Dayo is what many would call a ‘man’s man’. Having lived abroad for several years after getting his first degree, before moving back to Nigeria, he prided himself an avid DIY (Do it yourself) enthusiast. When he got married and bought his first home in Lagos, he painted every wall in that 2-bedroom apartment, did all the heavy lifting when the furniture came and potted every plant in the communal garden himself.

Dayo and his wife are expecting baby number 2 and think it’s time to upscale, through their RE/MAX agent they’ve found a trendy 4 bedroom terraced house in Ajah, their dream home. Being the DIY enthusiast he is, he didn’t see why he should pay the agent again on the sale of the apartment despite the highly discounted rate offered by his realtors and decided to make the sale on his own. He’s done it before in the US, he figured it couldn’t be any different here. He hurriedly took a couple of pictures with his smartphone and uploaded them along with a catchy description on all major free real estate sites. After several weeks and no enquiries, Dayo couldn’t understand why no one wanted his beyond reasonable, formerly loved apartment and revisited his listing on one hosting site. Click… click, then and there he knew why!

Great pictures go a long way in attracting potential homebuyers or tenants. It helps form the first impression of your property so here are a few pro tips for capturing the best images:

1. Turn off the flash.
Open the curtains and try to use as much natural light as possible. Flashes can create unattractive shadows and distracting bright spots.

2. Think big.
Shoot from the doorway or from the corner to include as much of a room as possible. Rooms shot from an angle seem bigger.

3. Avoid photobombs.
Yes, your kids and pets are darling, but you’re not trying to sell them (hopefully). Keep them out of your listing shots.

4. No selfies.
To avoid starring in your photos, shoot mirrors from an angle.

5. Shoot from the hip.
Or chest. Shooting from a kneeling position helps make a room seem more spacious.

6. Go for a close-up.
Highlight architectural detailing, such as molding or tile work, with a close-up image.

7. Overcast is underrated.
Exterior photos have more depth when they’re taken on a cloudy day.

8. Take tons.
Take several pictures from each angle and in different lighting schemes to give yourself some options.

9. Use photo-editing software.
There are lots of free, easy-to-use photo editing tools available online that allow you to brighten your images and crop away distractions.

Your Realtor can help you pick the best images of your home, or find a talented pro to take some. Find a RE/MAX agent here: http://remax.ng/officeagentsearch.aspx

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In Nigeria, it is very difficult to buy property without a horde of “experts” attempting to sway you with their advice. This is because of the highly convoluted nature of the legal framework in real estate. Even with the advice of experts, you still require a good measure of grace to avoid falling into unforeseen problems. In Lagos state, in particular, the steps taken when purchasing property depends on whether you are buying empty land, an uncompleted building or a completed building.

Empty Land:

Our advice on the purchase of land will be two fold
A Registered Title
B Unregistered title

Under Registered title, you have at least two options;

a) Registration after a private transfer i.e. in the instance of a sublease, deed of assignment, etc.
b) Registration by virtue of a direct allocation by the Government i.e. In the case of sublease or a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

Under Unregistered title – There are at least five options;

1. Sale by a private person who purchased from a registered owner but has himself not registered his title
2. Sale by a private person who purchased from an unregistered owner and had not registered his/her title.
3. Sale by the Omo Oniles (Landowners) who have the title of a land that has been allocated to them by the government via Gazette or C of O, but have not processed their C of O.
4. Sale by the Omo Onile- who are selling land not yet allocated to them under the circumstances mentioned in c above. The land has not been excised and is still technically under government acquisition.
5. Sale by the Omo Onile – i.e. under acquisition but not under commitment
6. Sale by the Omo Onile of land under acquisition and which has also been committed.

Let’s start with the purchase of land covered by a Certificate of Occupancy or other registered titles. You must undertake the following steps

1. Sight the original registered document

2.  Conduct a search at the relevant lands registry to ascertain;

a. if it is the allottee who is disposing of the property
b. how many years are outstanding on the life of the property (out of the 99 years usual life span)
c. if the property is encumbered i.e. mortgage, prior sale, long lease, outstanding taxes or rents, or revocation.
d.in certain cases to ascertain lis pendens.

3. If your Lawyer is satisfied with the search and physical inspection of the Land conforms to the details on the title documents, and then it is time to draw up legal documentation of exchange of the title and payments.

