The Search


You have the imagination of that your dream home and then the search begins. You have 2 ways to go through the search process.

1) Using an Agent

With this process, you meet the agent and in most cases, they ask you to pay for Inspection fee ranging from N3000 to N5000. After paying for the inspection fee, the agent makes few calls to some of his fellow agents and then your journey begins.

You get to the agents location who said he had the property and to your amazement, he says there is another agent who will have to take you to the said property. On meeting the 2nd agent he tells you there is yet another agent who is the direct agent to the brief. You, Agent 1, Agent 2 heads to where Agent 3 is and if you lucky, he is actually the direct agent to the property. If not, you will continue to pick agents until you get to as many as you can carry before you eventually get to the property.

When you eventually enter the said property, you look at all of them and you wonder why on heaven they will bring you to such a place. If you are lucky to like the place, then your negotiation starts .If you don’t like the place, then you hear one of the long pool of agents you have saying he has another property somewhere that you will love. In anxiety the main agent and your new subordinate agent follows you to this new apartment. Dot forget that you are likely to pick another agent along the way who will lead you to this new apartment.

If after your rigorous search, you finally see something you can settle for, then the part two of your search just started. Let’s assume the landlord listed the apartment for N400,000 per year and request for a year and half rent, after you have seen the house and agreed to the N400,000 rent, then the agent tells you that the landlord wants 2 years rent (Agency is 10% of the amount you pay for the rent, so if you do 1and half year, Agency is N60,000. If you pay the landlord 3 years rent, then Agency in this case is N80,000). Agents actually want you to pay for 2 years rent or 1 and a half year rent. Even if the landlord agrees for a year rent, the agent will not give you that information until they see that you are keen on the 1 year rent and you very ready to pay. Some landlords and areas are very prone to minimum of 2 years rent and example of such area is Yaba and surulere environs.

How Agency, Legal and Damages is calculated.

Let’s assume the 2bedroom apartment costs N400,000. If you pay for 2years rent, then your total package is calculated thus:

2 years Rent-N800,000
Agency:N80,000( 10%)- Always very difficult to negotiate this. It’s this N80, 000 that all the agents will share
Legal -N80,000 (10%)- You can negotiate to pay 5% for this one.
Damages- They call it refundable damages. But please, forget about collecting that back except you are a lawyer and likes wahala. Let’s assume the damages here is N50,000. Your total package will then be N1,010,000.

In my next article, I will take you through how to use online property Portals like Nairaland, Tolet.com.ng, Privateproperty, Property24 etc and how to get good deals, detect fraudulent agents.

Share your property search experience in Lagos.

Lagos agents are the worse. I actually refused to pay them any money for form filling. You can imagine paying that 5000 naira to be every agent you meet with no guarantee of finding an apartment.

Luckily we found one that just had 2 agents in the 'agent chain'

Fast forward to one year, we (myself and my flatmate) have since moved out and our 40000 deposit is yet to be paid after nearly 6months of leaving. Each time we call the main agent (the one closest to the landlord), he says the landlord says he doesn't have any money and can only refund when new tenants take our flat?! Are you frigging kidding me

Shouldn't the money (which did not belong to the landlord in the first place) have been put in a separate account for refund to the tenants?

In fact...I have even given up. Thank God I'm in a position where I actually don't feel the 40000 these people decided to squander. The thing dey pain me die sha sha!!

Its always a difficult one to get the " Damages" money paid to the landlord. The landlords basically believe its part of the rent Awof.

Darkchocolate:
Lagos agents are the worse. I actually refused to pay them any money for form filling. You can imagine paying that 5000 naira to be every agent you meet with no guarantee of finding an apartment.

Luckily we found one that just had 2 agents in the 'agent chain'

Fast forward to one year, we (myself and my flatmate) have since moved out and our 40000 deposit is yet to be paid after nearly 6months of leaving. Each time we call the main agent (the one closest to the landlord), he says the landlord says he doesn't have any money and can only refund when new tenants take our flat?! Are you frigging kidding me

Shouldn't the money (which did not belong to the landlord in the first place) have been put in a separate account for refund to the tenants?

In fact...I have even given up. Thank God I'm in a position where I actually don't feel the 40000 these people decided to squander. The thing dey pain me die sha sha!!

Op, you just narrated my experience today. After I coughed out 2k to fill form I was taken round some very very terrible places called residential apartments in Yaba. And the line of agents was so long, in fact the last property we saw, the main agent with the key was no where to be found. I tire for house hunting in Lagos.

