A Web Based Geographical Information System for Marketing of Residential Houses ? A Case Study of Karen County Assembly Ward in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya with about four million people which is about 10 % of the total population living in the city. Because of the centralized population, many difficulties are experienced when it comes to housing. Housing in Nairobi varies from flats in developed high-rise buildings to apartments in most residential areas and to the now fast rising gated communities. With the traffic getting increasingly congested, location is becoming more and more important. Most people for instance will start by choosing a school for their children and then choosing a home not too far away. The rental housing nightmare in Nairobi will continue to be so as long as population continues to increase and also when the majority of private developers only construct to target high-end families. As such, identifying a good and affordable place to live in for a majority of the City dwellers is a daunting task. A big majority rely on estate or relocation agents, radio & television, newspapers and the internet to identify a house to live in. House hunting as is commonly known can therefore be very frustrating. This is so because the standards of housing vary hugely and advertising is often quite misleading. The information provided in the adverts is usually very limited with crucial information such as the accessibility of a house and its proximity to nearby facilities (schools, highways, supermarkets and recreational facilities) usually left out. Estate agents on the other hand whose typical day involves moving customers around showing them the available houses for rent do not help matters. Infact, the act of moving customers around in itself leads to massive wastage of time and financial resources. It is therefore advisable for one to remain flexible in his requirements and calm in temper when the agent is late or doesnt completely turn up for an appointment. The study aims to combine the use of GIS technology and the web to develop a web based Geographical Information System that will serve as a platform for marketing of residential houses thereby addressing these pertinent issues.