4. Upon this exchange, it is important that your title is registered at the relevant lands registry. The importance of such registration shall be the subject of a future thesis.

TO BE CONTINUED.

#REMAXwednesdays with Lamudi Nigeria 

@Remaxnigeria -Twitter & Facebook

 

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The Nigerian Real Estate market is very complex and challenging.  With many people operating within and outside the framework of  the law from accredited appraisers and  to part time hustlers, bankers, facility managers, mortgage brokers, omo oniles, estate agents, your uncle Ojo and everything in between .  You can see that with so much going on in the industry, it's a wonder how prospective buyers and sellers can navigate without running into some scam or the other. That's why it is essential to engage the services of a professional estate agent in any real estate transaction.

The hallmark of a good real estate agent is similar in nature to a movie director, coordinating the different players to make a successful transaction a reality. At every stage of the transaction, the agent can play many roles from acting as a salesperson, a buyer’s advocate, an financial analyst, a business manager, a confidante, a negotiator, a consultant, and a marketer, just to name a few. 

In the course of our 40 years of operating in real estate markets the globe we've  identified a few characteristics, habits and  traits that all successful real estate professionals share.

Here are our top 10 Traits Of  Highly Successful Real Estate Agents. 

10. Problem solver mindset. A successful agent enjoys coming up with creative solutions to intractable problems or issues. The ability to bring a unique perspective to a deal is an invaluable skill that catapult an agent from obscurity to superstardom in a short amount of time. Many clients value such a skill and can refer business just by simply remembering how you helped solve a problem.

9. Entrepreneurial mindset. The desire to control your own professional & personal destiny and live life on your terms is a trait shared by the best real estate professionals. The most successful agents in Nigeria exhibit a high degree of self-motivation, discipline, drive, and decision making.

8. Integrity.  An agent's personal & professional reputation is crucial to experiencing long-term success in the real estate business. Honesty is always the best policy when dealing with clients.

7. Tenacity. To become a top producing real estate agent requires a strong work ethic. You must be willing to invest the time, energy and effort needed to pursue every potential lead, follow up with requests and aggressively work to increase your portfolio & market your portfolio. It’s not just about putting in a lot of time—it’s about working smart and efficiently, and doing whatever it takes to close the deal.

6. Passion for the industry, houses, and architecture. Having a sincere interest in houses and building can give you an advantage over other brokers and salespersons. If your knowledge and interest level are apparent in conversations, your clients will see that you care about the industry and will trust to provide a fair opinion when advising them.

5. Amiable personality. An excellent estate agent doesn’t just sell properties—they sell themselves. It’s important to show your true character. Also, you have to be a good listener and care about your clients well being.People will respond to you if you exhibit these traits.

4. Attention to detail. Having a detail-oriented mindset is a necessary ingredient for success in this business.  You must always be attentive to the unique needs of your clients. Also, you must be organized, meticulous, and pay attention to both the spoken and unspoken needs of your customers. Trust me, you will close many deals because of this habit alone.

3. Specific understand the local housing market. A top producing estate agent understands his community’s housing market and makes appropriate use of that knowledge to adjust the pricing & marketing strategy of each property in his portfolio. This breadth of knowledge enables a high performer to distinguish himself/herself from the competition.

2. Networker/Super connector. The most successful estate agents have a vast network of contacts within the market they serve. By routinely going out of your way to build connections and establish relationships you will go far in your professional and personal life.  Your friendship with other estate agents and brokers, potential buyers and sellers, community leaders, artisans, professionals and all the other players in your locality form the basis of people you will serve in your business. By providing exceptional service to your contacts, you'll find your business and life will be richer and obtain greater meaning and fulfilment.

1. Life-Long Learner.  An excellent agent must be a life-long learner and stay up-to-date with their products, local market, prospects and latest topics in the real estate industry. By continuing your education and professional development beyond your  tertiary education, you'll find that the doors of opportunity will open for you and with that will come to the expansion of your business and income.

#REMAXWEDNESDAYS

Disclaimer: Exclusion of Liability

Our advice on this column is subject to our periodic reviews and update. Any reliance on any advice given in these columns without our written confirmation renders such reliance null & void and of no effect. Furthermore, we accept no liabilities for any outcome of such reliance.

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