By Jonah Nwokpoku

Online real estate marketplace, Lamudi.com has launched a property hotline for the Nigerian community.

Known as ‘Dial4Home’, the hotline has been developed as an extension to Lamudi’s Internet platform to extend access of its large property database to the estimated 50 million feature phone users who do not have access to the internet.

Addressing journalists at the official launch in Lagos, the Managing Director of Lamudi.com, Mr. Obi Ejimofo noted that “many view Nigeria as a market with significant potential for Internet-based businesses, with over 60 percent of all Internet connections made from an estimated 12 million smartphone and tablet devices. However, there are more than four times as many mobile subscribers who do not have access to the Internet via their device.”

He stated that with the launch of Dial4Home, “Lamudi aims to enable property-seekers without an Internet connection to access the same kind of service that users enjoy at its website.”

According to him, “Technological innovation is not only about what you can achieve on the Internet. We need to ensure technology remains relevant, accessible and valuable to the broadest spectrum of users. We developed Dial4Home to assist those property-seekers with little or no access to the Internet. Through voice calls and SMS, they can now search a wide selection of properties, from affordable housing to luxury accommodation.”

He said: “Ever since our launch just over a year ago, we always had the intention to bring Dial4Home to the market. In 2014, we focused most of our efforts on building the broadest possible database of properties, real estate agents and property developers to ensure maximum customer choice. Now we are extending that choice to as many Nigerians as possible.”

By calling the Dial4Home number, (07000 526834) house-hunters can inquire about properties for sale or rent. Users will be able to get over-the-phone access to listings from over 7,000 property agents and developers who currently list their properties on the Lamudi Nigeria website