11/08/2026
A man reached out to me recently and told me how he lost N30 million in a land deal. And till today, he is still trying to recover his money.
I could imagine the pain. The anger and regret. I felt for him actually.
But before I continue, I already know the comments this kind of story can attract:
“I’ve always said it. Real estate is a scam.”
“Almost everyone I know bought land with receipts only. Till today they have not seen their land.”
“I will never buy land from a real estate company.”
And the list goes on.
After all, we are Nigerians. E no dey do us for mouth. 😂😂
But let me ask you something.
Did you stop buying food because you heard that some foods can cause cancer?
Did you stop renting houses because you heard stories of landlords increasing rent anyhow?
Did you pack your bags and decide to become homeless because some landlords are difficult?
No.
Because you understand something very important.
A bad experience does not automatically make the entire system bad.
I am not saying we should normalize fraud.
I am not saying you should ignore red flags.
I am not saying every real estate company is trustworthy.
Far from it.
People have lost their life savings to fraudulent land transactions. People have bought the same property from multiple sellers. People have collected “receipts” that could not establish proper ownership.
These things are real.
But so are legitimate land investments. Emphasis on “legitimate land investments”.
So are people who have bought land, documented it properly, developed it and watched its value appreciate over time.
The problem is not that real estate exists.
The problem is that many people enter real estate without knowing how to protect themselves.
And that is where we need to do better.
Please, Verify the title‼️
Conduct proper searches‼️
Confirm the seller’s authority to sell‼️
Engage the right professionals‼️
Understand the documents you are receiving‼️
Don’t let excitement make you skip due diligence‼️
And please, don’t let somebody else’s bad experience become the reason you refuse to make informed investments of your own.
Nothing in this world has ever been completely risk-free.
Our responsibility is not to pretend risks don’t exist.
Our responsibility is to understand the risks, reduce them and make better decisions.
So when you hear that someone lost N30 million in a land deal, don’t just say,
“Real estate is a scam.”
Ask:
“What went wrong, and how can I make sure it doesn’t happen to me?”
Because sometimes, the difference between a terrible investment story and a life-changing investment is simply the knowledge you had before you paid.
And that is why I keep talking about safe and informed real estate investment.
Don’t run away from real estate.
Learn how to navigate it.
Stay informed always.
To best, safe, secure land investment and ownership advantage,
✍️ Precious Chisom Nwokpuru
