7 Steps to Check Property Developer Credibility

Last Updated: October 25, 2026

Table of Contents

• Why Checking Property Developer Credibility Matters
• Step 1: Verify Business Registration and CAC Records
• Step 2: Confirm REDAN Membership and Industry Credentials
  • What REDAN actually is
  • How to verify a REDAN claim independently
  • What REDAN membership does not cover
  • The practical takeaway
• Step 3: Inspect Completed Projects and Development Track Record
• Property Developer Due Diligence Checklist
• Documents to Verify Before Buying Property
  • The document checklist
  • How to verify title documents independently
  • How to verify planning and building approvals
  • Payment safeguards: escrow and staged payments
  • Have a lawyer review everything
• Questions to Ask a Property Developer
• Property Developer Reviews and Complaints
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why Checking Property Developer Credibility Matters

Property investment is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make. Yet many buyers skip the most critical step: verifying the developer is legitimate before handing over money.

Developers without proper registration, completed projects, or transparent processes have left countless investors with unfinished properties, missing documents, or no recourse.

Here are seven practical steps to verify any developer before you commit.

Step 1: Verify Business Registration and CAC Records

Every legitimate property developer must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). This is your first line of defense.

Search the developer's company name on the CAC website to find the registration number, incorporation date, status (active or dormant), directors, and registered office address.

A developer without CAC registration is a major red flag. No registration means no legal business entity.

When you check property developer credibility in Nigeria, start here: request the CAC certificate directly.

Step 2: Confirm REDAN Membership and Industry Credentials

REDAN membership is one of the most cited credibility signals in Nigerian property marketing, and one of the most misunderstood. Understand what it is, how to verify a claim, and what it does not guarantee.

What REDAN actually is

The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) is a trade association, not a regulator. It does not license developers, hold their funds, or insure buyers against project failure. Membership means a developer applied, paid dues, and agreed to a code of conduct, a signal of intent, not a government stamp of safety.

A developer can be a REDAN member in good standing and still deliver late, change specifications, or run into funding trouble. Membership is one data point, not a guarantee.

How to verify a REDAN claim independently

Do not rely on a certificate the developer hands you, certificates can be outdated, altered, or belong to a similarly named company. Verify through multiple channels:

1. Check the REDAN directory directly. Search the developer's exact CAC-registered company name, not the marketing brand name, on the association's official website.
2. Confirm the membership category and status. Ask which tier the developer holds and whether dues are current.
3. Cross-check the membership number. Compare the certificate's number and company name against the directory entry. If the names do not match, ask why in writing.
4. Call or email REDAN directly. The association can confirm whether a named company is a financial member. Keep the written response on file.
5. Check other professional bodies. Verify claims with bodies such as NIESV or NSE the same way, through the body, not the brochure.

What REDAN membership does not cover

Be clear-eyed about the limits:

• It is not a title guarantee. REDAN does not verify land ownership or a valid Certificate of Occupancy, that is a separate land-registry check (Step 4).
• It is not a payment safeguard. REDAN does not hold deposits or operate an escrow. Your money is only as safe as the payment structure you agree to.
• It is not a completion guarantee. Membership does not obligate a developer to finish your specific project on a specific date.

The practical takeaway

Use REDAN membership as a filter, not a verdict. A verified financial member with a clean CAC record and solid completed projects is a stronger candidate, but membership never replaces the land-title verification, contract review, and payment safeguards covered in this guide.

REDAN code of conduct and membership standards sets out the expectations members agree to. Read it, but pair it with independent verification of the developer's registration, titles, and track record.

Step 3: Inspect Completed Projects and Development Track Record

A developer's track record tells you everything about their ability to deliver.

Ask for a list of completed projects. Then verify them:

• Visit the sites in person if possible
• Talk to residents who bought from the developer
• Check the quality of construction and finishing

A developer with consistent, on-time delivery is more reliable than one with a history of missed deadlines.

Request contact details of past buyers and ask about their experience, payment processes, and whether the final property matched what was promised.

For off-plan properties this is even more critical: the developer's ability to finish previous projects on time and to standard is your only assurance they'll do the same for you. Learn about the specific risks of off-plan property investment and how to protect yourself.

When you check property developer credibility in Nigeria, completed projects are proof. No completed projects means no track record.

Property Developer Due Diligence Checklist

Use this checklist before signing anything:

Verification Step	What to Check	Red Flags
CAC Registration	Company active status, directors, office address	Not found, dormant status, frequent director changes
REDAN Membership	Listed in directory, membership current	Claims membership but not listed, expired status
Completed Projects	At least 3-5 finished developments	No completed projects, only off-plan sales
C of O	Certificate of Occupancy on finished units	Delayed C of O, units without documentation
Land Title	Governor's Consent, registered survey, clear ownership	Disputed ownership, unclear boundaries, missing documents
Client References	Contact details of past buyers	Unwilling to provide references, negative feedback
Payment History	Track record of handling deposits and payments	Missed payment deadlines, unaccounted funds
Legal Review	Contracts reviewed by your lawyer	Developer refuses lawyer review, vague terms

Documents to Verify Before Buying Property

Most guides list documents and stop. The harder, and more valuable, skill is verifying each document independently, at source, rather than accepting a photocopy from the developer's sales office. This section gives you both.

