idupaul: All of U guys are the same... The way property agency is run in Nigeria is nothing but reaping where you did not sow.

they are the same. Reaping were they never sowed. A landlord once agreed to collect 250k for a 2 bedroom flat apartment only to hike it to 350k later becos the agent insisted that the apartment can not be given out lesser.he wanted a higher amount as his own percentage.

A good piece marred by your allusion to wearing native dress on monday. Do foreign dress depicts honesty? Which is the core value here.

What! While we are here in Ibadan serving even chinese tea to our clients in our office! Guess tis a different ball game in Lagos. Maybe cos we have a name to protect

OP, som of dis quacks has smart up, they hav office wit big sign post, they wear suite... but then they still lack decorum, they lack culture, they lack gud customer relation and they are potential frauds.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with meeting a client in an eatery or landmark. When you put the cost of renting an office space into perspective, then maybe you will understand why young men may not be ble to meet thier prosoective clients in an office especially in cities like abuja. Moreover, do you really need an office to sell a property? Property business is seller-agent- buyer. And mind you, most do have means of identification. Everybody needs to start from somewhere. Lets cut them some slack. Afterall fraud is experienced in all types of businesses! You just have to be smart not to fall victim to the fraudsters

What is the OP saying, mscheeew! They are all the same thing. U want me to meet you in ur office. Where u will ask for registration money and eventually take me tru d 419 processes. They are all fraudulent o, i really pity that proffession called estate agency. They hardly have truth to say. I am telling u this cos i jst rented an apartment after several months of toturous adventure with dese Idi*ts knwn as agents.

HomesOfLife:

The same reason a banker won't wear native Agbada to work on a monday Sir.

That means you wear what bankers wear to work?

Yet you stated you work in the hot sun. Isn't it contradictory to wear suit and tie to work in the hot sun?

HomesOfLife:

After working for days and hours under the sun for a Client's property challenge. I mean, think about it Sir.

@op

Are u here to advice us or market your service.

A lesson in business; never slag off your competitors, it may backfire on you.

Tzulu: A good piece marred by your allusion to wearing native dress on monday. Do foreign dress depicts honesty? Which is the core value here.

I wonder ooo.. This OP did not address the long standing issue of how Nigerian agent behave like Hyenas always ready to eat where they did not so anything .. You will buy them credit , food and transport them only to reach there to find out they don't even know the owner of the property. Abeg forget them.. Both buyers and property owners need to find another meeting ground and forget these shysters

HomesOfLife:

It is really funny that Nigerians don't know the right people to point fingers at.
In reality, the Agent only owns 50% of his own fee. Landlords especially in Surulere would tell you they also marketed the apartment, making them Agents too.

Let me analyse better. Let's assume 400k is paid for an apartment, the expected fees should be 40k agency, 40k legal.

The Agents only have business with the Agency fees, which after being divided by the typical Lagos Landlord, the Agents are only left with 20k to share among themselves. Isn't that rather too poor for a home searching process? After working for days and hours under the sun for a Client's property challenge. I mean, think about it Sir.

But Babs u too are not helping matters. After insisting on ur 2500 upfront. U never even bother to call not even once. So how do we get to trust u. Don't forget u also work with these so called agents.
P.s. Try and keep in touch with your customers especially those who have paid ur consultation fees.

nnacent: What is the OP saying, mscheeew! They are all the same thing. U want me to meet you in ur office. Where u will ask for registration money and eventually take me tru d 419 processes. They are all fraudulent o, i really pity that proffession called estate agency. They hardly have truth to say. I am telling u this cos i jst rented an apartment after several months of toturous adventure with dese Idi*ts knwn as agents.

Sorry to hear bout that sire but, in our office in Ibadan we don't take registration but we only wish to work with only serious people and not time wasters. My guess is some other Agencies charge that to scare away unserious elements and time wasters.

Agents are terrible, office Whatever!!!

The op just want to COLLECT registeration fee from clients as such he isnt happy the meeting doesnt take place at his office.
It would be fruitless asking clients to fill registeration form in an eatery...lol

They not happy you are getting an apartment.[i][/i]

a friend once paid 460k for a 300k apattment

I am not an estate surveyor by training but my business is related to the proffesion very much. The professionals have abandoned the competence they should display and are struggling with quacks. I have been involved in deals and I know the difference. Anyone can claim to be an agent but not everyone can bring the class on.
On another note Nigerians willingly opt to see a patent medcine store attendant than go to a hospital.

All this na long story....if u know agents are dubious. Make una enter town and look for house na.

Sundouglas: Nothing is wrong giving you a landmark or meeting in Eateries.But any agent that tells u to pay and fill a form is hungry and likely a scammer.Pls run!

