How to Find the Right Real Estate Lawyer - Things to Look Out For!

Real estate attorneys play a crucial role in any real estate transaction. While your real estate agent will assist you to navigate through the aspects of selling or buying your home, a real estate attorney will take care of the necessary legal requirements. 

Hiring the right real estate attorney helps in relieving the stress of selling or buying property. The attorney will ensure that all the paperwork is correctly prepared and ready to sign. Having the right attorney will ensure that your buying or selling process goes smoothly.  With that said, what should you look for in a real estate lawyer? 

Below we list the tips to assist you in finding the right real estate attorney. These tips will ensure that you choose an attorney with the qualifications and experience that you need. 

Qualification

There are many different types of attorneys, such as business attorneys, family attorneys, divorce attorneys, personal injury attorneys, criminal defense attorneys, DUI attorneys, immigration attorneys, car accident attorneys, elderly law attorneys, bankruptcy attorneys and more. Every attorney has that prestigious degree hanging on their wall. However, this is just a confirmation that the attorney went to law school. You cannot learn anything about the attorney or their legal team from this. 

Therefore, make sure that you take your time to know your attorney before hiring them. Check to see for how long has the attorney been practicing real estate law? Has the attorney ever handled a situation or case like yours before? It’s important to put this into consideration, especially if you have a complicated case. 

All real estate cases are unique, and they depend on several factors. Some of these factors include the sellers, buyers, as well as the property in question. So, always choose a real estate attorney with the experience of handling real estate cases similar to yours. Moreover, this lawyer shouldn’t have a challenge in giving you the insights that you need to make your case or situation easier. 

Versatility

Should I find an attorney who only specializes in real estate? Well, this is a common question among people searching for real estate lawyers. However, it’s important to understand that your situation will determine the attorney that you choose. 

Lawyers who specialize in real estate have more experience when it comes to handling cases similar to yours. However, hiring an attorney who’s experienced in different areas has an added advantage. For instance, if you’re going through a divorce, and your property needs to be sold, hiring a real estate attorney who handles family law is the best option for this situation. 

Communication

How easier can you communicate with the lawyer or their legal team? Communication is an important factor to consider when looking for a lawyer. You shouldn’t have an issue when it comes to communicating with your attorney. 

Therefore, it’s important to ask yourself the following questions:

• How will my working relationship with the attorney or their legal team be?
• Will I feel comfortable consulting the attorney in case of an emergency?
• Will the attorney answer all my legal questions?
• Am I comfortable with the attorney’s style of communication?
• Does the lawyer possess the technical knowledge and insights needed to remain connected in this day and age?

These questions do matter! Expertise, patience, insight, as well as readiness to communicate ideas. These are essential things to look out for before hiring a real estate lawyer. 

References 

Is your prospective lawyer willing to provide a list of references? This is an essential question to ask yourself. Any professional attorney shouldn’t have a challenge in providing a list of references when requested to. Moreover, you need to understand that you can find information about your prospective attorney in various online platforms. 

However, you should be careful with the information that you find at different review and rating websites. Such information can be misleading, and it can lead to a wrong decision. But, the best place to look is at the lawyer’s website, social media profiles, or professional listing. Here, you need to check the accessibility of their social media presence. How informative is this information? This information will assist you to know whether or not you are hiring a professional and experienced real estate attorney. 

Lastly, personal references do play an important role when choosing a lawyer. Besides, it doesn’t do any harm to ask your friends, and family for references. Apart from this, service professionals, realtors, and other people in the real estate sector can assist you in determining the lawyer’s quality of service, degree of professionalism, and other essential factors. 

Familiarity with the local real estate laws

In most cases, the real estate sector is governed by local laws. For instance, professional and experienced lawyers understand better the laws governing the real estate sector in Orlando and the surrounding areas. Things like prices, zoning ordinances, and taxes, among others, do differ from one state to another. Therefore, you ensure that you choose a real estate attorney who has relevant knowledge about these laws. 

The real estate lawyer that you choose should have the knowledge needed to make sure that you get the most out of the deal. Hiring a real estate attorney who’s not familiar with the area where you want to buy or sell the property is less likely to know the due diligence required when selling or buying a property.

Do you have an already established relationship with the attorney?

If there’s a chance that you’ve worked with a real estate lawyer before, and you had a good experience with the attorney, consider hiring them again. Because you had a working relationship with the lawyer before, you must have a good idea of how they handle legal matters related to real estate. Moreover, you might realize that the attorney is willing to charge you a lower fee because of your previous relationship. 

However, if you’ve worked with an attorney who doesn’t handle real estate matters, ask them whether they practice real estate law. Some lawyers are very versatile, meaning they can handle different disciplines. However, if you realize that the attorney doesn’t handle real estate cases, consider asking them for a reference. Lawyers are very resourceful and have a wide network as well. Thus, asking an attorney for a reference can assist you to find a reputable real estate attorney. 

Cost

Not unless you’ve ever worked with the real estate attorney before, always make sure that you enquire about their cost. If possible, ask the attorney how much they will charge you for the entire case—this is important, especially when working on a tight budget. 

Also, you need to enquire whether there are any hidden costs. The last thing you want is to start paying money you didn’t expect to pay. Any professional real estate lawyer shouldn’t have a problem with advising you about their cost early in advance. Lastly, ask the attorney if they can give you a breakdown of the total cost—this will assist you to budget appropriately.