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The document checklist

Request these in writing, and insist on seeing originals (or certified true copies), not phone photos of a folder:

Land and title documents

• Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for the land, or the state-issued equivalent
• Governor's Consent, where the land has been transferred since the C of O was issued
• Registered survey plan showing boundaries, coordinates, and the surveyor's seal

Company documents

• CAC certificate of incorporation and current status report
• MEMART (Memorandum and Articles of Association) showing the company's objects include property development
• Tax clearance certificate (evidence of filing, not just payment)

Project and planning documents

• Planning approval or development permit from the relevant state planning authority
• Building permit or stage approvals from the local government
• Environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval for larger developments

How to verify title documents independently

A C of O photocopy proves nothing on its own. Verify at source:

1. Search at the state land registry. Take the title particulars, C of O number, plot number, survey plan number, and registered owner's name, to the registry and request a search. Ask for a certified true copy of the title and a search report confirming the current registered owner and any encumbrances (mortgages, caveats, or government acquisitions).
2. Confirm the survey plan is registered. Ask the surveyor's name and registration number, and confirm the plan is lodged with the state Surveyor-General's office.
3. Check for Governor's Consent where the land has changed hands. If the developer acquired the land from the original allottee, the transfer needs Governor's Consent to be valid. Ask for it and verify it at the registry.
4. Check the land is not under government acquisition or committed for another use. The registry search and state planning authority will reveal acquisition status, road setbacks, and zoning.
5. Verify the deed chain. Ask for the full chain of assignments from the original allottee to the developer. Gaps in the chain are a red flag.

How to verify planning and building approvals

• Take the approval reference number to the state planning authority (often the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development or its equivalent) and confirm the approval is genuine and still valid.
• Confirm the approved use matches what you are being sold (residential vs commercial, density, setbacks).
• Ask whether the approval covers the specific plot and phase you are buying, approvals are often granted per phase, not for the whole estate.

Payment safeguards: escrow and staged payments

Verifying documents protects your legal position. Structuring payment protects your money. Most stalled-project losses happen because buyers paid large sums upfront with no safeguards. Use these mechanisms:

• Staged payments tied to milestones. Pay in tranches tied to verifiable construction milestones (foundation, roofing, finishing, handover), not calendar dates alone. Get the milestone schedule written into the contract.
• Escrow or solicitor's client account. Insist that deposits are held in escrow with a bank or in a lawyer's client account and released only on agreed milestones. Ask who controls the release and what evidence triggers it.
• Post-dated cheques or bank guarantees. Some developers accept post-dated instruments or bank guarantees for later tranches. Ask; it shifts risk away from you.

Have a lawyer review everything

A property lawyer should review the title chain, contract of sale, payment schedule, and completion and refund clauses. A lawyer confirms the developer has clear title and the legal right to sell, and flags clauses that shift risk unfairly onto you.

REDAN code of conduct and membership standards is a useful reference for what legitimate developers should have in place, but it does not replace the registry search, the planning-authority check, and your lawyer's review.

Questions to Ask a Property Developer

Go beyond the sales pitch. Ask direct questions and listen to how they answer.

About Their Business:

• How long have you been developing properties?
• How many projects have you completed?
• Can you provide references from past buyers?

About the Project:

• What is the total project cost and timeline?
• How many units have you sold so far?
• What happens if the project is delayed?

About Payment and Protection:

• What is the payment schedule?
• Do you use an escrow account for deposits?
• What happens to my money if the project fails?

About Completion:

• Who obtains the Certificate of Occupancy?
• When will I receive the C of O after completion?
• What warranties do you provide after handover?

A developer confident in their work answers these questions directly. Vague answers, deflections, or pressure to decide quickly are red flags.

Property Developer Reviews and Complaints

Check what other buyers say about the developer for real-world insight into how they operate.

Where to Look:

• Ask for references directly from the developer
• Search online for reviews and complaints
• Check social media for feedback from past buyers

Pay attention to patterns. One negative review might be unfair.

When you check property developer credibility in Nigeria, listen to what past buyers say. Their experience is your best predictor of what you'll experience.

Watch for these red flags in reviews:

• Consistent complaints about delays
• Buyers unable to reach the developer after payment
• Quality issues or incomplete finishing

Positive reviews matter too: praise for communication, on-time delivery, and responsiveness signals a professional operation.

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Checking property developer credibility takes time, but it's the most important investment decision you'll make. Our end-to-end solutions in procurement and provision of premium land and housing include transparent verification steps, legal support, and ongoing communication so you know exactly what's happening at every stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I check if a property developer is legitimate?

Start by verifying the developer's CAC registration through the Corporate Affairs Commission website, then confirm REDAN membership if they claim it. Request proof of completed projects with client references and on-ground evidence. Ask for land title documents, Certificate of Occupancy, Governor's Consent, and registered survey. A legitimate developer will provide all these without hesitation and welcome independent legal review of contracts.

What documents should I ask a property developer to provide?

Request CAC registration documents, proof of REDAN membership, land title and ownership verification, Certificate of Occupancy, Governor's Consent, registered survey plans, building permits, planning approvals, and client references from completed projects. For off-plan purchases, ask for architectural designs, project timeline with milestones, payment schedule, and insurance details. Have a property lawyer review all contracts before signing.

How do I verify a property developer's track record?

Visit completed projects in person or through trusted contacts to assess construction quality and community standards. Ask the developer for a list of past clients and contact them directly about their experience. Check for any disputes or complaints through REDAN, state land registries, or local consumer bodies. Review project delivery timelines to see if the developer consistently meets deadlines.

What should I inspect before paying for an off-plan property?

Before making any deposit, verify the land title and ownership at the state land registry. Inspect the site location and surrounding area. Review the architectural plans and project specifications carefully. Confirm the developer's financial stability and insurance coverage. Use staged payments tied to construction milestones rather than a lump sum. Ensure your contract includes clear terms for delays, quality standards, and your right to inspect during construction.