What Buyers Want to See in a Property Listing
Updated 3 November 2026 · Land & Property editorial team
Buyers want to see where the property is, what it is, who may sell it and what they would pay. For land that means your own photos of the road and boundaries, an exact location or GPS pin, the tenure and title status, an honest size in acres or decimals, and a plain description. Our 3 November 2026 snapshot shows many listings leave these out.
- Median photos per listing
- 5, with 2 of 93 listings showing none (Land & Property listings, Nov 2026)
- Listings that state a tenure
- 63 of 93; 57 of those say mailo
- Plot listings with distance to tarmac filled in
- 0 of 21, although 53 of all 93 mention a road or tarmac in the text
- Plot listings with a structured size
- 0 of 21, though 20 mention a size in the text
What photos sell land?
Use your own photos, at least five, and make each answer a buyer's question. A listing that shows only the grass tells the buyer nothing.
- The road or gate the buyer will arrive by, ideally with a tarmac or murram surface visible.
- Each boundary or corner, with beacons or fences in the frame.
- The land from two angles, wide enough to show the slope.
- The neighbours: what is next door, whether a house, a farm or a swamp.
- Any water, power pole or trading centre nearby.
- A short video walking from the road to the far corner.
Our listing rules reject photos copied from other listings or brochures, and images covered with phone numbers or banners. In the snapshot, 83 of 93 listings carry a video and the median has 5 photos, but 3 listings have one photo or none. Read why is my land not selling if your listing has views but no calls. For houses and apartments, show every room, the kitchen, the compound and the street.
Why does the GPS pin or exact location matter?
"Near Kampala" does not help a buyer or a scammer's victim. Name the road, the trading centre and the distance off tarmac, and add a GPS pin if you can. Buyers use the pin to judge travel time and to see what is around, and it makes a copied listing easier to spot because the real owner can point to the real place. In the snapshot, a location label is present on 86 of 93 listings, but distance to tarmac is filled in on only 39 of 93 and on none of the 21 plots. Buyers ask about access first, so put it in.
Should I post the title?
State the tenure and the title status, but do not publish a full scan of the certificate with personal details. Say "mailo, certificate of title available" or "freehold, title with advocate". Offer the original for inspection at your advocate's office, and a recent registry search report for serious buyers. The Ministry of Lands service standard for a search report is 3 working days, at UGX 10,000 plus UGX 5,000 perusal. In the snapshot, 63 of 93 listings give a tenure, and the 57 that say mailo far outnumber freehold (4) and leasehold (2).
The reason for caution is fraud. On 26 August 2026 the Minister of Lands suspended routine issue of Special Certificates of Title for three months, citing double titling and fraudulent statutory declarations, as reported by Nile Post. A copy of your full certificate in the wrong hands helps a forger. If the land has no title, say so plainly. Hiding that fact gets a listing rejected. Our guide list your land free explains what we check, and Selling Farmland in Uganda adds points for farms.
How do I state the size honestly?
Use the unit on the title or deed plan: acres, decimals, hectares or square metres. One acre is 100 decimals. State whether the price is for the whole plot or per acre, because buyers compare farmland per acre and plots as a total. Do not round up. If the survey says 22 decimals, do not write a quarter of an acre. A mismatch between the advertised size and the deed plan is the first thing an advocate will check and the quickest way to lose a buyer's trust.
In our snapshot, none of the 21 plots has a size in the structured field, yet 20 give one in the text. Fill the field. It lets buyers filter listings by size and lets us show you what similar plots ask. Prices on the platform are asking prices set by listers, and we label them that way.
What should the description say?
Keep it short and factual. Use this template and fill in your own facts:
[Size] of [tenure] land in [area], [distance] off [tarmac/murram] road. Title: [certificate available / none]. Boundaries opened [month, year]; beacons in place. Water: [source]. Power: [nearest pole]. Neighbours: [type]. Price: UGX [amount] [whole plot / per acre], negotiable [yes/no]. Reason for sale: [one line]. Viewing: [days].
Do not say "genuine seller" or "urgent" as proof. Do not ask for a deposit before a viewing. If you boost a listing with a paid option, our rules label it, as explained in Advertising and Commercial Disclosure. Larger holdings sell differently, so see Selling a Large Land Parcel to Serious Buyers. When your photos, pin and facts are ready, list your property free and publish. Return to the Sell Your Land, House or Forest in Uganda hub for more guides.
Frequently asked questions
What photos sell land?
Your own photos of the access road, each boundary, the land from two angles, the neighbours and any water or power, plus a short walking video. Aim for at least five. Photos copied from other listings are rejected.
Should I post the title?
State the tenure and say whether a certificate exists, but keep the full scan off the listing. Let serious buyers inspect the original at your advocate's office and give them a recent search report.
How do I describe the size?
Use the unit on the title or deed plan and say whether the price is for the whole plot or per acre. One acre is 100 decimals. Do not round up, because buyers' advocates compare your figure with the deed plan.
Do I need a GPS pin?
It is not mandatory on Land & Property, but we ask for a GPS pin or an exact location note. Naming the road, trading centre and distance off tarmac is the minimum.
Why is my listing getting views but no calls?
Common causes are an unclear location, no tenure, a price far above nearby plots, or too few photos. Check each against this page and compare your asking price with similar listings.
Sources
- Land & Property listings snapshot, 3 November 2026 (93 published listings), Land & Property (accessed 2026-11)
- Service Delivery Standards FY2025/26 to FY2028/29, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (accessed 2026-11)
- Govt suspends special certificates of title over land fraud concerns (Nile Post, 27 Aug 2026), AllAfrica (accessed 2026-11)
- Land Act, Chapter 227 (legislation as at 2 July 2000), sections 29, 31, 34, 35, 36 and 39, Uganda Legal Information Institute (ULII) (accessed 2026-11)