Transcript
How to Hire A Real Estate Lawyer
Realestate purchase is one of the largest financial transactions a Canadian will ever make, and it pays to ensure it is done right and that your legal rights, responsibilities and protections are observed.
- COMPETENT: ENSURE YOUR LAWYER HAS EXPERTISE IN HANDLING RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
Ask and verify if the lawyer has expertise in handling residential real estate transactions and also how many years they have been practicing real estate law.
- PROFESSIONAL: ENSURE THAT YOUR LAWYER WILL REVIEW YOUR AGREEMENT BEFORE FINALIZING THE DEAL
Having a lawyer to review the paperwork ahead of time can make a huge difference in ensuring that you have someone to review your agreement that in some instances, like buying from a builder, could be as long as 30 to 50 pages in length. It will also be crucial to ensure that you have all the conditions included to protect your interests.
- TRANSPARENT: LAWYER SHOULD PROVIDE QUOTE FOR THE CLOSING
Your lawyer should provide you with a written quote for the legal fees for any real estate transactions including for all disbursements. Your lawyer should be able to include the registration charges, land transfer tax, estimate for the title insurance premium, courier charges, etc., on a purchase transaction and HST.”
- ACCESSIBLE: THE REAL ESTATE LAWYER AND THEIR STAFF SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
You will be dealing with time sensitive legal matters and it is important that your lawyer will be available to advice you directly. Verify if your lawyer will be personally available, as they are required by Law Society’s by-laws, to advice you on those matters and to explain legal documents that you will be signing.
- ACCREDITED: YOUR LAWYER IS REGISTERED AND ACCREDITED TO APPROPRIATE REGULATORY BODIES
Ensure that your lawyer is registered with the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC). Check to see if they are able to arrange title insurance for you, the purchaser, and the lenders that you will be working with and that he or she has not been blacklisted by any of the title insurance companies.
- CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: OPTIMIZED CUSTOMER SERVICE SHOULD BE AN INTEGRAL ELEMENT OF THE LAWYER’S PRACTICE
Ask the lawyer to explain the steps that you will have to go through from the point of contact and what they can do to make the process effective, easier, and pleasant. Ask if they will be accessible on email, mobile, and if they have any other tools like a web or mobile application to make the process easier so you can have the best customer experience possible.