“Real estate in Nigeria is not safe.”

“You will be duped of your hard earned money”

“No real estate agent can be trusted. Family members cannot be trusted – they are all scammers!”

“They can get diabolical with you after you’ve paid and take your precious life.”

These are real fears that people have, and that is why they do not want to invest in real estate in Nigeria. They don’t believe that you can invest in real estate in Nigeria and not be duped.

They don’t believe that you can buy land and it will be secure against people like Omo Onile and other scam artists!

But that is not true!

As much as there are so many scams out there, you can still find safe and secure real estate to invest in. Yes, you can still secure your investment without spending too much money.

And yes, you can choose to do this without any fear of losing your hard-earned money.

In this blog post, I will show you

• How to make a safe real estate investment in Nigeria today
• The super benefits of real estate investment in an economy like Nigeria’s
• Things you can do to protect your investment

Why You Don’t Want to Invest in Real Estate in Nigeria 

In all my years as a real estate investor and consultant in Nigeria, I have seen 2 major reasons why Nigerians are very scared of investing in real estate.

And it is not because they do not have the money, no!

It is just two emotional reasons that you may also have, but that you do not know yet:

• The fear of losing money
• Land document scams

And this is valid, because I have seen it happen to many people!

Some people buy land today, and when they come back next month, they find out that someone else has started building on it.

Sometimes, they buy land and get documents only to discover that the documents were fake and unreliable!

Some even go as far as doing due diligence. They check for the validity, only to discover that they have bought government-owned land!

So, what do you do when it looks like everyone is a scam?

Real estate companies are not trustworthy

And private agents are not reliable…

 

Why You Should Invest in Real Estate in Nigeria

When I tell people not to invest in real estate just to make money, they are shocked. Like: “What else is there to investment?”.

What people don’t really know about real estate investment is that it is a long-term deal that helps you solve long-term problems.

If you want to invest in real estate in Nigeria in April and you are expecting returns in December, you may need to press the brakes. 

Will you make money? Yes, real estate has made lots of billionaires out there today!

But will it take time? Yes, also. Time determines the growth of your real estate investment.

Here are 5 other benefits that you get when investing in real estate in Nigeria:

1. Long-term stability

If you like saving in fixed deposit accounts, you will agree with me that your interest on your deposit is sometimes very little. This is why many people choose real estate investment instead.

You can predict that your money will appreciate better in value than anywhere else. This is because of the nature of good real estate. It is always in danger because of 4 major factors in Nigeria:

• High population growth rate
• The desire of other non-landowners to buy their own
• The increasing number of businesses that need offices
• Rising yearly government projects in specific parts of the country.

So, there is a better guarantee that you will always make money with real estate as long as you can settle for the long-term option.

2. Generational Wealth

People talk about Bill Gates as the richest man in the world at some point because of Microsoft. But even the richest man in the world has so much real estate that it can be seen from space!

This shows you that while tech and other investment avenues can be run over by better innovation, real estate remains original because of its nature. And this makes it great for creating generational wealth.

Some houses in major parts of Ikeja, Onitsha, and Ibadan have been standing since the early 90s. Their owners have died, but it is still bringing in rental income for their children!

So, if you’re looking for reliable and non-volatile ways to leave a good inheritance for your children and grandchildren, consider real estate.

3. Peace of mind

Speaking of volatility, real estate is one of the most stable means of investment you can hold in the world. Unlike many other forms of investment, like crypto and forex, you can invest in real estate in Nigeria and keep your mind at rest.

Am I saying that forex or crypto do not work? No, they do

But what I am saying is that if something has been used by generations and confirmed to bring results over those years, it is more reliable than any other thing that may be presented to you.

And that’s why I always advise people to invest in real estate in Nigeria.

Just buy the land or property.

Hold it for 3 – 5 years, depending on the appreciation rate.

Get an agent to find you a buyer.

Sell it.

Rinse and repeat the process.

And you can do all of these without all the high stakes that other investment avenues cause you!

4. Protection against inflation

The only asset class that I’ve found to be the best when it comes to protection against inflation is real estate.

The inflation rate in Nigeria keeps increasing by the day but the value of real estate keeps going up.

If you rented a 2 bedroom apartment for 750,000 naira in 2022, it’s now being rented for between 1.2m and 1.5m naira in the same location in 2025.

I can boldly say that owners of properties are happy when inflation rate goes up.

