{"id":5080,"date":"2018-08-09T13:01:26","date_gmt":"2018-08-09T20:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=5080"},"modified":"2026-03-26T08:51:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T15:51:09","slug":"real-estate-attorney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/real-estate-attorney\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Need a Real Estate Attorney to Sell Your Home?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019re selling your home, not going to court. What\u2019s all this buzz about hiring a real estate attorney on top of your amazing agent, who seems to have it all figured out? Sounds like an expensive cut to your bottom line!<\/p>\n

The reality is having an attorney in your corner, especially at closing, protects you from documentation issues, titling errors and costly lawsuits<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most states don\u2019t require that sellers obtain legal representation\u2014but even so, in certain cases, it would be reckless not<\/i> to lawyer up.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re on the fence about getting a real estate attorney, take the advice of top real estate agents and attorneys in the business who together know how to tie up a deal\u2019s every loose end. From there, you can make a sound judgment call based on your situation.<\/p>\n

What Does a Real Estate Attorney Do?<\/h2>\n

Real estate attorneys go over the mounds of daunting paperwork involved in your home sale with a fine-tooth comb to catch mistakes and protect your interests every step of the way.<\/p>\n

In the early stages of your sale, you can ask them to look over the listing agreement with your real estate agent<\/a> to make sure that the terms are in your favor. Real estate attorneys are also equipped to review offers as they come in and identify red flags or tax benefits and considerations.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re past the offer phase, real estate attorneys draft contracts; review title, mortgage and transfer documents; write the deed; and check the final breakdown of settlement funds at closing.<\/p>\n

On top of that, if an unexpected complication were to throw a wrench into the transaction\u2014like a lien or judgment on the title, or question about a disclosure\u2014your real estate attorney will represent you and handle it so that the deal can move forward.<\/p>\n

But wait, won\u2019t my awesome real estate agent help<\/i> me with that?<\/i><\/p>\n

Yes, a top real estate agent will guide you through the transaction, but they don\u2019t have the specially trained eye of an attorney.<\/p>\n

Real estate transactions typically involve standard forms that your agent will be intimately familiar with, so you can count on them to lead negotiations and communicate with buyers on your behalf competently. A real estate attorney adds an extra level of scrutiny to make sure the deal closes without a hitch, and that no legal issues come to light after the fact.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s basically like hiring a bodyguard for your assets,\u201d says Brett Wasserman, an associate attorney at the legal offices of Marc Bronstein<\/a> in Southern California.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go in there, we represent you, we make sure you’re not taken advantage of in any way, and we make sure that you’re happy at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does Your State Require a Real Estate Attorney?<\/h2>\n

Some states require real estate attorneys to be involved in the real estate transaction from preparing documentation to being present during closing to everything in between.<\/p>\n

\"State<\/a><\/p>\n

Check out the map to see if you may be required to hire an attorney when you sell your home (an attorney is required in the orange states, and not required in the blue). The laws change year by year, so double check your local regulations to be sure. Your real estate agent will also be able to tell you if you need to hire legal representation for your home sale in addition to their own services.<\/p>\n

A Tale of Two States: Real Estate Attorneys in Massachusetts vs. Maryland<\/h3>\n

Take Massachusetts and Maryland as examples of two states with drastically different rules about real estate attorneys.<\/p>\n

Massachusetts requires that buyers use a bank attorney at closing instead of a title company.<\/p>\n

Because of this, 99.99% of sellers also hire a real estate attorney to balance the scales. \u201cThe bank attorney is going to make changes to the contract to benefit the buyer,\u201d says Nancy Rogers<\/a>, the #4 real estate agent for homes sold in Lowell, Massachusetts. \u201cI’m not a lawyer, so I always recommend a lawyer to look at it to make sure [the seller] is OK with those changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Maryland, on the other hand, buyers and sellers aren\u2019t required to hire an attorney. Eric Pakulla<\/a>, the #3 seller\u2019s agent in Columbia, Maryland, rarely sees sellers hire an attorney.<\/p>\n

“I’ve been doing this 22 years,\u201d said Pakulla. \u201cWe’re selling hundreds of homes per year and people do not use real estate attorneys at all.”<\/p>\n

Should you ever hire a real estate attorney in a state where it\u2019s optional?<\/p>\n

Many sellers and buyers do\u2014simply because they prefer to have that representation for peace of mind in the event of complications. It\u2019s never a bad<\/i> idea to hire an attorney, especially if you\u2019re anticipating negotiation deadlocks or the need to parse tricky paperwork.<\/p>\n

These Situations Call For an Attorney (Even When It\u2019s Not Required)<\/h2>\n

Some real estate transactions are more complex than others. The following special circumstances could trigger an outpouring of issues that put your home sale at risk. In these 5 cases, the professional expertise of a real estate attorney is paramount to keeping the deal on track.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re selling your home, you might need a real estate attorney. Take the advice of top real estate agents and attorneys in the business. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":5088,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[322,341],"tags":[536],"class_list":["post-5080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-logistics","category-closing","tag-real-estate-attorney"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDo You Need a Real Estate Attorney to Sell Your Home?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you're selling your home, you might need a real estate attorney. 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