With the bilateral partnerships, NAR’s members can conduct business around the world with trusted professionals who hold themselves to a strict code of ethics. The implementation and diffusion of leading practices and strategies into global markets, including basic advocacy, licensing standardisation and property platforms, strengthening and increasing transparency within individual markets, benefitting both realtors and consumers across the globe.
AEAN National Publicity Secretary, Adeniyi Tinubu, who spoke to the media last week, lamented that over the years, estate surveyors and valuers have noticed the bastardisation of an aspect of their profession, particularly estate agency, which has turned into an all-comers affair.
“The poor public perception and image of real estate brokerage as it affects the profession of estate surveying and valuation is as a result of the activities and incursion of non-professionals into the practice of real estate brokerage. The institution in a bid to reverse this trend set up AEAN,” he said.
He called for legislation to ensure uniformity in real estate brokerage, as lack of regulation has fostered haphazard practices such as overpricing of housing units, letting of substandard structures and houses amongst others by unqualified agents.
While expressing readiness of the association to work with the government to fashion out new policies on real estate brokerage, Tinubu noted that the bilateral agreement with NAR is geared at creating an enabling environment for real estate investment and laying the foundation for sustainable development in the real estate sector in the country.
Tinubu, who doubles as the Chairman, Conference Planning Committee, announced that this year’s AEAN conference to be held in Lagos, themed: “Building enduring partnerships for a better future”, would include highly specialised training in the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation.
This designation allows Nigerians to become certified international property specialists and gives them access to an international market, international buyers and an opportunity to assist clients overseas to make smart real estate investments all over the world.
It will also provide opportunities to make pitches to foreign venture capitalists to encourage home grown innovation and bolster Nigeria’s local content in the real estate sector.
AEAN National Secretary, Osagie Odiase, explained that in different climes, agency practice is a profession, but in Nigeria there is no control and regulation, which prompted the establishment of the association.
He said that all would-be agents go through certification and abide by a code of ethics, adding that members who default in rules guiding the profession face the disciplinary committee and may be deregistered, if found guilty.