If you dont want to pay another N2k to another agent, stick to the agent that you have paid the N2k to. He will keep calling other agents to find what your need for you. If eventually you need to contact another agent, let him know you are from the 1st agent. With that, you are not to pay another N2k.

All the best in your search. I guess most of the houses they took you to dont even have Compound and Parking space

masties2:
Op, you just narrated my experience today. After I coughed out 2k to fill form I was taken round some very very terrible places called residential apartments in Yaba. And the line of agents was so long, in fact the last property we saw, the main agent with the key was no where to be found. I tire for house hunting in Lagos.

i Just got an apartment last week.

The journey actually began the weekend before the Easter break.
But then there was a printer who did my wedding Iv some years back and he is also an agent. i have told him early this year that i will be in
need of a two bed with price range 200-250k.I also told him my area of choice,he made it clear to me that the least i could get in that area is 300k.

when i was actually ready i contacted another agent,i paid 1k for form and that same day he called an agent who said he has what i needed and
when we got there the agent called another agent and that one asked us to come for inspection,when i got to the house i felt in love with it and promised to pay the third day which was on a Monday since that day was on a Saturday.
on Sunday morning i took my wife to the said apartment and she loved it.

The house was a storey building with four flats,each flat with a pre-paid meter and another meter for water pumping machine,a very serene environment. But unfortunately i loss the apartment to another client who paid that same Sunday.this i discovered when i told my agent that i was on my way to make payment for the said apartment and he replied that it has been taken by another person.but he assured me that i should come there was another one.
serioulsy that day we waka no be small.i didd find any thing close to what i wanted.

wonderful

add this

1. dont rent a house where landlords lives, they will become your second parents and will command you to put off your gen set after 10pm
even when the next compound neighbor runs 24 hours next to same landlord's bedroom.

2. check outstanding nepa bills, i inherited over 200,000 naira nepa debt in my current appartment.

3. check that the WCs, Kitchen pipes, water supply unit does work, get water, flush, then walk round the house to confirm that it actually exits to the soakaway
dont be surprised if your neighbors come knocking telling you not to use you kitchen sink if you dont do this little painless experiment

4. anything not fixed before you make payment has a 98% chance of it not fixed, even if it is the main door to your apartment.

5. talk to your intending neighbors to confirm anything issue they are dealing with
a smart way to ask is " is there anything you feel i should demand from the landlord to fix since i am in a position where i can get him to do something"

6. thank me after

One has to very careful because there are a whole lot of fraudsters disguising as agents.

Owo eko, eko lon gbe

The worst part is to pay for an apartment only to later discover that many people have paid for this same place. Very traumatic. Lagos jengbetiele! Thank God I am off the hook now. Gat my own place.

Okay Noted

h

Omo Eko ni mi oo

A plot of land located at Akesan Lagos state Along Lasu iyana iba going for 1.5m negotiable

Direct seller...

Serious buyer should call/whatsapp 08085310359, 09054800167


Hello Nairalanders, i have this land facing Lasu iba express way all round fenced for sale at rate of 70million Naira Negotiable,

Available document: Family Receipt, survey plan,

Side attract: facing expressway, close to Lagos state university, close to Iba New site estate and alot more

NOTE: This is dry Land...

Good for filling Station, churches, shopping mall,event center,schools and lot more..

Serious Buyer should contact Whatsapp 08085310359 For inspection or call 08033588797

I'm looking for a 2 bedroom apartment around satellite town in lagos with parking space,pls how do I go about it? Obtaining a shop with all these agents really stressed me out

I paid for this land yesterday.
Do not piss here...
Order by npf

Lagos Landlord Be like
Rent is 200k
and you go happy finish.

Then here comes the bad news :..Total Package is 700 Thansannd!!!!!!..
And u begin to wonder, who taught these Landlords their kind of maths.

Lagos.............

Rented an apartment 2yrs ago. The very day the rent expires, the agent staying in the house with free accommodation with his family, a man that doesn't even no what it feels to pay a kobo rent starts telling lawyer to give quit notice so that he can take new tenant and collect agreement and commission.

He has been staying in the house now for 18yrs. I no God will punish him and his children will suffer for it too.

Later learnt that what he does. Though the landlord doesn't av a problem, he stays abroad.

All these yrs, he could not buy a pieces of land o.

imoci:
i Just got an apartment last week.

