Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook have become giant digital marketplaces for real estate in Nigeria. With flashy promotional videos, mouth-watering discounts, and promises of instant allocation, real estate companies and independent agents push land offers to thousands of young professionals every single day.
While buying property online offers convenience, it also opens the door to smooth-talking fraudsters and problematic developers. Many buyers have lost millions of Naira simply because they trusted high-budget promotional videos and celebrity endorsements over basic legal due diligence.
In this article, Tribune Online examines seven vital things every buyer must verify before making any financial commitment toward land advertised across social media platforms.
Conduct a physical site visit and inspect boundaries
A promotional video posted on Instagram or TikTok can easily hide environmental flaws, structural defects, or fake locations. Never make payment for any plot of land based solely on drone footage, graphical renders, or short video tours uploaded by real estate influencers.
You must visit the property physically or delegate a trusted representative to walk the exact boundaries of the estate. According to property guidance resources on Nigeria Property Centre, physical inspection allows you to confirm accessibility, check if the terrain is prone to heavy flooding, verify electricity infrastructure, and ensure the land actually exists where the seller claims it is.
Verify land charting at the state surveyor general's office
Every piece of land falls within a specific government master plan, and some plots are strictly earmarked for future public projects, roads, or coastal conservation. Buying land in a government acquisition area or committed zone means you will never receive a legal building permit, and the government can demolish your structure without compensation.
To protect yourself, obtain the exact coordinates of the land from the seller's survey plan and take them to the Office of the State Surveyor General or state eGIS portal. Official charting reveals the true status of the land, showing whether it is free from government acquisition, under global acquisition, or sitting directly inside a restricted layout.
Check the authentic title documents at the land registry
An attractive real estate banner on Facebook may claim a property has a "Gazette," "Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)," or "Governor's Consent," but marketing terms do not equal legal ownership. Sellers sometimes use technical real estate buzzwords to mislead unsuspecting buyers.
Take a copy of the property title to the State Lands Bureau or Ministry of Lands to conduct an official search. This step confirms if the document is authentic, verifies the real legal owner, and exposes whether the property has been pledged as collateral for a bank loan or carries a legal dispute in court.
Confirm corporate registration with CAC and LASRERA
Many real estate companies advertising online operate as unregistered businesses without corporate accountability. Dealing with an unregistered company makes it extremely difficult to recover your money if the transaction turns sour.
Before making payment, search the business name on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) public registry to confirm its legal existence and active directors. Additionally, in states like Lagos, verify if the firm or agent is registered with the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), which monitors local real estate practice and tracks fraudulent operators.
Demand the original layout and approved perimeter survey
A legitimate real estate firm selling estate plots will always have an approved perimeter survey and an official layout plan showing how plots, roads, drainage systems, and green areas are structured.
Ask the developer for a clear copy of the approved layout plan rather than a basic graphic design. An authentic layout plan proves that the developer owns a defined, legal boundary and prevents situations where the company sells the same plot of land to multiple buyers on social media.
Verify ownership history and family roots (Omonile)
If you are purchasing land directly from local family heads or traditional landholders commonly known as "Omoniles," verifying the chain of ownership is essential. Family land disputes remain one of the biggest causes of property loss across Nigerian major cities.
Engage a legal practitioner to interview the principal members of the family and surrounding land neighbors. You must confirm that all recognised family representatives unanimously agree to the sale and that the individual collecting the funds is legally authorised by the family head to represent them.
Insist on official bank accounts and written legal contracts
Fraudulent sellers often pressure buyers to transfer funds into private personal accounts or push for quick cash payments under the pretense that the discounted offer will expire in a few hours.
Always make payments directly into the verified corporate bank account of the registered real estate company or land vendor. Furthermore, ensure that every transaction is documented with a signed Contract of Sale, a Deed of Assignment, and official receipts drafted by a qualified lawyer before you transfer a single Naira.
Taking these seven basic verification steps before making a land purchase online will shield your hard-earned income from real estate scams and guarantee a peaceful property ownership journey.