The AI Shake-Up: The Hidden Legal Shifts Nigerian Realtors Can’t Ignore

If you’ve been around the real estate space lately, you’ve probably noticed how everything suddenly feels… faster. Listings move quickly, clients now show up already armed with screenshots from virtual tours, and some developers are quietly using AI tools to forecast property demand. It feels exciting, but also a bit unsettling, especially when you realise our laws are also adjusting quietly in the background.

1. AI Property Listings and Misrepresentation: The New Legal Trap

Many realtors don’t know this yet, but once you publish a listing, whether written by you or generated by an AI tool, you are legally responsible for the accuracy.

AI loves to exaggerate. We’ve all seen descriptions like “fully serviced,” “secure estate,” or “great ROI,” when the place is still under renovation and the access road is fighting for its life.

Under Nigerian consumer protection rules, misrepresentation is misrepresentation, even if it came from a chatbot. So, the safest rule going forward:

AI can draft it, but you must verify every single detail like your name is on the line, because it is.

2. Virtual Tours, Data Collection, and NDPC Eyes

As virtual tours become more popular, many agencies now install smart cameras in properties for remote viewing. Nice idea, until you remember that images, movement patterns, and voice recordings count as personal data.

Under the new NDPC enforcement direction, especially from late 2024, businesses that collect personal data without proper notice or consent can be penalised.

This applies even if:

• you only used the footage for marketing
• the landlord sent the video to you
• you used a third-party AI tool to enhance the videos

The simple fix?

Before shooting or sharing any interior footage, get consent and keep a record of it. No need for big grammar, a simple written message or signed short form works.

3. Smart Contracts and Digital Signatures: Are They Even Valid?

Proptech companies love advertising “AI-enabled smart contracts” and instant digital tenancy agreements.

They’re fast, yes, but many realtors assume they are not legally binding. Meanwhile, Nigerian law actually recognises digital signatures as long as:

• the parties intended to sign digitally
• the identity of the signer can be verified
• the platform keeps an audit trail

Here’s the twist:

Some of these AI platforms don’t store permanent logs. So if a dispute happens months later, the digital evidence becomes shaky.

What many lawyers now advise is:

Use AI to generate, but sign through an approved e-signature platform or at least PDF-sign with traceable metadata.

4. AI Valuations and the Risk of Professional Negligence

Some developers now use AI-powered valuation tools, and agents sometimes use the figures without checking with a certified estate surveyor. That’s where trouble starts.

If a buyer relies on that AI valuation and later finds out the property was overpriced, the liability may fall on the realtor, not the AI tool.

Real estate law has always placed “duty of care” on agents, and AI doesn’t change that.

The safe approach going forward:

AI can estimate, a certified professional must confirm.

5. The Opportunity Side (Because It’s Not All Bad News)

Let’s be honest: AI is not just shaking things up; it’s also making life easier.

• Drafting tenancy agreements is now faster.
• Identifying fake documents is easier with verification tools.
• Marketing timelines have been cut in half.
• Virtual inspections help agents close deals without spending half their day in traffic.

The trick is simply to blend speed with compliance. Once you clean up your process, AI becomes an advantage, not a liability.

Final Thoughts

Technology is evolving and the law is trying hard to keep up. Nigerian realtors who stay updated, even in simple ways, will avoid messy disputes and build more trust with clients.

Think of AI as a powerful assistant, not a replacement.

It can draft, describe, predict, summarise… but you are still the human being the client will call when something goes wrong.

If you get the balance right, this AI wave may be the biggest opportunity the real estate industry has seen in years.