Abstract: Rapid urban growth and a persistent housing shortage have drawn a large number of land-selling companies into Nairobi's property market, and the resulting competition has pushed many of them towards social media marketing. This study examined the effect of five social media marketing activities, namely customisation, electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), interaction, trendiness and entertainment, on the brand awareness of property sector companies in Nairobi City County, drawing on uses and gratifications theory and the pleasure–arousal–dominance model. A descriptive design was adopted. An online questionnaire was sent to the marketing or sales lead of 83 member companies of the Association of Real Estate Stakeholders, and 24 usable responses were received (28.9 per cent). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression. All responding firms marketed on social media, most frequently on Facebook and TikTok, but half had an annual social media budget below KES 100,000 or none at all. Brand awareness correlated positively with customisation (r = .688), e-WOM (r = .641), interaction (r = .584) and trendiness (r = .527), all significant at p < .01, while its correlation with entertainment was weaker and not significant (r = .385, p = .063). Together the five activities explained 57.0 per cent of the variance in brand awareness (F(5, 18) = 4.77, p = .006), but no single activity had a significant independent effect, which indicates that in this sector they operate as a bundle rather than as separable levers. Customisation carried the largest standardised effect, consistent with the informational needs of a high-value purchase, and respondents were markedly less confident that social media drives leads and sales than that it builds recognition. The study recommends that property firms prioritise searchable, platform-specific content, manage customer reviews actively to counter a sector-wide trust deficit, and track how social media engagement converts into enquiries and sales.
Keywords: social media marketing; brand awareness; customisation; electronic word of mouth; real estate; property sector; Kenya.
Title: Social Media Marketing and Brand Awareness in the Property Sector of Nairobi City County, Kenya
Author: Charles Robert Maina, John Kandiri
International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations
ISSN 2348-7585 (Online)
Vol. 14, Issue 2, October 2026 - March 2027
Page No: 122-128
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 31-October-2026
