Property Search: Get Smart, Use Technology

Today, searching for a property to rent or buy in Nigeria, could be a ramble in the woods or a stroll in the park, due to the average level of tech-savviness among Nigerians, in spite of an array of new technologies available at our fingertips.

More specifically, two types of technology are becoming increasingly important in easing the stress of searching for property in the metropolis.

The first is mobile tools – Mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and other new technologies can help you access property information at anytime, anywhere, thanks to thousands of property agents (not quacks)  in the country.

Another important type of technology changing the game are tools for collaboration and sharing information quickly, like enterprise software. This technology leads to faster, cleaner transactions between real estate agents and buyers.

Increased search efficiency

A few years ago, the biggest gap in real estate technology was searching for listings on pages of newspapers, today with Web listings search is ubiquitous, and consumers are able to access real estate listings more quickly and with expanded targeted searches than ever before.

Simply put, smartphones and mobile devices have been the catalyst for speeding up the entire real estate process. Consumers today should have no shortage of options when it comes to finding homes these days.

The Best Part? A marketplace

Most agents and consumers have access to all of this technology, but they must work in unison to make the technology platform more impactful and sustainable, this will save both parties a lot of time, energy and money.

Real estate technology is making deals happen more smoothly, making customers’ lives easier and driving more business in the form of referrals.

Recently Lamudi, an online real estate marketplace operating in Nigeria, launched the first property hotline for the Nigerian community. The Dial-4-Home hotline has been developed as an extension to Lamudi’s market-leading Internet platform to extend access to the country’s largest database of properties to mobile users without internet access.

By calling the Dial-4-Home number, house-hunters can inquire about properties for sale or rent. Users will be able to get over-the-phone access to listings from over 7,000 property agents and developers who currently list their properties on the Lamudi Nigeria website.

Many view Nigeria as a market with significant potential for Internet-based businesses, with over 60 percent of all Internet connections made from an estimated 12 million smartphone and tablet devices. However, there are more than four times as many mobile subscribers who do not have access to the Internet via their device. With the launch of Dial-4-Home, Lamudi aims to enable property-seekers without an Internet connection to access the same kind of service that users enjoy at Lamudi.com.ng.

“Technological innovation is not only about what you can achieve on the Internet,” said Obi Ejimofo, Managing Director of Lamudi Nigeria. “We need to ensure technology remains relevant, accessible and valuable to the broadest spectrum of users. We developed Dial-4-Home to assist those property-seekers with little or no access to the Internet. Through voice calls and SMS, they can now search a wide selection properties, from affordable housing to luxury accommodation.” he said.

“Ever since our launch just over a year ago, we always had the intention to bring Dial-4-Home to the market. In 2014 we focused most of our efforts on building the broadest possible database of properties, real estate agents and property developers to ensure maximum customer choice. Now we are extending that choice to as many Nigerians as possible,” Mr. Ejimofo said.

Staircase Ideas

Even something as mundane as stairs can be absolutely beautiful. How often do you spend your days thinking about stairs? Probably not all that often, but stairs play a pivotal role in everyday life.

Traditionally, stairs are simple things, designed to serve one purpose: get you to higher ground. Many people step the stairs in their house up by adding wood floors, plush carpeting, or fancy banisters. Whatever your choice is, just know that your staircase can add more posh and style to your house.