by Kelechi 
Good Real Estate Services in Nigeria and How to Avoid Being a Scam Victim
Good real estate services in Nigeria and how to avoid being a scam victim: This is actually what determines how safe your property purchase will be and the need to discuss it can not be undermined. There are obviously several agencies that render good real estate services in Nigeria, prominent among them is Pertinence Group Limited.
We offer good real estate services in Nigeria and beyond. Send us a message or call us
Obviously, we will not undermine the fact that there is high rate of scam in real estate. This often leaves prospective buyers in panic. So how do you as a buyer determine when it is safe to buy a property? Where should you buy from?
This post is aimed at helping land buyers reduce the risk of being scammed. How much you apply the content of this post will determine your financial safety. So how do you ensure you get good real estate service in Nigeria?
How can you determine good real estate service in Nigeria
By good real estate services I mean that the agency you are buying from is concerned about your well being and financial safety and put your satisfaction as a customer ahead of their own interest.
It is very imperative that you carry out a thorough investigation before committing your money to any agent or agency. This is not to say that you have to higher an investigative police officer when no crime has been committed. However you reserve the right to know if the property you are committing your finance to is legit.
Besides financial safety, you also want to make sure that the location of the land is good and suits your purpose. All these are part of good real estate services. You would not want to buy from someone whose greed for money supersedes your well-being, someone who wants to make you believe that everything is okay all because he/she wants your money. So how can you make sure you buy safe?
So how do you get good real estate services in Nigeria and avoid scam?
Never bank on relationship to buy a safe property. There is nothing wrong with buying a property from friends or relative but never think that everything they tell you about the property is true, carry out a personal research. When it comes to finding a good location, you will need an expert to survey the land.
Does Certificate of Registration Guarantee a Good Real Estate Service in Nigeria?
Many have been deceived by mere presentation of certificate of business registration. I have been a victim of scam because I thought that a registered business would not scam me, though not in real estate. Now, let’s get this clear. We often believe that we can sue a business once it is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). You need to know that a business name is not a company.
This means that the mere fact that a business is registered does not make it legit, especially when it is a sole proprietorship. You cannot sue a business name as an entity, you can only sue the owner. Some people do register their business for the sole aim of scamming. They know that you will likely trust a registered business so they register it to win your trust.
This is not to say that all sole proprietors are scammers, what I am saying is that you stand a higher risk of being scammed especially when it concerns real estate. Real estate agents hardly work in isolation so buying from an individual attracts a higher risk. If you are tempted to buy from a sole proprietor seek legal advice.
How to Get a good real estate service and avoid scam
A better option that will help you get good real estate services is to buy from a company. What is the difference between a business name and a company? A business name is just giving your business a name just the same way you give your baby a name so that it has an identity. On the other hand, a company passes through a legal process called incorporation. It is a process of making the company a legal and separate entity from the owners.
This legal recognition of the company as an entity is why you can sue it and not sue the owner. A company has attachments like LTD, PLC. A real estate company is usually made up of board of directors and shareholders, one person does not take a decision. This is why you are less likely to be scammed provided you buy through the company.
Most real estate companies have a network of partners and you are most likely to be referred by one of these referrers, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, you must know about the property through someone but do make sure that you open and close a deal with the company and not with the individual who referred you, provided he/she gets his/her commission. Make your research to find legit real estate companies who can offer you good service.
For me, based on clean record I recommend Pertinence Limited. Pertinence Limited is a leading real estate agency in Nigeria providing real estate services nationwide and beyond. Pertinence Group has been around for seven years and has its branches scattered all over Nigeria.
Lagos branches include:
