Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before Paying

Before paying a Nigerian real estate agent, ask who the agent represents, what service or fee you are paying for, what authority covers the exact property, whether conflicts exist, who is entitled to receive the money, which agreement governs it and what evidence you will receive.

Do not accept “this is how it is normally done” as the final answer. Each material response should be supported by an official record, current authority, written engagement, lawyer-reviewed transaction document or independently confirmed payment instruction.

Table of contents

• Use the answer-and-evidence rule
• Questions about identity and registration
• Questions about representation
• Questions about the property
• Questions about authority
• Questions about services and fees
• Questions about conflicts and referrals
• Questions about documents and advisers
• Questions about payment
• Questions after payment
• Answers that should make you pause
• How Smart Estate supports accountable enquiries
• Frequently asked questions

Use the answer-and-evidence rule

For every material question:

1. Ask precise question
2. Receive answer
3. Identify supporting evidence
4. Confirm through independent source
5. Record unresolved limits
6. Proceed, pause or stop

An agent’s answer helps you understand the claim. Independent evidence tells you whether to rely on it.

Do not ask the agent to replace your lawyer, surveyor, valuer or other professional. Ask the agent to explain their own role and provide the evidence those advisers need.

Questions about identity and registration

1. What is your full professional name?
2. Which business, firm or organisation do you represent?
3. What is your role there?
4. Which platform profile belongs to you?
5. What government or professional registration applies to this service and location?
6. What exact registration name or number can I confirm?
7. Is the registration current?
8. Are you acting under another professional or firm?

For a Nigerian company or business, use the official Corporate Affairs Commission company search. CAC information does not prove professional competence or property authority.

For Lagos practitioners, use the guide to checking LASRERA registration.

If someone claims to be a registered estate surveyor and valuer, use the official Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria source.

Questions about representation

1. Who is your client or principal in this transaction?
2. Are you acting for the seller, landlord, buyer, tenant or another party?
3. Do you owe duties to more than one participant?
4. Who makes the final decisions?
5. Who will sign the agreement?
6. What information are you authorised to disclose?
7. What information will remain private?

Representation affects negotiation, confidentiality, fee entitlement and conflicts.

Do not assume that the person helping you find a property legally represents you. Ask for the relationship in writing.

Questions about the property

1. What is the exact listing reference?
2. Is the property active and available today?
3. Does the inspection concern the exact advertised property?
4. Who owns or controls it?
5. Is it vacant, occupied, tenanted, off-plan or awaiting allocation?
6. Have the price, title description or material facts changed?
7. What verification has been completed, and what remains?
8. Can my independent advisers inspect and investigate it?

Search active Smart Estate MLS properties and preserve the reference.

An active listing is not proof of title. A platform verification status should have a stated scope.

Questions about authority

1. Who instructed you to market this property?
2. Is the instruction current?
3. Is it exclusive, joint or non-exclusive?
4. Can my lawyer review evidence of the instruction?
5. Are you authorised to negotiate?
6. Can you accept an offer?
7. Can you sign any document?
8. Can you receive a fee, deposit, rent or purchase money?
9. What limit applies to that authority?

Registration and authority are different. A registered agent may lack authority for this property. An authorised agent does not thereby prove the seller has satisfactory title.

Questions about services and fees

1. What exact service am I paying for?
2. Who is responsible for paying your fee?
3. What is the amount or calculation?
4. When is the fee earned?
5. When is it payable?
6. Is it refundable, and under what conditions?
7. What taxes or documented charges are separate?
8. Will I receive an invoice and receipt?
9. Does payment create any further obligation?

Ask whether the amount is:

• agency or brokerage fee;
• inspection charge;
• search or advisory fee;
• reservation or holding payment;
• rent or deposit;
• purchase instalment;
• development or documentation charge.

The name does not determine whether it is safe. The agreement, authority and conditions do.

Questions about conflicts and referrals

1. Are you paid by another party?
2. Do you have a financial interest in the property?
3. Is the property owned by you, a relative, employer or associated company?
4. Will you receive a developer incentive or referral fee?
5. Is another agent sharing the fee?
6. Did you select my lawyer, surveyor or valuer, and do you benefit from that introduction?
7. Could your duty to another party affect the advice you give me?

