Abstract:

Real estate agency in Nigeria is confronted with a lot of challenges that border on ethics and conduct in practice. This study assessed this situation by undertaking a tripartite review of the policy framework, pedagogy and practice of real estate agency. The study examined policy position on estate agency, pedagogic approach to real estate education and issues of ethics in the practice of real estate agency among practitioners in Nigeria. Questionnaires were used for data collection while relevant policy documents and extant literatures were also reviewed. Respondent groups include the thirty-five final year students of the Department of Estate Management Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria as well as Principal Officers of fifty-two practicing Estate Firms in Ikeja, Lagos State. Data collected were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistical tools principal amongst which include relative importance index, Spearman’s rank correlation and independent sample t-test, which was used to establish the relevance of curriculum to practice among the study groups. It was found among others that the pedagogic approach was inadequate in terms of period of delivery. It was further found that agency was not totally grafted into real estate profession, issues relating to ethics, misconduct and conflict is rife among practitioners and that the institutions’ intervention mechanism in ethics and misconduct among practicing surveyors is weak and ineffective. The study therefore concluded by suggesting improvement in pedagogic (training) approach, amendment of existing policy to re-define and enshrine real estate agency in real estate profession thereby making it exclusive preserve of qualified practitioners. It also recommended empowering institutions’ intervention mechanisms for a more effective monitoring.

Keywords:

Policy, ethics, real estate, agency, practice, pedagogy, module, students.