Leonita Mhishi
FOR decades, property ownership in Zimbabwe has been viewed as the ultimate marker of financial success. A house in Harare’s northern suburbs, a cluster of rental flats in Bulawayo, or a commercial building in the central business district represented not just wealth, but security. Yet for many young Zimbabweans, those dreams have increasingly felt out of reach.
Property prices have risen sharply over the years, while access to affordable long-term financing remains limited. Most young professionals, entrepreneurs, and graduates entering the workforce simply do not have the capital required to purchase investment property on their own. Faced with these barriers, a new trend is beginning to emerge globally and is slowly finding relevance in Zimbabwe: crowd buying.
The concept is simple. Instead of one individual buying an entire property, several investors pool resources and collectively own it. Through property investment groups, syndicates, or fractional ownership arrangements, people can purchase a share of a building rather than the whole asset.
For a generation that grew up sharing rides, co-working spaces, and digital services, shared ownership of property may seem like a natural progression. The question is whether this new model represents a genuine pathway to wealth creation or merely another fashionable investment trend.
The appeal is easy to understand.
Across Zimbabwe, many young people earn enough to save modest amounts each month but not enough to buy a complete investment property. A commercial property worth US$500 000 may be beyond the reach of an individual investor, but if 50 investors contribute US$10 000 each, the purchase becomes possible.
Globally, fractional real estate ownership has grown rapidly in recent years as technology platforms make it easier for investors to participate in property markets with smaller amounts of capital. Instead of requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars, some international platforms allow participation with amounts as low as a few hundred dollars. The model has become particularly attractive to young professionals seeking exposure to real estate without the burden of a large mortgage or the responsibilities of direct property management.
For Zimbabweans, the attraction goes beyond affordability.
Property remains one of the few asset classes that many people understand intuitively. Unlike complex financial instruments, a building is tangible. Investors can see it, visit it, and understand how it generates value through rentals and appreciation.
In an environment where memories of currency instability remain fresh, many Zimbabweans continue to regard real estate as a safer store of value than cash savings. This helps explain why property investment groups have become increasingly common among friends, relatives, church members, and professional associations.
Stories are emerging of groups of nurses pooling resources to buy rental units. Young entrepreneurs are joining forces to acquire commercial stands. Diaspora Zimbabweans are combining savings with relatives at home to enter the property market.
These arrangements reflect a growing reality: collaboration is becoming the new gateway to ownership.
There are undeniable advantages.
The first is accessibility. Crowd buying lowers the barrier to entry and allows ordinary citizens to participate in wealth-building opportunities that were previously reserved for the wealthy.
The second is diversification. Rather than putting all available capital into one property, investors can spread investments across multiple projects. International studies show that fractional ownership enables investors to access larger and more diverse property portfolios than would be possible through direct ownership alone.
Third, professionally managed property groups can reduce the operational headaches associated with real estate. Investors do not have to deal with tenants, maintenance disputes, or rent collection. Instead, specialists manage the assets while investors receive their proportional returns.
Perhaps most importantly, crowd buying introduces a culture of investing among younger generations.
Many Zimbabweans have traditionally associated investment with large sums of money. Fractional ownership challenges that mindset by demonstrating that wealth can be built gradually through collective participation.
Yet enthusiasm should not blind investors to the risks.
One of the biggest dangers is the assumption that property prices only move in one direction. Real estate markets can decline. Rental incomes can fall. Economic downturns can affect occupancy rates and property values. When investors buy into a collective property scheme, they remain exposed to the same market risks that affect traditional property owners.
Another challenge is liquidity.
A property may be valuable on paper, but converting ownership into cash can be difficult. Fractional ownership does not automatically solve this problem. Many investors discover that selling a small stake in a property can be far more difficult than expected. In some cases, there may be no willing buyers at all. Experts consistently identify illiquidity as one of the most significant risks in fractional real estate investment.
Control is another issue.
When multiple investors own a property, decisions must be shared. Questions inevitably arise. Should the property be renovated? Should rents be increased? When should the asset be sold?
What happens when investors disagree?
In traditional ownership, one person makes the decisions. In collective ownership, consensus becomes essential. While this democratic approach has advantages, it can also slow decision-making and create conflict. Investors generally have limited influence over management decisions once they join a fractional arrangement.
Then there is the issue of governance.
Zimbabwe has witnessed numerous investment schemes over the years that promised attractive returns only to collapse because of poor management, weak oversight or outright fraud.
The success of any property investment group depends heavily on transparency and trust. Investors must understand exactly who owns the property, how income is distributed, what fees are charged and how decisions are made.
International experience offers useful lessons. While property crowdfunding and fractional ownership have created opportunities for investors, some overseas platforms have also encountered difficulties. Delayed repayments, project failures and platform collapses have highlighted the importance of rigorous due diligence before committing capital.
For Zimbabwe’s financial sector, this emerging trend presents both an opportunity and a challenge.
The opportunity lies in mobilising capital that would otherwise remain idle. Small savings scattered across thousands of households can be transformed into productive investment capital when pooled effectively. The challenge is ensuring adequate investor protection. As crowd buying becomes more common, regulators, financial institutions, and property professionals will need to develop frameworks that protect investors while encouraging innovation. Without clear rules, the sector risks attracting opportunists eager to exploit inexperienced investors.
The future of property investment may not belong exclusively to wealthy landlords or large corporations. It may increasingly belong to communities of investors who pool resources to achieve what none could accomplish alone.
For young Zimbabweans facing high entry barriers, crowd buying offers something that traditional property ownership often does not: a realistic starting point. It is not a shortcut to riches. It does not eliminate risk. It cannot replace the need for careful research and financial discipline.
What it does offer is access.
And in a country where many aspiring investors have long been locked out of the property market, access may prove to be the most valuable asset of all.
The dream of owning property in Zimbabwe is evolving. The title deed may no longer carry a single name. Instead, it may represent dozens of investors united by a common belief that wealth creation is no longer an individual pursuit, but a collective journey.
Mhishi is the principal registered estate agent at House of Stone Properties and can be reached at +263 772 329 569 or via email at leonita@hsp.