Real estate · Nigeria
AI for real estate companies in Nigeria
One Instagram ad for a Lekki off-plan scheme can bring two hundred WhatsApp chats in a weekend, most asking the same five questions. AI can answer those from your own price list, sort serious buyers from the curious and book inspections. It must not tell anyone a title is clean.
From £395 (about $520)
Based in the UK, working by video with businesses in Nigeria. Lagos is on UK time in winter and one hour ahead in summer.
Where the time goes in a Nigerian property firm
- The ad-driven WhatsApp floodClick-to-WhatsApp ads bring chats that open with 'How much?' and nothing else, and someone replies to every one.
- Qualifying buyersBudget, area (Lekki, Ajah, Gwarinpa, Lugbe), off-plan or completed, outright or a payment plan.
- Diaspora buyers on other clocksA buyer in Houston messages at 2am Lagos time. By opening time they have asked three other developers.
- Site inspection bookingsSaturday inspections and pick-up points, tracked in a group chat.
- Payment plan remindersInstalments on 12 or 24-month plans, receipts, and the polite message when a payment is late.
- Title and fraud questions'Do you have C of O?' and 'Is this real?' are fair questions in a market with land scams. They need consistent answers.
The rules that shape what an assistant may say
LASRERA in Lagos. The Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority Law, signed on 7 February 2022, requires those dealing in real estate in Lagos to hold a yearly permit, keep transaction records and hold client money in a separate account (law firm overview, Mondaq). The state has said this covers developers as well as agents (TheNigeriaLawyer, 2020). Check your status with LASRERA directly.
Title checks in Abuja. In the FCT, Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) lists property search and verification of land records among its functions (FCTA). Your assistant can tell a buyer that their lawyer should run that search. It should not report on one itself.
Personal data. Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, a buyer's number, income and passport scan are personal data, and buyers can object to direct marketing. So the assistant collects only what qualifying needs, keeps it in your own accounts, and broadcasts go only to people who agreed. A chatbot is only as compliant as the process around it, so we write that process down with you. Our Nigeria overview covers cross-border transfers, and the website assistant page explains customer-facing builds.
One enquiry, from first message to handover
-
Friday, 11.40pm in Lagos
Tolu, a nurse in Manchester, taps your ad for two-bedroom flats in Lekki and sends 'Price please'. Within a minute the assistant replies with the price range, plan options and one question: outright or instalments? -
Qualifying in four messages
Instalments, a naira budget, completion within two years, and her brother in Lagos will inspect. Each answer goes into your CRM sheet. -
The title question
She asks about C of O. The assistant gives your approved answer about the documents you hold and says her lawyer should verify them before any payment. -
An inspection booked
It offers two Saturday slots for her brother, with the pick-up point and who will meet him. -
Saturday morning summary
Your sales lead gets a note: budget, plan, timeline, documents asked about, inspection time. -
A person takes over
After the inspection your sales lead calls Tolu, agrees terms and sends the Paystack or Flutterwave deposit link. Money and promises stay with people.
Title documents: where AI helps and where it stops
AI organises paperwork. Verifying it is for lawyers and surveyors.
| Document | What AI can do | Who confirms it |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) | Keep a checklist per buyer of which plots it covers | The buyer's lawyer, via a land registry or AGIS search |
| Governor's Consent | Track pending applications and draft status updates | Lands Bureau records and your lawyer |
| Survey plan | Put your surveyor's details into plain words | A registered surveyor |
| Deed of assignment | Fill your template for your lawyer to review | Your lawyer, before anyone signs |
A general guide, not legal advice. Requirements differ by state and by type of title.
Tools and payment rails you already use
WhatsApp Business Platform
Meta charges per template message, by country and category. Replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are free, and a chat from a click-to-WhatsApp ad opens 72 free hours (Meta, checked October 2026).
Paystack and Flutterwave
Both offer payment links. Paystack's local fee is 1.5% + ₦100, capped at ₦2,000 (checked October 2026). A person sends the link.
Your CRM or a sheet
Google Sheets is fine to start: each qualified lead becomes one row, so nothing lives only on a phone.
JHC Sector Agent, property edition
Our own WhatsApp agent for developers, to answer, qualify, book, send a payment link and hand over. We are still building it; join the list to hear when it is ready.
Join the early listWhat it costs
Prices in pounds, paid by invoice and bank transfer. Dollar figures are a guide.
What a Kick-Start would look at first
- Your last 100 WhatsApp chatsWhich questions repeat and where buyers drop off.
- A reply bank you approvePrice ranges, plan terms, inspection times and the title answer, written once.
- The overnight gapWhether templates cover diaspora buyers or a quoted automation is worth it.
- The planNext steps in writing within three working days.
Questions people ask
How much does a WhatsApp chatbot cost for a real estate company in Nigeria?
With us, a quoted automation starts from £395 (about $520) and a website assistant from £495 (about $660). Meta's message fees and tool subscriptions are paid to the provider.
Can AI verify a C of O or a survey plan?
No. It can organise documents and explain what each one is. Verification needs a lawyer's search at the land registry or AGIS, and a surveyor for the plan.
Do property developers in Lagos have to register with LASRERA?
Lagos has said all real estate practitioners, including developers, must register with LASRERA. Check the current requirements and fees with LASRERA itself.
Is an AI chatbot for real estate NDPA compliant?
It can be, if it collects only what it needs, keeps data in your own accounts, sends marketing only with consent and hands decisions to people.
Can you set this up for us from the UK?
Yes, by video, on your own WhatsApp Business and CRM accounts, after a free 15-minute call.
Who you'll work with
James Hayes Consulting is a UK AI consultancy led by Ross Hayes, who builds software for his own businesses and uses AI tools in them every day. We work with overseas businesses by video, set AI up on your real work, and tell you straight if something isn’t worth paying for.
Every project starts with a free 15-minute video call. Prices are in pounds sterling and agreed in writing before you commit; UK VAT isn’t added.
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