (NIN) plus live selfie, gives the Verified badge
- Title check (paid)
- Registry search, required for agent listings above a value threshold
- Interview badge (paid)
- Office or phone interview, shown for that month, after the standard check
- Registry search fee
- UGX 10,000 per search, as of November 2026 (Ministry poster and procedure sheet)
- What it does not prove
- Good title, fair price or the result of a deal
What does a verified agent mean on Land & Property?
A verified agent is a real person whose identity we have checked against their National ID and a live selfie. The badge tells you that the name on the listing belongs to someone we can identify and trace. That is the whole promise. It is deliberately narrow, because broad promises about "safe" property deals are the ones that mislead people.
We built the programme because open classified sites carry listings from people nobody has checked. One Ugandan property blog, Nymynet, describes fake agents who take inspection fees and vanish, deposits asked on mobile money before any viewing, and accusations that some agents resell one listing to several clients. Those are reports of risk, not proof of how often it happens, and many agents are honest. Verification gives honest agents a way to show it. Buyers can find a verified agent in the directory, or read how to check if a property agent is genuine for any agent, on any platform.
How are agents verified, step by step?
There are three layers. The first is for every agent. The other two are extra.
- Standard check: NIN plus live selfie. The agent enters their National ID number and takes a selfie at that moment. We compare the selfie with the ID record and with the name on the profile. If it matches, the Verified badge is switched on. This step is free at launch and is the same for every agent.
- Title check above a value threshold. For agent listings above a value threshold we set, a registry title check is required before the listing goes live. Below the threshold, a buyer or the agent can still order one. See the section below.
- Office or phone interview. A paid extra. We speak to the agent and confirm their business details and that they can be reached. If it goes well, an interview badge appears on the profile for that month. It is given only to agents who already passed the standard check.
Agents who want to join should read how to become a verified property agent. Agencies verify the firm and each agent separately.
What is the title check and when is it required?
A title check is a search of the land register to see who is recorded as the owner and what is registered against the land. It tests the property, while the NIN check tests the person. They answer different questions.
The Ministry of Lands publishes the physical search procedure: a written request to the Commissioner, Land Registration, a fee of UGX 10,000 paid through the bank, and a search letter signed by a Registrar of Titles within three days of presenting the receipt. The Ministry also runs the online system UgNLIS, and the Daily Monitor reported when its public portal launched in October 2024 that users can see ownership, encumbrances and location details, quoting the Lands Minister on a cost of Shs10,000. The Ministry's UgNLIS poster gives UGX 10,000 for each online search. Our title check is built on these registry searches, and our own fee is shown when you order it.
A search matters because a certificate of title is strong evidence of ownership. Under section 59 of the Registration of Titles Act (Cap. 230, as published by the Ministry), a certificate is conclusive evidence that the person named is the proprietor. Under section 77, a certificate or entry procured by fraud is void against the parties to the fraud. That is why we compare the seller on record with the seller on the listing, and why agents are shown how in land title search for agents. Section numbers are taken from the Ministry's published text of the Act (Cap. 230) and may be numbered differently in later revised editions, so check the current edition with an advocate.
What is the interview badge?
The verified agent interview badge is a paid extra that shows on the agent's profile for the month it covers. Each month it is earned again, and it expires if not renewed. It exists for buyers and sellers who want to know that a person at the agency has spoken to us, not just uploaded an ID.
It is a separate signal from the Verified badge. An agent can be Verified without it, and having it does not replace the standard check. It also does not rate the agent's skill or results. We do not publish ratings or promise outcomes.
What does verification prove, and what does it not?
Read this table before you rely on any badge, ours or anyone else's.
| Check | It proves | It does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| NIN plus live selfie | The person is who their National ID says, and is the same person who took the selfie | That they own the land, that their listing is accurate, or that they are honest in every deal |
| Registry title check | What the register shows on the day of the search: the recorded proprietor and entries such as mortgages or caveats | The boundaries on the ground, that no later entry has been made, or that the seller is the recorded proprietor |
| Interview badge | We spoke to the agent that month and could reach them | Skill, results or future conduct |
| Featured label | The listing was promoted for a fee | Any extra checking |
Always match the seller's ID to the name on the title, visit the land, hire a surveyor to open boundaries where needed and use an advocate before you pay. Our page on How We Check Listings and Titles explains the listing side. We make no promise that a verified agent will complete a deal or that a transaction will be safe.
