Llevra

Buying off-plan in Lagos from abroad

Last updated 25 Oct 2026

Buying off-plan means paying for a home before it is built. From abroad, you usually cannot visit the site, meet the developer or see documents in person. These are the checks you can make from where you are, and where to make them.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Use a Lagos property lawyer for the title and contract checks.

Check an agent, a developer or a certificate reference now on llevra.com/verify.

1. Check the agent

  • Ask the agent for their Llevra certificate reference (it looks like LV-2026-0001). Type llevra.com/verify into your browser yourself and enter it, rather than opening a link sent in a message.
  • The certificate shows which developer authorised the agent, for which project and from what date. If the authorisation has ended, it says so.
  • Lagos State requires estate agents to be registered with LASRERA, the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Its website has a Search for Agents page.
  • An agent who is not on Llevra may still be genuine. Ask the developer directly, using contact details from the developer's own website, not details the agent gives you.

2. Check the developer company

  • Search the company on the Corporate Affairs Commission public search. It shows the registered name, RC number, status and registration date.
  • Check that the registered name matches the name on the contract and the name on the bank account you are asked to pay.
  • On Llevra, a developer marked Verified has had its registered name, CAC number and company documents checked by Llevra, and the page shows the date. A REDAN number on a developer's profile is entered by the developer and labelled Self-declared.

3. Check the land title

  • Ask for copies of the title documents. These are usually a Certificate of Occupancy, which is a 99-year lease from the state, or a Deed of Assignment with the Governor's Consent, and a registered survey plan.
  • Ask a Lagos lawyer to search the title at the Lands Bureau and the survey plan at the Office of the Surveyor-General. The survey search can show whether the land is under government acquisition.

4. Check the building approval

  • Building in Lagos needs a planning permit from LASPPPA, the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority. A provisional permit can be granted while the title is being registered, and the final permit after.
  • Ask for a copy of the permit and check that it is for the same land and the same building you are being sold. LASBCA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, supervises the building work after approval.

5. Pay safely

  • Pay only into a bank account in the developer's registered company name, never into an agent's personal account.
  • Before each payment, confirm the account details by phone with the developer, using a number from the developer's own website or Llevra profile. Do this again if you are told the details have changed.
  • Before paying, read the contract for the payment schedule, the handover date, what happens if handover is late and what is deducted if you ask for a refund.
  • Llevra never takes or holds payments. Do not pay anyone who says Llevra will hold your money.

6. Follow the build

  • On a project page on Llevra, the developer states a handover date and records build stages with photos. Each entry shows the date it was recorded and cannot be edited afterwards. If the stated date passes before handover is recorded, the page shows how many days have passed.
  • Tap Follow this project to get the developer's updates by email or WhatsApp. You can stop them at any time.

7. What Llevra confirms

  • Llevra confirms that a named developer authorised a named agent to sell a named project, on a stated date. Llevra does not confirm that the project will be built or delivered on time, and it does not check title or inspect sites.

Sources

Questions about this page? Email hello@llevra.com. Llevra is operated by Greengrids Integrated Digital.