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Top-Ranked Real Estate Lawyers in West Palm Beach, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.218 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked real estate lawyers in West Palm Beach, Florida are Michael J Gelfand (LexRank 88.00), Larry Benton Alexander (84.00) and Mark Herges Dahlmeier (84.00).

This ranking lists 18 real estate lawyers in West Palm Beach, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 18 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 11 to 54 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
18
Fully verified
18 of 18

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Michael J Gelfand

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #1 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.2)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.1)
  2. No change

    Larry Benton Alexander

    Jones Foster · West Palm Beach, FL

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

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

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)

    4.00 points behind #1 (Michael J Gelfand): Reputation −4.

  3. No change

    Mark Herges Dahlmeier

    Jones Foster · West Palm Beach, FL

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

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

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)
  4. No change

    Kenneth Wayne Dodge

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

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

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)
  5. No change

    Robert Manuel Graham

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #5 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)
  6. No change

    Michael J Posner

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #6 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)
  7. No change

    Reginald Giles Stambaugh

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #7 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)
  8. No change

    Charles Steven Bolz

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #8 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.40 points behind #7, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)

    1.40 points behind #7 (Reginald Giles Stambaugh): Data quality −1.4.

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

  9. No change

    Lee B Gordon

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #9 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 27.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)

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

  10. No change

    Francis Xavier Jude Lynch

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 42 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 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 27.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)

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

  11. No change

    Arthur James Menor

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 45 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #11?

    Ranks #11 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 27.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)

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

  12. No change

    John Tucker Metzger

    McDonald Hopkins LLC · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 40 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #12?

    Ranks #12 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 27.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)

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

  13. No change

    Tyrone T. Bongard

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #13?

    Ranks #13 with 81.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (27.6/30); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.00 points behind #12, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 27.1)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)

    1.00 points behind #12 (John Tucker Metzger): Experience −2.4.

  14. No change

    Ryan Adrian Ramsaran

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 22 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #14?

    Ranks #14 with 79.00: strongest in Local relevance (5/5) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20). 2.60 points behind #13, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 20)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)

    2.60 points behind #13 (Tyrone T. Bongard): Data quality −1.4, Experience −1.2.

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

  15. No change

    Ryan Ruffner McCain

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #15?

    Ranks #15 with 78.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.00 points behind #14, 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 4.2)

    1.00 points behind #14 (Ryan Adrian Ramsaran): Experience −2.4.

  16. No change

    Sandra R B Wallace

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 16 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #16?

    Ranks #16 with 73.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (19.2/30). 4.80 points behind #15, 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 4.2)
    • Experience 19.2/30 (ranking avg 27.1)

    4.80 points behind #15 (Ryan Ruffner McCain): Experience −4.8.

  17. No change

    Olivia Diane Batcheler

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 14 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #17?

    Ranks #17 with 69.40: strongest in Local relevance (5/5) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (16.8/30). 3.80 points behind #16, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 20)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.2)
    • Experience 16.8/30 (ranking avg 27.1)

    3.80 points behind #16 (Sandra R B Wallace): Experience −2.4, Data quality −1.4.

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

  18. No change

    Stefan Sinn

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 11 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #18?

    Ranks #18 with 67.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (13.2/30). 2.20 points behind #17, 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 4.2)
    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 27.1)

    2.20 points behind #17 (Olivia Diane Batcheler): Experience −3.6.

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 · 7 profile pages70 facts for 7 lawyers

Real Estate market in West Palm Beach

LexRanked tracks 18 lawyers and 3 law firms in real estate law in West Palm Beach, Florida. 18 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
18
Law firms
3
Verified professional data
18 of 18
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
36.5 years18 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 West Palm Beach

What sets these West Palm Beach lawyers apart

All 18 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 18 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Real Estate Law 18 of 18
Years in practice 11 to 54 (median 36.5)
Languages besides English German (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (5 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a West Palm Beach office address and real estate as a practice area on record. It compares 18 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 Palm Beach County is in Florida's Fifteenth 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.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

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. 18 of the 18 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in West Palm Beach?

State court cases in Palm Beach County are heard in Florida's Fifteenth 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?

18 of the 18 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Michael J Gelfand, Larry Benton Alexander, Mark Herges Dahlmeier, Kenneth Wayne Dodge and Robert Manuel Graham and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Michael J Gelfand scores 88.00 and Larry Benton Alexander 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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