Agency partners with Shelterz Housing to fight fake estate agents

The issue of fake real estate agents and shady deals between landlords and tenants has been a serious issue in Nigeria for a very long time.

Thankfully, things are about to get better as a partnership as been signed between the Shelterz Housing Directory limited and the Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association of Nigeria (ERCAAN).

The goal of this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is to put an end to the nastiness associated with the real estate industry.

ALSO READ: “As I speak to you, the licensed estate agents in Lagos State are not up to 500"- ERCAAN Chairman says

Here is the official release of the partnership.

"On Thursday, the 8th of September 2016, Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association of Nigeria (ERCAAN) partnered with Shelterz Housing Directory Ltd. to eradicate fake estate agents from Nigeria and eliminate every unhealthy and unprofessional dealings between landlords, as well as property touts, and prospective tenants."

"In this partnership, the housing directory shall be conducting a biometric registration exercise for all estate agents that are operating legally within the country, beginning from Lagos state; and listing all trained, certified and ERCAAN recognized agents online. The biometric data so collated shall be hosted on an online platform, to make the activities of all agents in the country transparent and create a medium for appropriate government regulations.To this effect, every registered, duly accredited and recognized agent shall possess a unique identity code, as well as an online profile which shall be readily available and accessible on ERCAAN database website. All agents shall be issued an easily verifiable operational licence, with which all their properties shall be listed online for easy accessibility to the public. By this, the association claims responsibility for the genuineness of every property so listed; as unverified properties and those from unknown/untrusted individuals cannot be listed. Also, on account of the purchase of a listed property, it shall be immediately delisted.As part of the memorandum of understanding, in the course of effect of the registration exercise to stamp out fraudulent individuals from the property industry; Shelterz Housing Directory Ltd. in partnership with a training school shall be conducting compulsory training and certification courses for estate agents. By this move, getting trained and certified will eventually be a vital criterion to operate as an estate agent in no distant time, as this shall instil professionalism, transparency, honesty and quick service into the system; sanitize the property industry of fraudsters and ultimately protect the interest of the masses while putting an end to several unnecessary costs incurred by individuals during property search."

ALSO READ: “We call on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the housing sector” - ERCAAN says

The registration and verification process is set to begin on October 1, 2016 in Lagos state.

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