Oh my God, house agents! Sometimes I am honestly speechless. From my experience house hunting in both Lagos and Owerri, it almost feels like house agents across Nigeria were born by the same mother because their behavior is so similar.

House hunting itself is already stressful, but dealing with agents can make the whole process even more frustrating.

The first thing I noticed is that many agents are not always truthful. Most times, they are not really concerned about helping you solve your problem of finding a good place to stay. Their main focus is on collecting the inspection fee. Once you pay that inspection money, the story changes. The house you saw online may look nice and attractive, but when you finally get there in real life, it can be completely different from what was advertised.

Another funny but annoying experience is when they collect your first inspection money and then take you to a random or unsuitable place. After that, they suddenly start linking you up with their colleagues. Then you will hear another story like, “You have to pay this other agent again for inspection so he can show you another place.” Before you know it, you are paying different inspection fees just to see houses.

Then there is the “always busy” attitude. Once they collect your money, some of them will stop picking up your calls. The ones that pick might say things like, “Oh, I am in a so-so place, come and meet me there,” or “I will be leaving soon.” They keep moving you around as if they are doing you a favor.

House hunting in Nigeria can really test your patience. But if there is one thing I have learned from the experience, it is that you need to be careful, ask plenty of questions, and try not to rush the process. Because when it comes to house agents, you really have to shine your eyes

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