Nigeria’s real estate landscape is expanding rapidly, but so are the legal challenges that threaten to derail even the most promising developments. For companies that offer full-spectrum real estate services, i.e. — from land acquisition to building, sales, leasing, and facility management — these risks multiply across every stage of the value chain. Therefore, when legal cracks begin to show, it’s rarely in one area. It spreads — affecting your financing, client trust, your brand, and ultimately your bottom line.
Over the years, we’ve worked closely with developer clients to help them avoid needless losses and multi-million-naira lawsuits from off-plan buyers. We also structure bulletproof JV agreements that protect their interests, obtain genuine government documentation, and ensure their operations and governance are built on a legally sound foundation.
1. Land Acquisition: Legal Clarity or Expensive Trouble
Every successful project begins with land — and so do most real estate disputes. Issues such as defective titles, government acquisition, unregistered interests, or ongoing litigation can sink a deal long before ground is broken.
We conduct extensive due diligence and issue opinions including a risk snapshot. We verify title history, confirm land use classification, and investigate hidden encumbrances. Early last year, this process revealed that a coastal parcel earmarked for a luxury estate had already been committed under a government scheme. Our early intervention averted a multi-billion-naira setback — one the developer may never have recovered from, especially since the funds were to be borrowed at significant cost.
2. Joint Ventures with Landowners: Structure Determines Stability
JV agreements are common, but often poorly drafted or executed. Key issues we address include:
- Defining clear roles, contributions, and timelines
- Allocating units or proceeds in a way that is enforceable
- Preventing landowners from reselling or frustrating the process
- Creating legally sound dispute resolution mechanisms
Without careful legal structuring, what starts as collaboration can easily turn contentious, especially when projects span years and include multiple parties. The use of templates is often an issue in this area. Every JV is customized to suit the risks of that specific land and THE specific stakeholders involved.
3. Off-Plan Sales: Managing Risk, Cashflow, and Reputation
Off-plan models fuel many developments — but they also attract significant legal exposure. Disputes over project delays, unit allocation, and unclear refund policies are common.
We support developers in:
- Drafting and reviewing buyer contracts to ensure clarity and compliance
- Embedding protective clauses that mitigate financial risk
- Ensuring consumer protection regulations are followed to maintain trust and regulatory standing
Proper structure is crucial to ensure significant reduction in buyer defaults. Our outsourced off plan management package helps streamline operational processes and procedures, eliminating inefficiencies and allowing developers focus on project execution
4. Letting and Facility Management: Contracts That Hold Up
Managing completed developments brings its own risks — rent defaults, poor service delivery, and conflicts with tenants or vendors. Companies require drafting and review of their service-level agreements (SLAs), enforceable lease terms and tenant obligations and also internal compliance frameworks that reduce exposure
In one engagement, we revised a service contract that had previously allowed a facility manager to act far beyond their mandate and were able to trim down the excesses while ultimately preserving the client’s reputation and investment.
5. Integrated Legal Support: A Strategic Advantage for driving Compliance, Governance, and Growth
Real estate developers are not just project managers — they are businesses, often with ambitious growth goals, multiple stakeholders, and complex operational realities. That’s why legal support must go beyond land verification.
We offer integrated legal advisory that aligns with your broader business objectives. From land due diligence to corporate structuring, board advisory, statutory compliance, and governance frameworks, we ensure your business is not only protected but positioned for sustainable growth.
Strong corporate governance isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity for investor confidence, regulatory stability, and long-term resilience. We advise boards and executive teams on their legal duties, help formalize decision-making processes and ensure compliance with evolving regulatory demands.
Legal missteps — whether in board decisions, tax compliance, or stakeholder agreements — can derail even the most promising projects. We exist to ensure that doesn’t happen, and that our clients grow with clarity, credibility, and control.
Ready to build with clarity, scale with structure, and manage with confidence?
Don’t wait for lawsuits, angry buyers, or frozen approvals to remind you why legal guidance matters. Let’s talk about a monthly retainer that matches your structure and ambition. Send an email to lawyers@syntaxlaw.com.
Syntax Legal Practitioners 