A disclosed conflict may be manageable. An undisclosed conflict prevents informed decision-making.

Appoint advisers independently where their work is meant to protect you.

Questions about documents and advisers

1. Which documents support the seller’s identity and authority?
2. Which documents relate to the exact property?
3. Will my lawyer receive reviewable copies through a secure process?
4. Which title and survey checks remain?
5. Which planning, building, valuation or technical checks are needed?
6. Who drafted the agreement?
7. Has my independent lawyer approved the final version?
8. What conditions must occur before payment?
9. Which documents will be delivered after payment?

Do not allow a title photograph or platform badge to replace professional review.

Use the broader checklist of questions before paying for land or a house.

Questions about payment

1. Why is this payment due now?
2. Which signed or approved document creates the obligation?
3. Who is the legal beneficiary?
4. Why is that person or entity entitled to receive the money?
5. Does the beneficiary match the agreement and verified parties?
6. Is the account a client, business, seller or other account?
7. Has the account changed since the agreement?
8. How can I independently reconfirm it?
9. What payment narration should I use?
10. Will the method create a traceable record?
11. What receipt will be issued?
12. What happens if a condition fails?

Never confirm bank details only by replying to the same message that introduced them. Use a previously established authorised channel.

If the beneficiary changes, stop. Have your lawyer verify the reason and documentary basis before transferring.

Questions after payment

1. Has the payment been formally acknowledged?
2. Does the receipt identify payer, beneficiary, property, purpose, date and amount correctly?
3. Which completion documents are now due?
4. When does possession occur?
5. Who controls originals?
6. What consent, stamping, registration or perfection work remains?
7. Who reports progress?
8. What remedy applies if delivery is late or incomplete?

Payment is not the end of evidence control.

Keep copies of:

• approved agreement;
• verified beneficiary instruction;
• bank confirmation;
• invoice and receipt;
• completion documents;
• correspondence;
• professional reports;
• post-completion filings.

Question-to-evidence matrix

Question	Weak answer	Evidence-led answer
Who do you represent?	“I know everyone”	Written role and principal
Can you market it?	“The owner told me”	Current reviewable authority
Is it available?	Old advert	Current platform/participant confirmation
What is this fee?	“Standard payment”	Written service, payer, amount and due point
Can you receive money?	“Trust my account”	Lawyer-reviewed authority and beneficiary
Is title safe?	“My profile is verified”	Independent title and survey findings
Why did the account change?	Forwarded message	Independently confirmed documented reason

This information-bearing visual links every important question to the evidence that can answer it.

Answers that should make you pause

Pause or stop if the agent says:

• “You do not need to know who I represent.”
• “Registration means the property is guaranteed.”
• “My company is registered, so no lawyer is needed.”
• “Pay now; authority can be shown later.”
• “The exact property will be allocated after you pay,” without protected terms.
• “Do not contact your own surveyor.”
• “The fee is standard, but nothing is written.”
• “Send to this new account and do not call anyone.”
• “We do not issue receipts.”
• “Delete the messages after transfer.”

Read the warning signs of property listing fraud when several stages are affected.

How Smart Estate supports accountable enquiries

Smart Estate MLS supports structured professional participation, approved active inventory and mediated enquiries. Buyers can begin from a known professional profile or listing without public exposure of the realtor’s private phone number, email or WhatsApp details.

Explore verified property professionals, then verify the stated scope and transaction-specific authority.

The wider Smart Estate ecosystem supports:

• MLS for structured inventory and participation;
• IDX for permissioned inventory distribution through eligible professional property websites;
• Professional Real Estate Website Development Services for credible digital presence;
• AgentForge for professional development and stronger practice.

These products make accountable work easier; they do not authorise an agent to receive funds.

Professionals can learn how Nigerian realtors use an MLS and review how to list property on Smart Estate MLS.

A practical pre-payment conversation

A useful pre-payment discussion should produce evidence, not reassurance. Ask the participant to restate the exact property, seller, authority, amount, purpose, refund terms and beneficiary in writing. Compare those answers with the saved listing, inspection, lawyer-approved documents and independently confirmed account information. If the participant says a different person must receive funds, the price changed, the owner is unavailable or documents will arrive after payment, stop the transaction. A legitimate explanation can be investigated, but urgency should never be used to make conflicting information acceptable.