What is free and what is paid?
| Step | Cost to the agent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard check (NIN plus selfie) | Free at launch | Needed for the Verified badge |
| Listing | Free at launch | Paid listing and verified-agent plans come later, shown on the pricing page first |
| Title check | Paid | Registry fee plus our service fee; required above the value threshold |
| Interview badge | Paid | Valid for the month it covers |
| Featured listing | Paid | A boost, not a check |
See the pricing page for current amounts and how it works for the buyer side, including paid, escorted site visits.
What happens if a verified agent cheats or a listing looks wrong?
Report it. Use the report a suspicious listing or agent page, or contact us. Say what happened, when, how much money was involved if any, and attach screenshots of messages and payment receipts. If you have already paid money, also report to the Police, because a platform cannot recover funds.
On our side, we review the report, ask the agent to respond, and can hide a listing while we look into it. If the agent has broken the Verified Agent Code of Conduct or lied in their verification, we can remove the badge and the listing, and we can suspend the account. We will not discuss the details of a case in public, and we do not promise a refund of money paid to an agent, because those payments are between you and the agent. Payments made to us for our own services follow the terms shown when you pay.
This is our process, not a court. Disputes about money or land go to the Police, the courts, or a mediator, and an advocate can advise you on which.
How can I check an agent myself?
Do not rely on a badge alone. Before you pay anyone:
- Meet the agent and see the property first. Never send mobile-money deposits to a personal number before a viewing.
- Ask for the title details and search the register yourself, or order a title check.
- Ask for a written agreement and a receipt for every payment, in the name of the seller or a registered company.
- Confirm the agent's profile and listings on a verified directory, and look for duplicate postings of the same property under other names.
Agents in other markets follow similar logic. For example, our Nairobi guide on Estate Agents and Brokers in Nairobi: How to Choose One covers the Kenyan side. The browsable list of agents on this site is under agent, and the hub for the whole programme is Verified Property Agents in Uganda (Every Agent Checked).
Frequently asked questions
How are agents verified?
Every agent enters their National ID number and takes a live selfie, which we compare with the ID record and profile name. A pass gives the Verified badge. Land above a value threshold also needs a registry title check, and agents can pay for an office or phone interview badge, shown for that month.
What happens if a verified agent cheats?
Report it to us with screenshots and receipts, and report to the Police if you lost money. We review the report, ask the agent to respond, can hide the listing, and can remove the badge or suspend the account if the Code of Conduct was broken. We cannot promise a refund.
Does a Verified badge mean the land title is genuine?
No. The badge proves identity only. A title is tested by a search of the land register, and the seller's ID must match the owner on record. Order a title check, visit the land, open boundaries if needed and use an advocate before you pay.
Is agent verification free?
The standard NIN and selfie check is free at launch. Registry title checks, the interview badge and featured listings are paid. Listing is free for now, and paid listing and verified-agent subscription plans will be shown on the pricing page before any charge begins.
Are verified agents licensed by the government?
No. As of November 2026 we have not found an enacted agent licensing law, although a Daily Monitor article of 11 September 2026 reports that a Real Estate Bill is being fast-tracked. Verification is our own standard, not a government licence, so we never call an agent licensed.
Sources
- Buying and selling property in Uganda: scams on TikTok and WhatsApp, Nymynet (accessed 2026-11)
- Govt targets fraud, unqualified agents in Real Estate Bill (11 September 2026), Daily Monitor (accessed 2026-11)
- How to carry out a physical search on a land title (Transactions Procedures Series 1), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (accessed 2026-11)
- UgNLIS: Uganda National Land Information System, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (accessed 2026-11)
- New online public portal to address land encumbrances, Daily Monitor (accessed 2026-11)
- Registration of Titles Act, Cap. 230 (text published by the Ministry), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (accessed 2026-11)
- How to conduct an online search using the Lands Public Portal (UgNLIS poster), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (accessed 2026-11)