By Adé Yẹmí
Abuja residents are facing a growing crisis that threatens the very foundation of affordable housing in the city: the unchecked dominance of housing agents.
Originally intended to connect tenants with property owners, these intermediaries have increasingly morphed into profiteers, creating a suffocating stranglehold on the housing market and making it progressively harder for ordinary citizens to access decent homes.
Today, Abuja’s real estate market has spiraled into an unsustainable mess, driven largely by the excessive involvement of agents. Rather than bridge the gap between landlords and tenants, many agents now inflate rental prices, complicate transactions, and impose arbitrary fees, all aimed at maximizing their own profit.
It has become commonplace for prospective tenants to encounter multiple agents for a single property, each demanding their cut without providing real value.
One of the most glaring issues is the unpredictability of housing costs. While agents claim to represent landlords, evidence shows they often drive up rents to secure higher commissions.
This practice has pushed formerly affordable areas beyond the reach of average residents, with rents rising by as much as 20 to 30 percent annually without any meaningful improvements in housing quality or amenities.
Beyond the financial burden, the absence of regulation has opened the door to exploitation. Agents routinely demand large upfront payments for substandard or even non-existent properties, leaving many residents in legal limbo.
Those who challenge these exploitative practices often face threats or are simply told to “take it or leave it” in a market where housing demand far outpaces supply.
Compounding the problem is the lack of accountability. Without a central regulatory authority to oversee their operations, agents are free to manipulate the market with little fear of consequences.
Their unchecked influence has created a toxic environment that prioritizes personal gain over fairness, transparency, and the well-being of Abuja residents.
What Abuja needs is not a temporary fix but a systemic overhaul.
The government must urgently regulate the housing agent industry to restore sanity to the market. Setting standardized service charges, enforcing transparent dealings, and controlling arbitrary price inflation are critical first steps.
A centralized database where tenants can verify agents and properties would also help curb fraud and exploitation.
Moreover, landlords should be encouraged to deal directly with tenants, reducing dependence on agents who have hijacked the process.
Technology can play a key role here, offering digital platforms that connect landlords and tenants transparently and affordably.
Abuja is a city of opportunity and immense potential. Yet, the growing dominance of housing agents threatens to suffocate that promise, forcing many to flee the city in search of affordable living.
If left unchecked, this crisis will erode the very fabric that makes Abuja a vibrant place to live, work, and dream.
This fight is about more than affordability; it is about fairness, transparency, and building a sustainable future for the people of Abuja. The time to act is now.