Gender bias in the selection of estate surveyors and valuers in Lagos Property Market

Abstract

The Estate Surveyors and Valuers (ESV) as a real property service provider normally receive instruction/ brief from the clients mostly from property owners for assignments that span through their range of services. In the process, it has been observed that there is gender bias in clients’ selection of whom to give the assignments relating to their property assets. This study identified the proportion of male and female ESV/agents practicing in the study area, measured the selection criterion their clients were biased with, and determined the causes of bias in order to correct gender imbalances in real property market transactions The study methodology adopted survey design in which the target population was the property owners whose properties were being managed by the ESV/agents within Ikeja Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Lagos State, Nigeria. The Year 2014 edition of the Directory of members and registered firms of ESV was used to pick the 64 practicing firms within the LGAs. Two properties owners randomly sampled from each of these ESV firms’ management files. Closeended questionnaire was employed to collect relevant data from the 128 property owners. Data collected were analyzed using weighted mean scores and discriminant function analysis to resolve the study objectives. The findings showed there was higher proportion of male ESV than female, in both staff strength and clients choice. There were bias orchestrated by personal relationship, knowledge and experience. Bias was found to be a function of environmental and natural human tendencies and notion of lack of competence of female than male ESV. The study recommended that female ESV should brace up to compete by exhibiting high level of managerial qualities as good/first impression sustained delivery and performance/success.

Keywords: Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Gender Bias, Lagos, Property Market