Digital Platform Adoption in Ghana’s Real Estate Sector: Extent, Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Despite the evolving adoption of digital platforms in Africa's real estate markets, there has not been extensive research on the extent, opportunities and challenges of online real estate marketing in developing countries such as Ghana. This study addresses this gap by examining digital platform adoption among Ghanaian real estate developers using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical framework. Using survey data from 201 registered members of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association, the analysis was conducted using t-tests and one-way ANOVA. The study found that residential properties dominated online transactions (35%), followed by commercial (21%) and retail (15%) properties. Platform-level analyses revealed that LinkedIn, Loop Ghana, Airbnb, Twitter, Jiji, and Facebook significantly drove completed property transactions, whereas Meqasa, Lamudi, Zillow, and Instagram did not. Key challenges include a lack of trust, an inability to verify transactions and infrastructure barriers. The findings extend TAM by demonstrating that perceived usefulness alone is insufficient to drive transaction success without credible trust and regulatory mechanisms. This study offers actionable insights for policymakers, platform developers and real estate practitioners seeking to optimise digital adoption in emerging African property markets.