In Lagos, you must pay to fill a form. When I was looking for an apartment, all nine agents insisted I register. They will say it is for running around and for calls but you will pay for their transport fare if they take you anywhere and they only flash you if necessary.

Pls Homesoflife, in what part of Nigeria is agent and legal fee 10% each cos in Lagos, it is not below 30% each.

Bossforeva: That reminds me, why don't they serve custard in Mr. Biggs?

lol ask the agents

back2sender: What do you mean its too small? what work did you do in the first place? I don't see why I should pay 40k or even 20k to an agent for what?
the amount should be at max 10k for agency. this is just a reap off by the agents and the shylock landlords. in the house I stay I refused to pay this fee, I just paid 600k for the 2 bdrm for 1 year and dats all.

I want to believe People like you will not pray to work and not being paid. You think you are wise and you can talk, I'm very such you have never paid for any accommodation, go and ask pple dat have rented apartment, they will tell you what they went through b4 they could get the one they got. I don't blame you.

You, paid N600k for 2bedroom? Na yam or na Akara fr satchet, this forum is for the matured.

back2sender: What do you mean its too small? what work did you do in the first place? I don't see why I should pay 40k or even 20k to an agent for what?
the amount should be at max 10k for agency. this is just a reap off by the agents and the shylock landlords. in the house I stay I refused to pay this fee, I just paid 600k for the 2 bdrm for 1 year and dats all.

I want to believe People like you will not pray to work and not being paid. You think you are wise and you can talk, I'm very sure you have never paid for any accommodation, go and ask pple dat have rented apartment, they will tell you what they went through b4 they could get the one they got. I don't blame you.

You, paid N600k for 2bedroom? Na yam or na Akara for satchet, ℓ☺ℓ, this forum is for the matured. Thank you.

HomesOfLife: As a Property Consultant, it is really annoying to receive a call from a prospective Client and after so much analysis, advice and courtesy, the Client tells you to meet him up at a Landmark (most often an eatery, filling station, or the property you're sighting) because your office is "too far" or she doesn't have "the time" to come down.

No thanks to street quacks who have made meeting points their norm and restaurants their office, thereby reducing learned Estate Surveyors, builders and Property Lawyers to unworthy business terms. Such "Agents" are not credible as they have no address, no means of identification and no reason to have or protect an integrity. They just charge you for "survival" in the name of registration (they're willing to collect even 500 naira if you're stubborn enough), then you both embark on a blind search, "together".

Well said, Mr. Babs. Now, having pointed out the bad practices of the unlicensed so-called agents, perhaps you could state what best practice should be (as practiced by you). I'm currently in the process of looking for a new flat to rent in Lagos; I've rented twice before and gone through the whole dreary agent nonsense and in the end I got my current flat through one of the professional agencies.

Now, first and foremost, this may surprise you, but in organized countries where human beings live like human beings, a prospective client must not necessarily meet you at an eatery or your office or anywhere else prior to your showing him a property. This I know from personal experience. All your dealings can be conducted by telephone w.r.t arranging an inspection and then you meet at the property to be inspected at the arranged time. If you like the property and want to rent it, then you now go to their offices for payment of the respective rent and associated fees. That is the way the property business is supposed to be conducted.

Here, the average so-called agent is usually an unemployed person who has decided to use this avenue to earn a living. There's nothing wrong with that per se - country hard and man must chop. However, being desperate their only thought is to make money off you first, usually without providing anything in return. Their so-called registration fees are a scam and I never pay them. Many lack the funds to even return a phone call or pay transport fares. Most do not even have any contact with the owners of property for rent, or even know where the property in question is. I personally do not deal with anyone who cannot or does not return my calls or is not in the possession of keys to a place I want to see - this is a business after all, and I am going to pay you a fee at the end of the transaction, so why should you not make any investment, input or effort towards earning said fee? Nor do I transport groups of unemployed people around Lagos in the name of direct and indirect agents seeking to show me somewhere - I have only done this once and thereafter I decided never to fall into that trap again.

Having said all that, there are some honest and well meaning ones - in my current search I've met about 3 nice persons who actually call you back, are rent - paying tenants themselves, so understand that money isn't easy to come by, and do try their best to act professionally, as they understand it.

As previously stated, I got my current flat through one of the professional agencies. I was impressed with the service. Having taken my specifications, budget and requirements, they called me several times to offer me places to view that meet those stipulations. And after several calls, the one that I liked on being told about it was the one that I viewed and eventually rented. No one asked me to pay any fees upfront -they took their 10% commission and legal fees. Very simple. And I never set foot in their office before closing the deal - I just rang them up and everything was done by telephone.

So agents, if indeed you have got knowledge of the property market or have studied the rudiments of estate management, I'm sure you'll know how to operate, and align your practices accordingly.

