Real estate is usually the largest transaction people make, and problems — undisclosed defects, title clouds, easements, contract breaches, HOA disputes, construction defects — are expensive. Some states require a lawyer at closing; everywhere, a real estate lawyer reviews contracts before you sign, resolves title and survey issues and litigates when a deal or a neighbor goes wrong.
What a real estate lawyer does
- Reviews and negotiates purchase contracts, leases and seller disclosures
- Clears title defects, liens and boundary or easement disputes
- Handles closings, deeds, owner-financing and 1031 exchanges
- Litigates non-disclosure, construction-defect, partition and HOA cases
When you need a real estate lawyer
- You discovered a serious defect the seller did not disclose
- A title search turned up a lien, heir or boundary problem
- You are buying commercial property or signing a long-term lease
- A neighbor, HOA or contractor dispute is heading to court
Questions to ask before you hire a real estate lawyer
- Do you charge a flat fee for contract review or closings?
- Have you handled disputes with this HOA or builder before?
- What are my options if the seller lied on the disclosure?
- Can this be resolved by a quiet-title action or do we need to litigate?
Find a real estate lawyer near you
Choose your state to see listed firms and the official bar directory for verifying any lawyer’s license.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming