Did you know that having a good real estate company to work with can prevent you from getting scammed or conned out of your hard-earned money?

Working with the right people is very important and as a client, finding the right people to work with can sometimes be challenging considering the number of fakes on the streets. But there are a few ways you can identify red flags when dealing with an agent or a company;

  1. Impatience: closing deals take time and it’s a process, so there should never be any rush or pressure in a legal transaction. When an agent seems all too impatient to close a deal, it may be time for you step back and investigate the situation.
  2. Fake documents: given the advancement in technology, making fake documents these days is as easy as counting from 1 to 5. People make fake ID cards, fake doctors reports, fake visas etc. and making fake property papers is no big deal. That is why it is very important to verify every document given to you concerning your transaction before closing any deal.
  3. Avoiding legal checks: every big transaction requires the services of a lawyer or lawyers as the case may be. So the minute an agent starts insisting on the irrelevance of a lawyer in the transaction see it as a red flag and run.
  4. Survey denial: the popular phrase goes thus “seeing is believing”. Make this one of your mantras while dealing with agents. Inspection is very important; you must always see for yourself what you are paying for. Con-artist will try to delay this process in hopes that you forget about it until the transaction has been made, do not fall it. always insist on inspecting the property you are buying. 

Finally, ask questions. As a client, especially one who is inexperienced in real estate dealings, it could save you to ask questions. Not just about the property you want to invest in, ask about the agent and his company. Get familiar with the people you’re going into business with. Ask around about them, ask your friends. Who knows them, who have they worked with, and who can vouch for them. Information like this can tell you if you are dealing with a con agent or not.