Babss it was at Tantalizers that we mmet too!!! I never got to your 'office' did I? Also you collected your Registration fee and took me to 'places that WERE never my taste or my requirement! After the 1st waka that you took me all around Surulere-Aguda did youcall again to know if I got a house?
You are wat you are preaching against,Bro

80% of youths in owerri are all agents....high level of unemployment.

mecussey: 80% of youths in owerri are all agents....high level of unemployment.

At Original Post:
Your write-up sounds professional and looks articulate.
After falling repeatedly into the hands of quacks, most people will blame the real professionals for their failure †̥☺ engage genuine experts in the field.
_{This is the same story with Ladies who repeatedly allowed themselves fall into hands of fake 419 Lovers only †̥☺ turn †̥☺ tell us that ALL men a jobbers who use and dump girls}

Cyberknight:

Well said, Mr. Babs. Now, having pointed out the bad practices of the unlicensed so-called agents, perhaps you could state what best practice should be (as practiced by you). I'm currently in the process of looking for a new flat to rent in Lagos; I've rented twice before and gone through the whole dreary agent nonsense and in the end I got my current flat through one of the professional agencies.

Now, first and foremost, this may surprise you, but in organized countries where human beings live like human beings, a prospective client must not necessarily meet you at an eatery or your office or anywhere else prior to your showing him a property. This I know from personal experience. All your dealings can be conducted by telephone w.r.t arranging an inspection and then you meet at the property to be inspected at the arranged time. If you like the property and want to rent it, then you now go to their offices for payment of the respective rent and associated fees. That is the way the property business is supposed to be conducted.

Here, the average so-called agent is usually an unemployed person who has decided to use this avenue to earn a living. There's nothing wrong with that per se - country hard and man must chop. However, being desperate their only thought is to make money off you first, usually without providing anything in return. Their so-called registration fees are a scam and I never pay them. Many lack the funds to even return a phone call or pay transport fares. Most do not even have any contact with the owners of property for rent, or even know where the property in question is. I personally do not deal with anyone who cannot or does not return my calls or is not in the possession of keys to a place I want to see - this is a business after all, and I am going to pay you a fee at the end of the transaction, so why should you not make any investment, input or effort towards earning said fee? Nor do I transport groups of unemployed people around Lagos in the name of direct and indirect agents seeking to show me somewhere - I have only done this once and thereafter I decided never to fall into that trap again.

Having said all that, there are some honest and well meaning ones - in my current search I've met about 3 nice persons who actually call you back, are rent - paying tenants themselves, so understand that money isn't easy to come by, and do try their best to act professionally, as they understand it.

As previously stated, I got my current flat through one of the professional agencies. I was impressed with the service. Having taken my specifications, budget and requirements, they called me several times to offer me places to view that meet those stipulations. And after several calls, the one that I liked on being told about it was the one that I viewed and eventually rented. No one asked me to pay any fees upfront -they took their 10% commission and legal fees. Very simple. And I never set foot in their office before closing the deal - I just rang them up and everything was done by telephone.

So agents, if indeed you have got knowledge of the property market or have studied the rudiments of estate management, I'm sure you'll know how to operate, and align your practices accordingly.

Good analysis. There are few good very professional individuals despite the bunch of hungry doggs littered everywhere.


BTW, I won't mind to have contact of the professional that got you a place cos I'm in need of a 3bedrm flat.

sayitout1:
@OP, U just came hear blabbing cos of ur selfish interest. From my experience while working for a property firm, most ''so call'' proffessional are just been 2 greedy dats why you see the so call quack.

Has anyone taken time to ask why most properties given to 'professional' either to let or sell stay long in the market with their sign board on it, this is becos they only protect thier own interest & nothing else.

For example; when a property is given to those dat claim they are professional to let or sell they come up with different selfish rules. They'll insist dat the client pays 10% agent, 10% legal & in most cases a refundable deposit (causion fee).

Now they'll will insist of collecting 5% of d agency fee, 10% of the legal & d owner of the property still pays them for managing the property. The so call quacks most time plead with them to shift ground so their clients can pay 4 d property but d ogas refuse cos they know since they have the brief, someone esle will come; this inturn keeps the property long in the market.

Atimes; when other agents dat also knows d owner get prospective clients for the property, the so called professional now goes 2 advise d owner dat d property is under priced just becos d propective client is not coming through them.

@lawyer, if you are a property lawyer, build your own clinete if not, focus on you legal job and leave agency alone. You all are thesame.

As for the guy that thinks the agent deserve nothing, you are just been too greedy & a time waster. Y not try sourcing d property yourself without the help of the agent.

I'll be back

Even if he's a Real Estate lawyer? You do know that there are different types of legal professionals?

1) How do you know when you have to pay an agent fee when being shown property? and

2) What is the agents fee structure in Ibadan?

Thanks.