5. Appreciation

Nigeria is not bad at all when it comes to real estate appreciating in value.

In some places, you get up to 500% return on investment in just 5 years. The secret to enjoying this kind of appreciation is to buy in prime locations.

Some people argue that real estate don’t appreciate fast in Nigeria. It’s a blatant lie.

Why most people say that is because they invest in places that don’t have the growth metrics. And such places might not really increase in value in 10 years or more.

Real Estate Investment Mistakes to Avoid in Nigeria

While there are so many scams in the real estate scene in Nigeria, you can still find authentic lands and properties to buy.

And this is very easy to do. Just avoid these 4 major mistakes:

1. Neglecting Due Diligence

I can talk about this for 1 month, and 75% of Nigerians will still make the same mistake!

As much as you want to ‘invest’ so you won’t spend your savings, you need to take it slow and do your due diligence.

Due diligence is beyond just knowing the price of the land. Here are 3 things you should do when you doing due diligence on Nigerian real estate:

• Meet the Landowner

If you have found a land or property that you want to buy, make sure you connect with the landowner if it is a private property. But if you are buying a family land, make sure you meet the head of the family and the other decision-makers in the family. 

I spoke more about it in this post. Do well to read up on it.

But if you will be dealing with an agent, make sure that they are communicating your demands and needs to the owner of the property. Also, confirm that you are communicating with the owner’s legitimate agent.

• Go to the Land Office

Many times, you may want to trust the agent, the family head, or the community chief because they have produced land documents. But where you have doubts, do these 

• Get a surveyor to generate the coordinates of the land you want to buy. 
• Take the coordinates to the Land Office of the state you are buying in. 
• At the Land Office, you will be told who owns the land. You will also get to know whether or not the land is owned by the government or not.

This way, you will avoid buying land that is already reserved for government use.

• Ask the people around the property

You can meet the landowner and go to the land office and still have issues. But if you ask the people around, you have a better chance of knowing the real story about the property.

So, don’t just limit your investigation to meeting the landowner and land office… talk to the people around the property

2. Overlooking Proper Documentation

You can get good documents, yes, but you have the sole responsibility to verify them. 

If a property already has a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), confirm if it is valid. The best way to do this is to reach out to the Governor’s Office.

If you are using an agent, follow up on every transaction that they make on your behalf. 

Ensure that the Deed of Assignment is signed by the right parties. Also, look for an independent lawyer to verify the parties to the Deed. 

3. Falling for Unrealistic Deals

This is the number one mistake that over 80% of Nigerian real estate buyers make.

When you see that a real estate deal is too good to be true, don’t jump at it!

Nobody will sell a plot of land in Ikorodu for 3 million.

Nobody will sell a house in Epe for 20 million.

Stop believing these kinds of lies. They are crafted to just take your money!

If you see that the deal is too good to be true, drop it immediately. It is a scam waiting to explode!

How To Invest in Nigerian Real Estate

If you want to buy a full plot of land but you cannot afford all of it, you can request to use an installment payment plan. This will allow you to spread your payment over multiple months without paying the lump sum at once. 

The advantage of doing this is that you reduce your financial burden. Most companies will only request you to pay an initial 30% down payment, after which you can spread the remaining 70% over 3 – 12 months.

Another thing you can do is to buy off-plan properties, that is, properties that are still in their pre-launch phase. This is because pre-launch prices are usually more affordable than when it launches on the market officially. 

You can also try co-investment plans. This means buying land with a friend, your family member, or a colleague.

Co-investment plans are great, not because they help you save money, but because they keep you on your toes.

When you have people with you, it gives that extra motivation to also catch up with your end of the bargain.

 

Learn more here: The Complete Guide to Real Estate Investing for Beginners in Nigeria

 

It is Okay to Be Still Scared. But Take the First Step Anyway

See, it is natural to be scared, especially after everything you have heard has happened to your friends and family who have bought real estate in Nigeria.

But you can make the difference.,

Simply do your due diligence. Find a reliable real estate company who have results to show for their work. Speak with them about your desired choice for investment.

Then, start with a secure plot!

You can reach out to us on Instagram and get our 5% OFF Deal for all first-time buyers.

We have helped many professionals, students, and artisans to become landowners.

All you need to do is pick an instalment payment plan that works for you!

You can choose to do 3 or 6, or 12 months. It is your call!

Send us a message to start today!