Surveyors vs. Brokers in Kampala: Who to Trust and Why It Matters for Your Boundaries

When buying land in Kampala, you'll interact with many people, but two key figures are brokers and surveyors. Understanding their distinct and separate roles is crucial to protecting your investment.

The Broker: The 'Showman'

A broker's job is to connect a buyer and a seller. They market the property, arrange viewings, and facilitate negotiations. They are sales agents. While a good broker is invaluable, their information about the land's physical boundaries is often based on the seller's word or a casual understanding. They are not qualified to define the legal boundaries of a property.

The Surveyor: The 'Truth-Teller'

A registered surveyor is a technical professional licensed by the government. Their job is to interpret the official survey maps from the land registry and use specialized equipment to physically demarcate the exact legal boundaries of the plot on the ground. They are the ultimate authority on the size and location of your land.

Why You MUST Hire a Surveyor

Boundary disputes are one of the most common and bitter sources of conflict in Ugandan real estate. A seller or broker might show you a plot that extends to a certain tree or road, but the title deed might show something different. Relying on their word is a huge gamble.

Before you pay the final balance for a plot of land, you must hire your own independent, registered surveyor to:

• Open the Boundaries: The surveyor will use the title information to place official boundary markers (markstones) at the correct corners of your plot.
• Confirm the Acreage: The surveyor will confirm that the size of the land on the ground matches the size stated on the title deed.

This step, known as an 'opening report', gives you certainty about what you are buying. A broker helps you find the deal; a surveyor ensures the deal is real.