The Special Adviser to the Lagos State
Governor on Housing, Mrs. Adetoke
Benson-Awoyinka, made this clear at a meeting with real estate practitioners
and officials of some government agencies in the built sector on improved 21st
century processes.
According to her, the registration of
professional real estate practitioners across the state is non-negotiable,
stressing that the registration is in the interest of the practitioners and
residents.
She said the registration would protect
accommodation seekers from falling prey to fraudulent practitioners and
increase public confidence in genuine practitioners. The Special Adviser
declared that it had become illegal to practise real estate without a Lagos
State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) Licence.
She emphasised the need to protect to
protect lives and property of residents, noting that it is the primary responsibility
of government to do so. She said these necessitated the registration of genuine
practitioners.
In her own words, “Let me emphasize that engaging in real estate transactions
without registering with the state government or obtaining necessary approval
is a punishable offense under the law.”
She referred to reports in the media
about people who fell victims of fraudulent real estate transactions, stressing
that the government could not fold its arms and allow fraudulent practices to
thrive.
She said: “Just
recently, a physically challenged couple was duped in Mushin by a real estate
agent while they were seeking accommodation. This development, which is
becoming a daily occurrence in Lagos property market must be corrected and may
not have happened at all if all parties involved are registered with the
government.”
She stated that the forum is a forum of
interaction between the government and those in the business of securing
accommodation for people to identify how best to grow and sustain the sector.
“You need to join hands with
this administration so that the unregistered practitioners and those with
ulterior intentions would be identified and eliminated from the real estate
business in Lagos,” Mrs
Benson-Awoyinka advised.
She praised the stakeholders since the
establishment of Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department, which has been
upgraded to LASRERA.
She noted that under the LASRERA law,
disgruntled residents have the right to complain to the agency and if it is
discovered that their rights have been violated, legal proceedings would be
instituted against such practitioners.
The agency, which was approved by the
State Executive Council last November, is mandated to establish offices in all
the 57 local government and local council areas across the state.
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