Top real estate professionals and policymakers convened on Friday for the fourth annual Veritasi Realtors’ Conference, where they explored innovation, investment, and the evolving real estate landscape.

The event featured a distinguished panel, including Dr. Jubril Salaudeen, a business strategist at Lagos Business School; Bola Raheem from the Ministry of Physical Planning & Urban Development; Gbenga Osowe, CEO of Buyletlive; and Tobi Yusuff, Partner at Veritasi Homes and Properties, addressing the theme “Navigating the Future of Real Estate: Innovation, Investment & Impact.”

When asked about the Lagos state government’s plans to integrate technology into real estate, Bola Raheem said that the government is advancing its efforts to digitise land administration and real estate processes to reduce bureaucratic delays and drive industry growth.

One of the key reforms, Raheem noted, is the Electronic Planning Permit (e-Permit) system, which will allow developers to apply for building approvals online, eliminating the need for physical visits to government offices. Beyond digitalisation, Raheem noted that Lagos State is reviewing its zoning regulations to reflect market realities, adding that some existing policies, such as height restrictions, limit developers’ ability to maximise their investments.

The state government is domesticating the national building code and also improving on it to capture all of these new innovations in terms of smart buildings and adoption of technology for people. So these are just many things to align and be ahead of all of these new innovations, he added.

Dr. Jubril Salaudeen speaking at the Veritasi Realtors Conference 2025

Speaking on the benefits of investing in real estate, Dr. Jubril Salaudeen stated that real estate remains one of the most reliable and profitable ways to build wealth and protect against inflation.

Dr. Salaudeen explained,

There is no time you will invest in real estate, and you have a fear of losing your income or your investments. The worst that will happen to you is a return of your investments, but the better thing that happens to you is that you have a good return on investment and you are able to stay above inflation, so real estate still protects itself, not only as a strong weapon in terms of investing and guaranteeing your future; it actually guarantees you into a journey through wealth creation, so people who want to build intergenerational wealth focus more on building their real estate portfolio.

Addressing how realtors can remain relevant in a rapidly changing market, Tobi Yusuff stated that today’s investors expect more than just property listings as they seek trusted advisors who can help them maximise their returns.

He then advised investors that in order to stay ahead of the competition, realtors should keep up with the economy and adjust their views on investor priorities, adding that with more information readily available to investors, realtors must be prepared to offer valuable insights that go beyond the basics of property listings.

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He stated,

You have to be in the know of what exactly is status quo right now. What is the economy saying right now? When you understand that, you also would understand: What’s the mindset of the prospective buyer, the prospective investor? What is their mindset? It’s when you understand that you’re able to proceed, you’re able to suggest, and you’re able to come up with something that would define what it is they are looking for. So in the case, in the example I just gave, the investor is looking for how to maximise profit with his investment. So you’re thinking that perhaps you shouldn’t be buying a full-blown house at this point. Maybe you should be buying apartments and leasing them out, and then you get a rental income. Maybe we should be looking at the location where these properties are located; maybe we shouldn’t be going far down and be looking to invest in hubs where there’s a lot of commercial activity going on, you know so that you can maximise the return on investment for these properties. All of these things come from a place of understanding.

Gbenga Osowe talked about how technology has changed the real estate industry, saying it has given buyers and sellers unprecedented access to information, a wider market reach, and tools for making better decisions.

He said that this change has empowered buyers by providing them with information about market trends, pricing patterns, and property comparisons before they even contact a real estate agent.

You would be surprised how many buyers research and compare dozens of properties before reaching out. By the time they contact a realtor, they already have a clear idea of what they want, Osowe explained.

Realtors present for the executive training at Lagos Business School

The Veritasi Realtors’ Conference, an initiative of Veritasi Homes PLC launched in 2022, is an annual event dedicated to enhancing the professional development of realtors in Nigeria. The conference provides industry insights, hands-on training, and networking opportunities, bringing together top facilitators, including experts from Lagos Business School, Africa’s premier business institution.

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