Top-rated real estate lawyers

What does a real estate lawyer do?

A real estate lawyer handles the legal side of buying, selling, leasing and developing property, from contracts and title to closings and disputes.

• Residential and commercial closings
• Purchase and sale contracts
• Title problems and quiet title
• Leases and landlord-tenant disputes
• Foreclosure
• Zoning and development

When do you need a real estate lawyer?

Bring in a real estate lawyer before you sign a contract, when title is unclear, or as soon as a deal or lease turns into a dispute.

• You are buying or selling commercial property
• The title search found a lien or defect
• A tenant or landlord breached the lease
• You face foreclosure

Who are the best real estate lawyers in Florida?

The statewide ranking lists the top 25 of the 316 real estate lawyers LexRanked tracks in Florida, in order of their LexRank score. See the best real estate lawyers in Florida.

Where can I find a real estate lawyer in Florida?

Real estate rankings cover 18 Florida cities; Orlando has the most lawyers compared (33).

How much does a real estate lawyer cost in Florida?

Real estate lawyers often charge flat fees for closings and hourly rates for disputes. Ask for the fee in writing and what it covers before the deal starts. Under The Florida Bar's rules, a lawyer who has not represented you before must explain the basis or rate of the fee and costs, preferably in writing, and no fee may be clearly excessive.

Florida real estate rules to know

Florida taxes deeds at 70 cents per $100 and protects primary homes with a homestead exemption and an annual cap on assessment increases.

What does Board Certified in Real Estate Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. About 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

How to choose a real estate lawyer

Confirm the license in The Florida Bar's directory, then compare experience, certification and how often the lawyer handles cases like yours.

1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory: the license must show as eligible to practice, and public discipline is listed there.
2. Check for Board Certified in Real Estate Law, which requires peer review and an exam.
3. Ask for the fee agreement in writing before work starts.
4. Ask: Will you review the contract before I sign?
5. Ask: What does your closing fee include?
6. Ask: How do you handle title problems?

How LexRanked ranks real estate lawyers

By the LexRank score: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location, using only facts with a cited source. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Data checked November 2026 against each lawyer's Florida Bar profile. Payment never changes a position. See how we rank.

Guides

Read these before you hire a real estate lawyer:

• Florida condo and HOA disputes: your rights as an owner
• Hurricane insurance claims in Florida: deadlines and disputes

Sources

• Florida Statutes, section 201.02
• Florida Constitution, Article VII
• Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Rule 4-1.5 (fees and costs for legal services)
• The Florida Bar: Find a Lawyer directory