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Top-Ranked Real Estate Lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.29 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked real estate lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida are William Paul Sklar (LexRank 88.00), Garvin Brooks Bowden (84.00) and John T LaJoie “JOHN T LAJOIE” (84.00).

This ranking lists 9 real estate lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 9 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Real Estate Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 22 to 46 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
9
Fully verified
9 of 9

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    William Paul Sklar

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 46 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
  2. No change

    Garvin Brooks Bowden

    Gardner Bist King & Wood, LLP · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20). 4.00 points behind #1, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.2)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    4.00 points behind #1 (William Paul Sklar): Reputation −4.

  3. No change

    John T LaJoie “JOHN T LAJOIE”

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 43 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.2)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
  4. No change

    Melissa VanSickle

    Kutak Rock · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 82.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.20 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    1.20 points behind #3 (John T LaJoie “JOHN T LAJOIE”): Experience −1.2.

  5. No change

    Alphonse Antonio Cheneler “Al”

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 40 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20). 0.20 points behind #4, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.2)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    0.20 points behind #4 (Melissa VanSickle): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  6. No change

    Gerald Cooper Thomas

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 26 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.2)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  7. No change

    Bruce Wiener

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 33 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.2)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  8. No change

    James McClung DuRant Jr.

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 81.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.00 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    1.00 points behind #7 (Bruce Wiener): Experience −2.4.

  9. No change

    Benjamin Barkley Bush

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 22 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 80.40: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.20 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    1.20 points behind #8 (James McClung DuRant Jr.): Experience −1.2.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 3 profile pages30 facts for 3 lawyers

Real Estate market in Tallahassee

LexRanked tracks 9 lawyers and 2 law firms in real estate law in Tallahassee, Florida. 9 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 9, 2026.

Lawyers
9
Law firms
2
Verified professional data
9 of 9
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
28 years9 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Tallahassee

What sets these Tallahassee lawyers apart

All 9 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Real Estate Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. 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. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 9 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Real Estate Law 9 of 9
Years in practice 22 to 46 (median 28)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Florida State University College of Law (5 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Tallahassee office address and real estate as a practice area on record. It compares 9 real estate lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida 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.

Rule What it means
Documentary stamp tax on deeds 70 cents per $100 of the price (Fla. Stat. § 201.02)
Homestead exemption Up to $50,000 off the assessed value of a primary residence (Fla. Const. art. VII, § 6)
Save Our Homes cap Assessed value of a homestead rises by no more than 3% a year or inflation, whichever is lower (art. VII, § 4)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Leon County is in Florida's Second Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

What is the documentary stamp tax on a Florida home sale?

70 cents for every $100 of the price on the deed, under section 201.02 of the Florida Statutes.

How much does the Florida homestead exemption save?

It removes up to $50,000 from the assessed value of a primary residence, and the Save Our Homes cap limits yearly increases to 3% or inflation.

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. 9 of the 9 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Tallahassee?

State court cases in Leon County are heard in Florida's Second Judicial Circuit.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

9 of the 9 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: William Paul Sklar, Garvin Brooks Bowden, John T LaJoie “JOHN T LAJOIE”, Melissa VanSickle and Alphonse Antonio Cheneler “Al” and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

William Paul Sklar scores 88.00 and Garvin Brooks Bowden 84.00, a gap of 4.00 points, mostly in reputation. Compare them side by side

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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