What to Do When an Estate Agent Takes Your Money in Nigeria

Estate agent fraud is one of the most painful financial losses a Nigerian can experience. You saved for months, paid a year's rent upfront, handed over an agency fee and caution fee — and then the agent went silent, keys never came, and you discovered the property was either never available or was shown to multiple people simultaneously.

Or perhaps you're a landlord: an agent collected rent from your tenant, then disappeared without passing the money to you.

Either way, you are not without options. Here's what to do.

The Most Common Estate Agent Disputes in Nigeria

• Fake listings — An agent shows you a property, collects fees, then reveals the property is "no longer available" — or simply stops responding.
• Double-letting — The same property is rented out to multiple tenants simultaneously. Several people have receipts for the same flat.
• Rent diversion — An agent collects rent from a tenant but never passes it to the landlord, pocketing the funds.
• Caution fee not refunded — You vacate a property in good condition, but the agent or landlord refuses to return your caution (security) deposit.
• Agency fee disputes — You pay an agency fee for a transaction that never completes, and the agent refuses to refund any part of it.
• Bait and switch — The agent shows you a nice property, then claims it's gone and pushes you toward an inferior one — after you've already paid.

Step 1: Secure Your Evidence Immediately

The moment you realise something is wrong, start building your file. Do not wait — the agent may block you or delete messages.

• Bank transfer receipts — Every payment you made, with the recipient account name and number
• Receipts from the agent — Any paper or digital receipt they issued, even if informal
• WhatsApp screenshots — The full conversation, including the property listing, agreed price, payment instructions, and any acknowledgment of receipt
• Photos of the property — If you visited it, photos showing it exists and was shown to you
• The property listing — Screenshot the original listing on WhatsApp, Jiji, PropertyPro, or wherever it appeared
• Contact information — The agent's full name, phone number(s), account number, company name, address if known

Step 2: Contact the Property Owner Directly

If you paid rent to an agent, try to locate and contact the actual property owner. Neighbours, the caretaker, or a search of land registry records can sometimes help you identify the landlord.

Why this matters: if the agent collected your rent and did not pass it to the landlord, the landlord may be unaware — and may be willing to work with you to pursue the agent jointly. In some cases, landlords will acknowledge your tenancy once they discover the agent's fraud, even if they haven't received your rent from the agent.

If the "property" turns out not to exist, or was never available for rent, this confirms fraud and strengthens your claim.

Step 3: Send a Formal Demand

Send the agent a clear written message via WhatsApp and by email if you have it:

• State exactly what you paid (amount, date, purpose)
• State what was not delivered (keys, property access, refund)
• Demand the specific amount be returned within 7 days
• State that you will escalate to formal mediation, a regulatory complaint, and the police if they do not respond

Keep your tone formal and factual. The goal of this message is to create a documented final chance to resolve it — and to show any mediator or court that you gave them the opportunity before escalating.

Step 4: File for Mediation

If the agent doesn't respond or refuses to refund you, formal mediation is your next step. Here's why it works well for estate agent disputes:

Agents who have gone silent to your personal messages typically respond to formal mediation notices. A certified mediator contacting them on official letterhead — with your documented case behind it — changes the dynamic. Non-participation in mediation is noted, and makes any subsequent court case much simpler in your favour.

In mediation, you can claim:

• Full refund of all fees paid — agency fee, caution fee, rent
• Compensation for additional costs you incurred (alternative accommodation, transport, wasted time)
• A signed agreement for refund on an instalment basis if the agent can't pay immediately

Step 5: Report to the Relevant Authorities

Run these in parallel with mediation — they add pressure:

Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV)

If the agent is a registered estate surveyor, report to the NIESV. They can sanction or de-register members who engage in fraud. Most legitimate agents fear regulatory sanction more than a civil claim.

Nigeria Police Force

Estate agent fraud — collecting money with no intention to deliver — is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code and the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act. Report at the nearest police station with your evidence. This can run parallel to mediation; you don't have to choose one or the other.

EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission)

For larger amounts or organised fraud (multiple victims, fake listings at scale), the EFCC is the more appropriate body. They have investigative powers the police don't always exercise.

What About Agents With No Office or Registration?

Many Nigerian estate agents operate informally — no office, no NIESV registration, just a WhatsApp profile and a phone number. In these cases, your strongest tools are the bank account the money was transferred to and the phone number used.

When you file a police report with the recipient account number, the bank can be requested to freeze the account and provide account holder details. This is a standard part of financial fraud investigations. Your bank's fraud desk can also initiate a recall of the transfer if it was recent.

Prevention: What to Check Before Paying Any Agent

For the future — and to share with anyone considering a rental:

• Verify the landlord exists and authorises the agent to act on their behalf, in writing
• Physically visit the property and confirm the agent has the keys before paying any fee
• Pay in stages — agency fee only after seeing the property; rent only after receiving the keys
• Get a signed receipt for every payment before leaving the agent's presence
• Check the agent's name against NIESV's registered members list