Every year, more than 450,000 Canadian homes are sold.
Are you in the process of buying or selling a home yourself? Are you dealing with another real estate issue?
Having a real estate attorney on your side can make things a lot easier and give you peace of mind. Of course, you also need to make sure you’re working with the right attorney.
If you don’t have an attorney on your team yet, keep reading. Listed below are some strategies that will help you find the best real estate attorney in Mississauga.
What Does a Real Estate Attorney Do?
A real estate attorney is a legal professional who specializes in property-related matters. This includes preparing and reviewing real estate documents like purchase agreements, transfer documents, and title documents.
Real estate attorneys also handle the closing process, as well as processes related to mortgage refinancing and insurance policies. They may handle real estate disputes, including contract disputes and lot line problems, as well.
Why Hire a Real Estate Attorney?
There are lots of benefits that come with hiring a real estate attorney, whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or dealing with any other real estate issue.
Some of the greatest benefits real estate attorneys bring to the table include the following:
- Professional contract review to ensure you understand everything you’re agreeing to when buying, selling, or refinancing a house
- Get help with complex contracts when you’re going through an atypical real estate situation
- Get help with title searches
- Address liens that might hold up the sales process
A real estate attorney will help to ensure that the closing process goes smoothly, too. A good attorney will make sure you understand everything and that nothing goes wrong.
How to Find the Best Real Estate Attorney
Clearly, it’s a good idea to have a real estate attorney on your side when you’re dealing with any kind of real estate issue. Of course, in order to reap the benefits that real estate attorneys have to offer, you need to make sure you’re hiring the right person for the job.
If you have no idea to begin when it comes to hiring a real estate attorney, these tips will help you make the best decision possible:
Find Out How Long They’ve Been Practicing
A good place to start when it comes to vetting real estate attorneys is to consider how long they’ve been practicing.
Ask them how much experience they have handling real estate cases. Be sure to ask, too, how much experience they have handling cases like yours.
Remember that experience is most important when you’re dealing with a particularly complex real estate case.
Experience is not the only thing that matters, of course, but it does help to have a seasoned veteran on your side when you have a difficult case on your hands.
Find Out if They’re in Good Standing
Once you have a few experienced attorneys in mind, do some research to find out if they’re in good standing with the Canadian Bar Association.
The CBA makes it easy for you to look up attorneys and find out whether their license is up to date and if any disciplinary actions have been taken against them.
You definitely shouldn’t skip this step. It’ll give you peace of mind knowing you’re working with a credible attorney who takes their legal responsibilities seriously.
Consider Their Fees
Before you choose a specific attorney, be sure to find out how they will bill you for their services. Do they charge a flat rate? Will they bill you hourly?
Find out what they charge and how they charge so you can make the proper financial arrangements and ensure their services fit into your budget.
Request a Case Overview
Most real estate attorneys will offer a free consultation to go over your case and learn the basics. During the consultation, the attorney should be able to give you a rough plan of action and tell you what to expect from the process.
If the attorney you’re considering offers this service, take them up on it.
This will give you an opportunity to learn a little more about the way they work and what it will be like communicating with them as you go through the process of buying or selling a home (or handling other real estate issues).
As a result, it’ll be easier for you to tell whether or not they’re a good fit for you.
Find Out Who Will Work on Your Case
It’s important to know who, specifically, will work on your case.
When you’re talking to potential real estate attorneys, ask them if they will handle your case themselves or if another member of their practice will be taking the lead.
If someone else is going to handle your case, request to talk to them, too, before you make your decision.
Ask for References
Don’t forget to ask for references, too.
A good real estate attorney will have no problem putting you in touch with past clients of theirs. When you have the contact information for these clients, reach out them and find out what their experience was like.
Did the attorney meet their legal requirements? Were they helpful and easy to contact? Would the client work with that attorney again in the future?
Consider the answers to all these questions before you make a final decision.
Read the Legal Agreement Carefully
Before you agree to work with a particular real estate attorney, be sure to read through the legal agreement carefully.
Make sure you understand exactly what you’re agreeing to before signing anything. This will help you ensure you get the help you need and increase the likelihood that your case will go smoothly.
Hire a Real Estate Attorney Today
The process of finding the best real estate attorney isn’t exactly an easy one.
If you keep these guidelines in mind, though, you’ll be able to choose the best attorney for the job sooner than you think.
If you’re looking for a real estate attorney in Mississauga who checks all the boxes listed above, we’re here to help at Home Canada Financial.
Contact us today to learn more about our legal services or to schedule a free consultation. Whether you’re buying, selling, or refinancing, we’ve got you covered.
