We can help you to successfully buy or sell a home. We work closely with our affiliated real estate brokerage, WaLaw Realty. Accordingly, we can act as both your attorney and as your real estate agent.
As your attorney, we provide all legal and law-related services necessary to close the transaction while protecting your interests. A real estate agent is legally authorized to engage in the limited practice of law only (per the Washington Supreme Court case of Cultum v. Heritage House). On the other hand, there is no such limitation on us because we are licensed lawyers. Unlike a real estate agent, we are not limited to completing preprinted forms. Rather, we can draft a contract specifically tailored to your situation, no matter how complex. Unlike an agent, we have full legal authority to answer any question you may have about the terms of the contract or your legal rights and obligations. Quite simply, we think an attorney is better than an agent when buying or selling a home.
Indeed, many people believe you should hire a lawyer when buying or selling a home, even if you also have an agent. Many aspects of a “traditional” agent may be adverse to your intests, such as the method of compensation (a typical agent earns a commission only when the deal closes, thus giving the agent a personal incentive to close the deal regardless of the client’s interests or wishes). By hiring an attorney, you can better protect yourself from the possible resulting harm. You pay us directly so that we have no personal incentive whatsoever to close your transaction. We want whatever outcome you want, even if that means getting out of the contract.
We can assist you whether or not you are also using an agent. We help sellers where no agents are involved (For Sale by Owner or “FSBO”), and where the property has been listed on the Multiple Listing Service (which is the database maintained and used by agents to market properties). We help buyers regardless of how they found the property (FSBO or on the MLS). We help buyers and sellers negotiate and consumate complicated transactions other than a simple sale, such as a lease/option.
Please contact us to find out more.
