Real Estate Agency Practice and Professional Standards in the Federal Capital Territory

This study examines real estate agency practice standards in the Federal Capital Territory, assessing the professional conduct, service quality, and regulatory compliance of both registered estate surveying firms and informal agents operating in Abuja's residential and commercial property market. The professionalism of property agency intermediaries is a critical determinant of real estate market efficiency, consumer protection, and transaction integrity, and Abuja's diverse and rapidly growing property market has attracted both high-quality professional firms and a large informal brokerage sector. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, administering questionnaires to 100 property transaction clients, conducting structured interviews with 25 registered estate agents and 20 informal brokers, and reviewing NIESV FCT chapter regulatory records and complaint data. Assessment dimensions include service comprehensiveness, commission disclosure practices, due diligence processes, documentation quality, and resolution of client disputes. Findings show marked quality differences between NIESV-registered firms and informal agents in due diligence rigour, transaction documentation, and conflict of interest management. However, informal agents dominate in several residential sub-markets due to price competitiveness and local network advantages. Dual agency situations, where a single agent purports to represent both buyer and seller, are reported in 31 percent of informal agent transactions. Client complaint resolution mechanisms are inadequate for both formal and informal market segments. Recommendations include establishing an FCT Real Estate Regulatory Authority with licensing powers covering all property agency practitioners, mandatory professional indemnity insurance for registered practitioners, and consumer protection legislation for real estate transactions. Keywords: estate agency, professional standards, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, property agency.