These 6 tips for real estate investment in Nigeria will make you go from an amateur to a professional real estate investor if you follow everything step-by-step.

In 2022, just 18 months after the lockdown, I held a conference for would-be and existing real estate investors and students of a university in Nigeria.

Their questions that day showed me that there was a big real estate investing problem in Nigeria.

Many people don’t know a lot about the basics of real estate investing.

Many people are scared of investing because they don’t want to lose their money.

They had seen their parents spend their lifetime savings on buying land, yet everything was taken from them.

They had lost money doing MMM, trading crypto and Forex, so they feel real estate will do the same to them.

Some were not even scared.

They just didn’t see a need to start yet because they were still “young”.

In this blog post, I will show you the same 6 things I taught them at that conference. Follow me closely and keep an open mind.

If you follow all the processes here, you can build a solid real estate portfolio without making any of the real estate investment mistakes that most people make.

It does not matter if you are just starting or if you have been in the game for a long time. These solutions have worked for hundred of professionals and students in Nigeria and in the diaspora.

These 6 tested steps will show you

  • How the top 3% invest in real estate with no money
  • 3 mistakes that can cost you millions of naira
  • Smart ways to get long-term, steady income from real estate

What are the 6 Tips for Real Estate Investment in Nigeria?

1. Understand What Real Estate is All About

The #1 thing I tell every new real estate investor is that they should forget everything they once thought real estate investing is…

Many times, people feel that real estate investing is just buying and selling land or property.

That’s not true.

Successful real estate investment in Nigeria involves even more!

You will need to

  • Plan Carefully to discover the correct property to invest in at any given time. You need to know where exactly to put your money. This way, you have a guarantee that your money will always return to you whether or not you bother about it!
  • Time Your Investment Perfectly: you can have all the money in the world to invest, but it will go up in flames if you don’t know where and when not to invest.
    For instance, one of the best times to buy real estate is when there is little or no demand for the land, but it is already being scouted by people looking to settle there.
  • Strategize: creating goals should be the first thing on your mind when you are investing in real estate in Nigeria. Before you start buying land or houses, first know what you want to get from your investment.

Ask questions like

  • Do I want to buy land to sell later or to develop for rentals
  • If I want to get rental income, will I prefer short-lets or long-term rentals?
  • Am I ready for the added costs of buying land or property, such as documentation, maintenance, and security?

So, can you now see what real estate is all about? It is more than “buy land, sell land”. If you want to gain in the long run, you have to be intentional, smart, and strategic about every move that you make!

Read also: Secrets to Know Before Buying Land in Lagos

 

2. Start Small – Even with No Money

Another tip for real estate investment in Nigeria is that you can start with little or no capital. Let me show you how…

It is called the Other People’s Money (OPM) strategy. If you do not have any money at all, you have friends, family, and even strangers on your contact list who might have enough capital to start.

And this is where you cash in.

Simply find a genuine real estate company that is selling land or property, then send them a message telling them that you want to sell land for a commission.

The amazing thing about this system is that all you need to know is how to sell. Simple and short.

  • Take up your phone
  • Sell on WhatsApp through your status, then on Instagram and TikTok via your stories and feeds.
  • When they buy through you, you get a commission (mostly between 10% – 15% of the property price)

Then use your commission to make installment payment for a property or land.

This way, you can spread your payment over 6 – 12 months. And pay in bits

These two strategies have been used by all of my real estate students multiple times.

They have not only bought their land but have also made money without breaking a sweat!

 

3. Avoid These 3 Common Real Estate Investing Mistakes

Earlier in this post, I showed you how so many of my students were scared of investing in real estate, mainly because they did not want to get duped.

The real truth is that nobody can dupe you without your own permission.

People mostly get duped because they don’t turn a blind eye to a deal that looks too good to be true.

When someone comes to you to sell Epe land for 600k, you should know that such land is fake and that the deal cannot be trusted!

These are 3 common real estate mistakes that you want to avoid on your land:

  • Not Doing Due Diligence

If you want to buy a 5000 naira charger for your phone or laptop, you will check to see if it is working or not.

