Real estate lawyers are essential to every real estate transaction. They give legal advice to investors and homeowners and prevent them from making demands or decisions that can potentially lead to a legal dispute.

More importantly, a real estate lawyer protects the interests of home buyers and sellers in a real estate contract. Looking to buy or sell a house just to live in or for investment? These are the tips you should follow before hiring a real estate attorney.

1. A lawyer with years of experience in real estate legal matters

Choose a lawyer who’s been representing clients in buying and selling homes as well as handling legal disputes for real estate for a long time. Sure, you can work with a rookie lawyer but they may not be the best professional to represent you and your case. Your safest bet of settling future negotiation issues and disputes effectively is with a veteran.

2. A lawyer who’s an expert on local real estate law and the area

Each state, city, or municipality has its own set of real estate laws. It’s important that you choose a real estate lawyer who’s been practicing their profession in that area for years. It’s also crucial that your lawyer knows the area well and the people in it.

3. A lawyer who’s dealt with the same situation as yours for years

For example, if you’re a real estate investor whose investment strategy is house-flipping, you should choose a lawyer who’s worked successfully with a lot of house-flippers in the past. This increases the chances of your transactions finishing quickly and smoothly because the lawyer already knows the legal processes like the back of their hands.

4. A lawyer with a good standing

It’s no good if your lawyer is experienced in local real estate law but has an expired license. And it’s worse if that lawyer also has trouble with the authorities and the people around. Choose a lawyer that is well-known and loved by the community.

Do not hesitate to ask your lawyer for their qualifications, certifications, and references from their past clients. A lawyer who hesitates to show any of these is someone you think twice of before hiring.

5. A lawyer whose sole focus is real estate law

When choosing a real estate lawyer, make sure that the lawyer handles real estate cases alone. Don’t choose a real estate lawyer who also handles criminal justice cases, corporate cases, and others. This will only affect the quality of service they’ll provide for you which would be highly detrimental to your investment experience.

6. A lawyer who provides an honest breakdown of fees

A lawyer should know their fee and memorize other processes you need to pay for precisely. You don’t want to work with a real estate lawyer who’ll surprise you with bills. Make sure that during your consultation, the lawyer can show you the breakdown of their fees and document processing payments with clarity and honesty.

7. A lawyer who’s a great communicator and comfortable to work with

Avoid lawyers who are rude and impatient. One sign of this is them rushing the initial appointment. Your lawyer should represent the best of your interest and not make decisions on their own.

Arguments may be unavoidable but your lawyer should be able to explain their point as well as complicated legal terms politely and in a comprehensible manner. Lastly, your lawyer should be able to respond to your calls, messages, or emails in a timely manner when you contact them for the first time. This shows what you should expect as a client.

Before you start any real estate transaction, you must pick competent members of the team you’re going to work with. That includes screening a good real estate lawyer. The earlier you start, the better. Because you have a lot of time to pick the best representative for you.

Hey there! My name is Flavia Berys, owner of this blog, and a seasoned real estate attorney and investor in San Diego, California. To know more about what I do as a real estate lawyer, listen to the podcast where I was recently featured on by clicking the image below.