Estate agents in Harare's northern suburbs say diaspora buyers now account for more than half of all cash sales above $150,000, a shift that has pushed prices in areas like Borrowdale and Chisipite up by roughly a third over two years.

Many buyers never view the property in person, instead relying on video walkthroughs and trusted relatives to inspect on their behalf — a process that has spawned a small industry of diaspora-focused property management firms offering everything from viewings to rental collection.

The demand has a visible downside: local buyers earning in Zimbabwean dollars say they are increasingly priced out of suburbs they grew up in, competing against offers in hard currency they simply cannot match.

"It's good for the market, but it's not good for everyone in the market," said one Harare-based agent. "There are two different housing markets running in parallel now."