Real Estate
Thousands of dollars
ogus
lost to b
agents as
accommodation shortage bites
Terence Zimwara
S
o busy is Lloyd towards the
end of each month that he can
barely meet the demand for
his services. He is one of several
enterprising youths in the country’s
major towns and cities offering
accommodation services to an evergrowing number of people without
homes of their own.
These youths normally operate by
placing advertisements of vacant
houses, flats or cottages in the local
media although shopping malls and
public notice boards are some of
their favoured spots.
Depending on their location and
‘experience’, the agents can handle
several dozen clients per month and
they charge a fee which normally
ranges between US$10 and US$20
per room or a US$30 consultation
fee.
However, some of these agents
have been accused of conning their
clients. Desperate home seekers who
rarely get enough time to look for
accommodation often turn to these
agents for accommodation.
These agents are able to attract
clients by advertising very lucrative
accommodation sites claiming that
potential tenants will secure these
cheaply. For instance, a threebedroomed house with the usual
dining, lounge an B??F6?V?6?GVFV@??vRc@?????&?&?&?Vv???&???&V?G0??WBB&?V?BU2CsW"???F???W?6?VF??r&FW2?B?F?W"6?&vW2??&?BF??W&Rv?V?B?&RFV??G2??F?R66????FF???vV?Bv???6???F?B?R6?vWB??W6Rf?"&V?F????F?R6?R&Vf?"U2CCW"???F????6?W6?fR?b?Wf?W2??BF?B?ffW"?0?V??Vv?F?GG&7BFW7W&FR???P?6VV?W'2??gFW ?&V??p?6?&vV@?F?P?6??7V?FF???fVR?F?R???R6VV?W ??26V?B??v?Bv???GW&??WBF??&Rv??Bv??6R6?6R?v?W&R?R?0?&VfW'&VBF?( ?f6?N( ???W6Rv??6?????&VG?&R?67W?VB????f??F??rF?R?6R?2?&VG???67W?VB?"V?6F?6f7F?'??F?P????R6VV?W"?2&V77W&VBF?BF?P?vV?Bv???f??B??F?W"7V?F&?P??6R???vWfW"?F??2&?WF??Rv????&R&WVFVB6WfW&?F??W2V?F??F?P????R6VV?W"v?fW2W?F?W2??6??p????W???F?R&?6W72????7B?bF?W6RvV?G2F???@??fRf??VB?6W2?b?W&F?????'WB6??GV7BF?V?"'W6??W72f?F?P???&??R???R?F??2??W2?BF?ff?7V?@?F?G&6?F?V??F?W&R&R???66W0?v?W&R??6RF?R???R6VV?W"7F'G0?F?6??????"6?f?"F?V?"???W??&6??F?RvV?N( ?2???R?2?????vW ?&V6?&?R????R?bF?Rf?7F??2?FF??wF????F??BF?R&FRF?B?RF?W2??BG'W7@?F?R66????FF???vV?G2&V6W6P??R?2&VV?&?VB?fb&Vf?&R?F?R&FR????&'v^( ?2??7B&VB?fW7G??R?v???P??( ?v2F??BF?BF?R6??7V?FF????fVRv2f?Bf?"F?&VR???F?2?@?F?BF?RvV?Bv???76?7B?RF?f??@?66????FF???2???r2F?RfVP?v27F???f?B?( ?6?BFF??wF????( ?gFW"6??WF??R??6?V?B??B??6FP?F??2W'6???BWfW'???W6R?P?&VfW'&VB?RF?v2?&VG??67W?VB??6???F?RV?B??W7BvfRW?( ?fWr?bF?W6R66W27GV??vW@?&W?'FVBF?F?R??6R&V6W6RF?P???V?B??f??fVB6VV?2?Vv?v?&?P?F???7Bf?7F??2???vWfW"?6WfW&???V?G&VBvWB6???VBF??2v??????p?F??26?v??f?6?B&?&?V???6??6RF?RV6????vV?B??F??&V6W76???&?WBFV??V'2v?????'FvvR?V?F??r6??vVBF?????Bv?W&R?B&V6?Rf?'GV???????W??7FV?B?F?R6?GVF???v0?v?'6V?VB'?F?R6??F??VVB'W&?W&&??w&F???v??6?FFVBF?F?P??VvR??W6??r&6???r?'F?7V?&???????"6?F?W2??R?&&R??66????FF????vV?G0?7?GFV@??V?????V?B??'GV??G?f? ?F?V?6V?fW2?VF??rF?F?R7&?WF??p??bF??2'W6??W72????7B?bF?W6RvV?G2&R??@?&Vv?7FW&VBv?F?F?RW7FFRvV?G0?6?V?6???BF?W?F???B6??f?&?F??F?R7F?F&G2?bF?R6?V?6??????ff?6??v?F?F?R6?V?6??v???&VfW'&VB?????G?6?B??7B?`?F?W6RvV?G2vW&R&?wW2?BF?W??vW&R??B&Vv?7FW&VBv?F?F?RW7FFP?vV?G26?V?6???b???&'vR?E ??&??#0???