Do I need a real estate attorney in Charlotte, NC?
For quite a while now, buying real estate can be one of the safer investments you can make if you get the timing and location right. While profit margins and risk factors fluctuate, “if you do everything right” they say, you will come up on top.
Sounds simple, but “doing everything right” involves a lot more than just deciding what property, house, or building to buy and when to sell. Regulations and responsibilities make navigating this terrain exhausting, and having professional guidance will make it worthwhile in the long run by helping you avoid expensive mistakes. Real estate lawyers are experts at preparing and reviewing contracts to ensure a smooth and fair transaction.
Why invest in real estate in Charlotte, North Carolina?
While Charlotte is a major city, its flourishing residential and commercial real estate market has not yet reached its peak. The thriving economy of one of the top 3 largest banking centers in the country continues to attract young professionals and families alike. When it comes to the housing landscape, the Queen City offers options ranging from the beloved traditional Southern charm to contemporary architectural innovation.
Does NC require an attorney for real estate closing?
Yes, a licensed real estate closing attorney is required in the state of North Carolina. An attorney must oversee and prepare documents for a residential closing.
For your own sake, we have ranked the best real estate attorneys in Charlotte, NC. Regardless of whether you are buying, selling, or taking out a mortgage, we got you covered.
1. Harry Marsh Law
Founded in 2005 by Harry Marsh, a former District Attorney in Ohio who also spent some time in corporate law. Harry Marsh Law has since built a reputation for his reliability and professionalism. Mr. Marsh handles every case himself. You don’t have to worry, you won’t be passed on to an assistant or a less experienced attorney. Harry also helps people with the following issues:
Cancel previous mortgages
Prepare preliminary financing documentation
Review land surveys and titles
Resolve problems with liens or deeds
You can find them in any of their three offices (Charlotte, Matthews, and Huntersville) on weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM. You can also reach them by dialing (704) 743-6387 or by sending an email to [email protected]. Since the initial consultation is free, there’s no reason not to contact them when selling or buying a property. They insist on transparency, which is one of the reasons this real estate law firm made our list. Unlike some of the other firms, they also list their fees upfront.
While most of the online reviews of Harry Marsh Law state that they are efficient, we did notice some red flags. We learned on Avvo that a state licensing authority disciplined him for professional misconduct. Other negative reviews complained about the unresponsiveness of the firm in certain instances. Even if true, these reviews are by no means in the majority, so we’ll leave you to interpret them.
Pros:
Free Consultation
Personalized attention
Informative website with transparent pricing and document downloads
Experienced in other, complementary practice areas
Fast results
Cons:
Disciplined by a licensing authority for professional misconduct
Some clients were less than happy with the service
2. Berger & Kindberg Law
Hal Berger and J. Eric Kindberg joined forces in 2002 to create Berger & Kindberg Law. Since then they’ve been serving the residents of Charlotte with premium legal services.
They help their clients with commercial or residential real estate transactions. However, they can also help you with:
Family law
Estate planning
Taxation law
Different kinds of litigation
If you are thinking about entrusting them with your case, their Charlotte office is open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
If you don’t want to make the trip, you can fill out the contact form on their website, or you can call them at (704) 900-3816.
As is often the case, you can’t tell that much about a law firm before hearing from some of their clients. The sentiment towards Berger & Kindberg Law seems to be overwhelmingly positive. We mostly found satisfied clients on Google, Yelp, and Avvo.
Pros:
Decades of experience
Satisfied clients
Cover various practice areas
Cons:
Pricing is not available before the consultation
Not enough online presence to verify their credibility
3. EBCM, P.A.
Erwin, Bishop, Capitano & Moss P.A. or, for short, EBCM, P.A. is a joint effort by a group of experienced lawyers. They worked in a variety of different practice areas and are now combining their knowledge to help the residents of Charlotte with their real estate issues.
They devote a significant part of their firm to real estate law, but they can also help you:
Mediate in landlord/tenant disputes
File claims for property damage
Help you deal with mortgage fraud
Handle buyer or seller lawsuits
Represent developers during land acquisition
Interested? You can dial (704) 716-1200 for a free introductory consultation. This should help you determine how you want to proceed. Their site has a contact form if phone calls are not your thing. You can also troll down to their Charlotte office anytime between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM on weekdays.
Their website doesn’t offer any information on pricing, but online reviews suggest that their fees are reasonable. The reviewers are also praising their professionalism.
Pros:
A large team with decades of experience
Recognized as reliable by their peers and clients alike
Reasonable prices, according to client testimonials
Impeccable track record
Cons:
Scant online presence
Their site could be more informative
4. Bell, Davis & Pitt
Established in 1980 by Frank M. Bell, Jr., William K. Davis, and Walter W. Pitt. The firm currently employs 35 attorneys found in Charlotte and Winston-Salem offices. Bell, Davis & Pitt law firm made it to the list because of its fantastic real estate law track record. They also operate in other practice areas, like:
Divorce and family law
Corporate and tax law
Intellectual property law
Employment law
If you are looking to buy or sell a property, contact them for a competent real estate lawyer based in Charlotte. You can visit their office anytime between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM on weekdays. You can also use the contact form on their site linked above. or call (704) 227-0400 to reach their Charlotte office.
While there were few reviews online for a firm that has existed for so long, all that we managed to find were very positive. Online reviews are a way to verify a firm’s reliability, but because of their longevity and success rate, you can trust them.
Pros:
A long and rich tradition
A large team of experts at your disposal
Several industry awards
Warm and friendly approach
Cons:
Difficult to find information on them aside from their website
No pricing information available
5. Bray & Long PLLC
Established in 2003 by William P. Bray and Jeffrey A. Long, Bray & Long PLLC has grown into a boutique law practice. They are a small but select team of experienced real estate attorneys. While their size restricts the workload they can take on, it ensures a personalized approach. The reason we are mentioning them is their reported excellence in:
Preparing title abstracts
Reviewing purchase agreements and taking the necessary steps
Preparing the required documents, including deeds and authorization letters
Holding the funds in escrow when needed
Calculating the property taxes
If you need real estate-related services, their Charlotte office is open on weekdays from 9 AM to 5:30 PM. Or, you can either click the link above, email them at [email protected], or call them at (704) 523-7777. Their services are also available to residents of South Carolina.
Bear in mind that your initial consultation won’t form the attorney-client relationship. Meaning you should be mindful of what you decide to share. With an almost perfect 4.8 stars on Google reviews, Bray & Long PLLC seems to have earned their client’s trust. Review after review describes them as warm, helpful, and reliable. Their site describes their pricing as “competitive”, but clients seem to be getting the value for their money.
Pros:
Highly experienced and capable team
They’ve been around for a while
Almost unanimously praised by their former clients
Warm and approachable
Cons:
No pricing info on the site
Smaller team, which shouldn’t worry you if you are only dealing with a residential real estate issue, as opposed to commercial
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you are buying a new house, or if you are renovating and selling properties regularly. When the stakes are this high, you want to make sure everything goes well. A real estate agent might be able to help you up to a point, but your best bet is to get adequate representation.
Finding a real estate attorney that you can completely rely on can be tricky, which is why we made this list. We hope that our modest contribution to your research of a good real estate lawyer in Charlotte, NC makes your life easier.
Table of Contents
Add a header to begin generating the table of contents
Please keep in mind that we sometimes receive commissions when you make purchases after clicking our links. However, we make an effort to keep things fair and for this to not influence our reviews.