The journey actually began the weekend before the Easter break.
But then there was a printer who did my wedding Iv some years back and he is also an agent. i have told him early this year that i will be in
need of a two bed with price range 200-250k.I also told him my area of choice,he made it clear to me that the least i could get in that area is 300k.

when i was actually ready i contacted another agent,i paid 1k for form and that same day he called an agent who said he has what i needed and
when we got there the agent called another agent and that one asked us to come for inspection,when i got to the house i felt in love with it and promised to pay the third day which was on a Monday since that day was on a Saturday.
on Sunday morning i took my wife to the said apartment and she loved it.

The house was a storey building with four flats,each flat with a pre-paid meter and another meter for water pumping machine,a very serene environment. But unfortunately i loss the apartment to another client who paid that same Sunday.this i discovered when i told my agent that i was on my way to make payment for the said apartment and he replied that it has been taken by another person.but he assured me that i should come there was another one.
serioulsy that day we waka no be small.i didd find any thing close to what i wanted.

this happened to me twice before i got my current aprtment which is way better than those juicy ones i thought i lost

Hmm mm agents. I wish there are laws to regulate and fish out corrupt one

Hahaha..those agents are a bunch of clowns. After stating Clearly my specifications for the kind of house I wanted, they started taking me to very very terrible houses! The annoying it is that the Landlord would just put an unbelievable price tag on the house.
If you want to charge me 600k per annum, at least let the house be habitable. Not the one that the past tenants have destroyed the W.C, messed up the kitchen, broken tiles everywhere!

I got frustrated and started checking OLX thinking at least I would see pictures of the house before wasting my time....WRONG! The jokers there advertised a beautiful house and took me to a shanty!

the same agent issue here in warri,buh some landlords dont deal with agencies ,they even chase them when they see them comin close to their property lol...tho the agents are thieves..u will kip registerin n payin for their transportation to wateva house u re being taken to!

Omo that thing na die

Agent fee
Commission
Security
Area security
Water
Light
Maintenance
Damages
Owo agale( cleaner for two years)
The list is endless
E go nearly add pikin school fees.

kowema:
Lagos Landlord Be like
Rent is 200k
and you go happy finish.

Then here comes the bad news :..Total Package is 700 Thansannd!!!!!!..
And u begin to wonder, who taught these Landlords their kind of maths.

.

this is common with agents on the mainland.
besides try and use estate surveyors and not roadside agents. no self respecting estate surveyor will take a dime before you pay your rent.
need property on the island?
call HAUZ CONCEPT (estate surveyors and developers) 08033342296 ,08026664211
https://hauzconcept.estateagentsng.com
.deal with professionals always!

masties2:
Op, you just narrated my experience today. After I coughed out 2k to fill form I was taken round some very very terrible places called residential apartments in Yaba. And the line of agents was so long, in fact the last property we saw, the main agent with the key was no where to be found. I tire for house hunting in Lagos.

are u still lookin for crib,there is one in surulere,akobi crescent side,a room self contain,and also room and parlor,it goes for 350000 let me knw if u interested..its a new building.

Biulding House for Lagos na full time Business! Profit must enter pocket

realomonile:
Omo Eko ni mi oo

A plot of land located at Akesan Lagos state Along Lasu iyana iba going for 1.5m negotiable

Direct seller...

Serious buyer should call/whatsapp 08085310359, 09054800167


Hello Nairalanders, i have this land facing Lasu iba express way all round fenced for sale at rate of 70million Naira Negotiable,

Available document: Family Receipt, survey plan,

Side attract: facing expressway, close to Lagos state university, close to Iba New site estate and alot more

NOTE: This is dry Land...

Good for filling Station, churches, shopping mall,event center,schools and lot more..

Serious Buyer should contact Whatsapp 08085310359 For inspection or call 08033588797

u are supposed to put the measurement,it will attract more buyers,i.e 1hectre...

enoqueen:
Lagos.............

Rented an apartment 2yrs ago. The very day the rent expires, the agent staying in the house with free accommodation with his family, a man that doesn't even no what it feels to pay a kobo rent starts telling lawyer to give quit notice so that he can take new tenant and collect agreement and commission.

He has been staying in the house now for 18yrs. I no God will punish him and his children will suffer for it too.

Later learnt that what he does. Though the landlord doesn't av a problem, he stays abroad.

All these yrs, he could not buy a pieces of land o.

just go to court,claim u have family responsibilities and u are moving out as soon ss u get a new house as the house ddnt meet up to standard and isnt safe anymore,cour t will issue u 3 to 6months quit notice,and u will be stayin for free