NIESV moves to rid institution of quacks

The management of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has raised the alarm over incursion of many professionals and individuals into the practice of estate agency; a development it says is giving the institution a bad name.

Led by its national president, Dr Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi, the institution has however warned that the institution would not sit by and watch its reputation smeared by unlawful practices of unrecognised estate agents.

The NIESV President, Dr Patunola-Ajayi, made this stance known recently in a chat with major stakeholders in the real estate sector recently.

Patunola-Ajayi also gave the danger involved in patronising non-professionals when doing a deal on land or property, saying quite often, lands bought without the involvement of certified estate surveyors and valuers end up with different kinds of legal, communal and family problems sooner or later.

“When you think of acquiring land or property for a living house, farmland, office space, industrial projects, road network, airport/seaport, power lines, pipelines, tourism, site, and any type of use, it is always a better choice to approach the Estate Surveyors and Valuers to handle the acquisition for you. Reason; he or she must ensure that what you are acquiring has a good title. Whenever you have problem with our members, you can always seek redress from us to assist you to get them conform to the norms and code of conduct which protect the client from unprofessional practices which can adversely affect their clients. However, when you approached the owner directly or any agents down the road, the consequences are usually disastrous with unprofessional service and loss of resources,” he said.

On the issue of incursion into estate agency practice, Patuonla-Ajayi said, “the incursion of many professionals and individuals into estate agency practice is giving the profession of estate agency a bad name. Estate agency is an important service, and should be practiced with full adherence to the code of conduct.”