As a landlord myself, I genuinely welcome honest reviews. I have nothing to hide and a good track record, but prospective tenants have no way to verify that without feedback from previous renters. Reviews level the playing field and help decent landlords stand out from the ones giving the industry a bad name.

Didn’t know Maitama rates could go that high — makes sense though, the security and infrastructure there are on another level.

I would add that people should be very careful with listings shared only on WhatsApp or Instagram with no traceable company behind them. No website, no registered office, no verifiable license. Those are almost always red flags. Stick to platforms with some level of accountability and always verify the agent independently.

This is so important. I once moved into a flat where the landlord had a known pattern of ignoring repairs and withholding deposits unfairly. Three previous tenants had experienced the same thing, but there was nowhere to read about it. A simple review system would have saved me months of stress and a legal dispute.

The point about common areas is something I genuinely overlooked when I bought my flat. The entrance looked fine during viewings but reviews mentioned the lifts were constantly out of service. I dismissed it as one disgruntled resident. Two years in, I understand exactly what they were talking about. Read the patterns, not the outliers.

The point about developer responses to negative reviews is something I wish I had paid attention to. The developer I bought with never replied to a single complaint online, and when my handover was delayed by eight months, the communication was just as poor. Those ignored reviews were a warning I missed.

The point about checking how agents respond to negative reviews is underrated advice. I actually eliminated two agents from my shortlist because their replies to complaints were dismissive and borderline rude. If that’s how they handle public criticism, imagine how they handle difficult negotiations on your behalf.

Communication is the one I always look for now. If multiple reviews mention that management is hard to reach or never follows up, that tells me everything I need to know about how disputes or repair requests will be handled once I sign. A beautiful estate with poor management is just a beautiful headache.

Really useful breakdown. I would add that you should specifically search for reviews on independent forums rather than just the developer’s website. I once found a project with glowing testimonials on their own page and a completely different story on a property investors’ group. Always cross-reference.

This is such a practical breakdown. I made the mistake of hiring purely on star rating last year and it cost me. The agent had 4.8 stars but almost all the reviews were vague one-liners with no real detail. Turns out they were incentivised. Lesson learned: specifics in a review always beat generic praise.

The WhatsApp broadcast point is one that more agents need to hear. I have clients who found me on Instagram but every single deal I have closed started with a WhatsApp conversation. Social media is for visibility. WhatsApp is where the real business happens. Build both deliberately.

The tiered package idea is genuinely brilliant and more property managers in Nigeria should adopt it. Giving a landlord three options immediately makes the conversation about choice rather than cost. I introduced this into my practice last year and my close rate on new clients improved significantly.

The shortlet model is genuinely transforming how Nigerians think about rental income. I converted one of my 2-bedroom apartments in Lekki to a shortlet two years ago and within eight months it had earned more than the entire annual rent the previous tenant was paying. The numbers are real but the management side requires serious attention.