You don't actually know who owns that property.

We discussed the rent, and he quoted ₦2.5M for a year, including service charge. He emphasized that apartments in that area go fast and that I needed to secure it quickly. Because I was under pressure to move in, I agreed and made the payment within a few days.

After payment, things started to change. First, the agent delayed handing over the keys, saying the landlord was “out of town.” Then, when I finally met the landlord, he told me the agreed rent was ₦3M, not ₦2.5M, and that the agent had no right to negotiate on his behalf.

I was shocked. I showed proof of payment and all our chats, but the landlord insisted that unless I paid the balance, I wouldn’t be allowed to move in. The agent, on the other hand, became difficult to reach and kept giving inconsistent explanations.

For weeks, I was stuck between both parties. I had already paid a large sum and had nowhere stable to stay. I ended up spending extra money on temporary accommodation while trying to resolve the issue.

Eventually, we reached a compromise, but it still cost me more than I originally agreed to. The experience left me frustrated because I did what I thought was due diligence by going through a recommended agent.

Looking back, I should have insisted on meeting the landlord and getting a written agreement signed before making any payment. Relying on verbal agreements and trust, especially when you’re in a hurry, can put you in a very vulnerable position.

He introduced me to someone he said was the “family representative” of the landowners. The man spoke confidently and even showed me documents, including what looked like a survey plan and a receipt from a previous transaction. At that point, I felt comfortable enough to proceed.

I made payment in two installments. After the second payment, communication started to slow down. They kept telling me allocation would happen “next week.” That went on for almost two months. I decided to go back to the land myself, only to meet two different people already working on what I was told was my plot.

When I questioned them, they showed me their own documents. That’s when it hit me that something was seriously wrong. I called the agent and the “family representative,” but neither of them picked up again. Eventually, I found out through other buyers at the site that the land had been sold multiple times to different people.

I had to hire a lawyer just to understand my options, and the process has been draining both financially and emotionally. What makes it worse is that from the outside, everything looked right. Documents were shown, the land existed, and there were even other “buyers” around to make it seem credible.

If I could advise anyone, it would be this: don’t rely on surface-level verification. Go deeper, involve a proper property lawyer from the beginning, and independently verify ownership, not just documents handed to you.