Social connection emerges as new driver of residential value in Kenya
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Developers are increasingly prioritising wellness, interaction and shared experiences alongside location and size, according to property developer HassConsult, as wellness real estate gains momentum globally.
Social connection is now driving residential property value in Kenya, with developers increasingly prioritising wellness, interaction and shared experiences alongside traditional measures such as location, size and specification, according to property developer HassConsult.
The shift comes as wellness real estate gains momentum globally. The Global Wellness Institute's 2026 Global Wellness Communities and Real Estate report estimates the sector at Sh78.9 trillion ($548 billion), with the market projected to surpass Sh129 trillion ($1 trillion) by 2029.
The report identifies social infrastructure as an important component of wellness-focused developments, noting that people with access to such infrastructure are more than three times as likely to say they have close friends, at 32 per cent compared with nine per cent among those without access.
The trend carries particular significance in Kenya, where digital lifestyles are increasingly reshaping how people interact. The report notes that Kenyans spend more time on social media than people in any other nation, with 20 per cent spending more than six hours a day online, and indicates that 26 per cent of Kenyan employees experience loneliness frequently.
HassConsult, developer of Enaki Town, has expanded its wellness and community model through the introduction of Elevate by Hass, an experience hub offering fitness, wellness, children's activities, entertainment, work, gastronomy and community programming. Enaki Town, conceived as a holistic lifestyle community focused on greener, more sociable and resort-style urban living, has 440 apartments and currently records 92 per cent occupancy.
"Traditional measures of residential value, location, size, specification, are no longer the full picture. When residents genuinely belong to where they live, it shows up commercially," said Farhana Hassanali, Co-CEO and development director at HassConsult, during the Enaki Forestside groundbreaking ceremony in Enaki Town, Nairobi.