The Indigenous Languages and Real Estate Pricing in Kenya: Evidence from Kisii and Migori Counties

Abstract

In Kenya, indigenous languages significantly shape market interactions, trust-building, and decision-making in real estate transactions. While property prices are fundamentally determined by economic factors such as location, supply and demand, and infrastructure development, this study shows that indigenous languages mediate how these factors are perceived, negotiated, and realised in transactions. This research examines the role of the Ekegusii and Dholuo languages in real estate valuations in Kisii and Migori counties, respectively. A mixed-methods approach was employed, collecting data through structured questionnaires (n=400) and semi-structured interviews (n=40) from purposively sampled property owners (n=200), real estate agents (n=100), and property buyers (n=100) who had engaged in real estate transactions within the past three years. Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of linguistic capital and Transaction Cost Economics, the study investigates how indigenous languages affect negotiation, access to property information, and investment decisions. Findings reveal that 65% of real estate transactions utilise indigenous languages, with participants reporting 40% higher trust indices (M=4.2 vs M=3.0, p<0.001) and 35% greater negotiation efficiency compared with English-only transactions. Statistical analysis shows significant positive correlations (p<0.05) between indigenous language use and perceived property value, trust levels, and transaction efficiency. Socioeconomic characteristics, particularly education and age, significantly influence linguistic preferences in real estate interactions. The study concludes that indigenous languages function as social capital, reducing information asymmetry and transaction costs, and thereby mediating economic outcomes in property markets.

Keywords: Indigenous Languages, Real Estate Prices, Socioeconomic Factors, Kenya, Market Efficiency