But I always wonder why Nigerians will not check the authenticity of the land or property they want to pay millions for!

We are mostly impatient, and these real estate scammers will capitalize on this to dupe you!

Your first duty as an investor is to check if the property and its documents are authentic.

It is very simple to do this.

As I mentioned earlier, visit the Land Office of the state you are buying the land in to confirm the status of the land or property.

Don’t rely on the promises or assurances of any real estate agent or a member of a family.

They may show you a receipt and other documents, but you still have the personal responsibility to check things out for yourself!

Going to the Land Office helps you to know whether the land or property is allocated for government or there is an existing title on it.

If any of these is the case, you should run because you can never win against the government in court.

And you also cannot beat someone who has a title to the land or property before you did.

If you’re buying from a family, ensure that you are buying from all the decision-making members in the family, not just a random family member.

You can lose all the rights to a property if you bought it from a member of a family who has no right to sell such land.

So, if you’re getting a deed of assignment or any other land document from a family, make sure it is witnessed by the signatures of other principal members of the family.

  • Fear of Missing Out

Another big mistake that real estate investors make is the fear of missing out.

Some offers are too good to be true, yet people fall for it because they don’t want to miss it.

Later, they say things like “and something told me.”

Many people just go ahead to invest in real estate because of peer pressure.

See, no one is chasing you to invest. There will always be land to buy. Go and make money and make a plan first!

If you cannot afford to pay for land or property, don’t start with the installment.

This is because you might not be able to sustain payment, unlike your friends who may be earning more.

But if you badly want to buy land or property, you can go for a smaller-sized land or property instead of going for something costlier.

Don’t base your long-term decisions on short-term emotions in real estate.

  • Having No Exit Strategy

There are so many real estate buyers who just have land and property everywhere in the country with no intentions whatsoever for them.

And this is one of the biggest real estate investing mistakes you can make.

Don’t enter into real estate investment without a plan to sell or repurpose your land. It looks simple to start: buy, wait, and sell.

However, if you look at it deeply, you will realize that you need to have goals and reasons for investing!

These goals remove greed from you when you see a deal that is too good to be true.

It also gives you direction, so you always know what you are doing every time!

 

4. Buy Low, Sell Smart: How to Identify High-ROI Properties

Another tip for real estate investment in Nigeria is knowing how to find properties that can bring high returns.

These 4 factors show you how to know that a land or property will yield long-term returns:

  • Location

If you buy land in some locations in Nigeria, you may be buying it for your grandchildren to sell because it will never appreciate in your time, no matter how hard you try.

This is because of the remoteness of the land to the major amenities required for the people to settle in that area.

As lose as Abuja is to Nasarawa, there are areas of Nasarawa that you cannot invest in because you may not get returns until 30 to 40 years from now.

This is why you need to consider the next option…

  • Growth Rate

You should also check to see the development going on in the local area…

  • Are people moving in to settle there?
  • Are there schools popping up to attend to the needs of the population?
  • Are there markets or shopping complexes in the area?
  • Is there a primary health center in the area?

  • Accessibility

Another factor that shows that an area can bring returns in the long term is that there are roads leading in and out of the place. This is why I said that you cannot invest in every place and expect returns.

If the place is accessible by cars and trucks, then it is a sign of development and a guarantee that more people will settle there eventually.

But these do not mean that the road will be perfectly tarred. Sometimes, it just has to be graded and motorable.

Over time, when the place opens up to more people and business, the government will be forced to develop it fully.

A recent example is Epe in Lagos. It started with grading when the first set of buyers came. Over time, the road linking Ikorodu-Epe and Omu is fully developed.

Now, with the Fourth Mainland Bridge being developed and the Ijebu-Omu road in plans, Epe is one of the most strategic areas in all of Lagos despite that it is backed by the sea.

  • Government Projects

Speaking of development, the presence of government projects like public schools, primary health centers, and roads are signs that there will be growth and development in the area.

