Realtor and Propertypro: 2 real estate portals for buyers and investors in the US and Nigeria

Real estate is becoming an attractive area for small and big investors. As the reurbanisation programmes spur massive acquisition and construction of residential estates and corporate buildings in cities such as Lagos and Port Harcourt, making the best of available options will require convenient search and mapping.

In Nigeria, propertypro.ng is one of several real estate portal for searching for viable property in choice location across major cities.The portal features several agents and media that provide solutions within the growing industry.

Hence, for anyone letting, renting, or selling landed property, Propertypro’s rich audience is an advantage. This year, the agent hosted an industry summit, AFRECA; the calibre of agents, government functionaries, and experts in attendance is a testimony of the position of the firm.

More, for those looking forward to buying homes in the United States, realtor.com/mobile makes the choice simpler. On mobile or PC, you can browse hundreds of thousands of rental apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and houses using realtor’s fantastic search filters. The portal also send notifications to users about price reductions, new openings and driving directions.

These are useful resources for anyone who likes to own or invest in real estate in Nigeria and the United States.

For the newcomers, here are two advantages of investing in real estate, according to Brandon Turner of wealth magazine, Forbes:

Cash Flow. This is the extra income you’ll get to keep each month (or year) that you own the property. Cash flow can be deceptive because it fluctuates when certain repairs are higher or lower in different months, so it’s important to factor in non-monthly costs like vacancy (the amount of time the property sits vacant), repairs, capital expenditures (expensive projects that need to be replaced on a home every so often, like appliances, roofs, windows, plumbing, etc.), along with the regular expenses (utilities, management, etc.).

Appreciation. When the value of a property increases, we call this “appreciation.” While appreciation is not always guaranteed (just ask people who bought in 2006 and sold in 2010!), over time, historically, real estate has always increased in America, averaging 3% per year over the past century. Another type of appreciation that can come into play is known as “forced appreciation,” the concept of increasing the value by physically improving the property.

Other advantages include loan paydown and tax benefits. Good luck.