As a result, you get returns on your property also!

 

Read also: When to Buy Real Estate in Nigeria

 

5. Secure Your Investment

See, if all you buy as an investment is not more than 500k, secure it like it is worth a billion!

The secret to buying and keeping any land or property in Nigeria is to protect it first. The last thing you want to have in a real estate transaction is to get scammed.

Let me show you 3 ways you can secure your investment:

  • Verify Land & Property Titles

Make sure you verify all the documents the seller presents to you.

Here are the top 5 documents that you can get in a real estate transaction in Nigeria:

  • Deed of Assignment
  • Certificate of Occupancy
  • Gazette
  • Purchase Receipt
  • Governor’s Consent

  • Lawyer Up

Every time I’m on the field and I say, “Let me talk with my lawyer first”, everyone sits up.

And this is because the protection of the law is one of the most reliable shields in any real estate transaction.

But many people say that they cannot afford a lawyer. And that is not true.

You can find lawyers anywhere in Nigeria currently- in the courthouse, in the market, and even in a shopping complex!

However, I will always advise that you use lawyers who have good experience in working on real estate deals.

This helps you to create valid and verifiable transactions when buying, renting, or selling your land or property.

  • Omo Onile (indigenous land owners) v Real Estate Companies: Know The Difference

Another way to secure your investment in Nigeria is to know the difference between omo onile sellers and real estate companies.

Real estate companies are usually registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) and usually have a good online presence.

They give clearly-written documentation that shows that there is a transaction between you and them.

On the other hand, the transaction between a buyer and an omo onile is mostly verbal and less of paperwork.

They usually sell family-owned land as well as land close to them that they do not own!

One of the best ways to identify an omo onile is that they sell at a ridiculously low price and they try to sell it as fast as possible with little or no documentation.

Make no mistake. Most omo onile transactions are fake.

They can sell the same parcel of land to 5 people who will then battle it out in court to determine who has superior content.

You don’t want to find yourself in that corner.

Instead, ensure that you buy with a reputable real estate company whose documentation is more reliable.

 

6. Sell at a Profit with These Marketing Strategies to Flip or Rent

So far, I have shown you how to buy real estate property or land in Nigeria without having any problems. So I will end with how you can sell or flip your property at a profit.

But the first thing you need to do is to be patient.

You may have spent lots of money on buying your land or property, but your money doesn’t come immediately after.

What you need to do is to carefully predict when such property or land will have appreciated, using the factors I mentioned above. After you confirm this, you can then sell.

There are 3 tested ways you can sell your real estate in Nigeria.

  • Social media channels

Use channels such as WhatsApp Business, Instagram, Facebook Shop, and TikTok to push real estate content.

You may know that the popular Ola of Lagos is now selling real estate on his channels too!

That shows you the power of social media marketing in Nigerian real estate today!

  • Online marketplaces

Another way you can promote your real estate properties in Nigeria is through online marketplaces like Google Ads, your website listing, and other property listing websites.

  • Physical advertising

If your target audience are like market women who are mostly not online, then you can use flyers and radio ads that can reach them faster. Note, if you want to sell to a younger audience, physical ads will not work.

 

Read also: How Real Estate Makes Money in Nigeria

 

Conclusion

The Nigerian real estate market looks scary from the outside.

But it is quite simple.

You don’t need to be super-rich or experienced to start- you only need need the right mindset, smart strategies, and the courage to take action.

Note: The tips in this article work for everybody.

Whether you’re a student, a young graduate, or a professional, real estate investment is not about luck — it’s about learning, planning, and executing wisely.

So here’s your final takeaway:

  • Think long-term
  • Avoid shortcuts.
  • Start where you are — even if that means selling for commission.
  • Always ask the right questions.
  • Never invest blindly.

If you apply the 6 tips for real estate investment in Nigeria in this guide, you won’t just avoid costly mistakes — you’ll also set yourself up for a future where your money works for you, even while you sleep.

Start now. The best time to start real estate investing was yesterday.

The second-best time? Today!