Real Estate Transactions — Property Counsel
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Failed Closings & Deposit Disputes Construction Liens Power of Sale & Mortgage Enforcement Boundary & Title Disputes Lease & Tenancy Disputes Tribunal Representation
Buying & Selling Assignments & Pre-Construction Refinancing & Private Mortgages Title Transfers Independent Legal Advice (ILA) Commercial Real Estate
RECO, TRREB & OREA Defence Brokerage Counsel & Compliance
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Real Estate Transactions
From offer to closing, and every step in between.
Property Counsel acts for buyers, sellers, owners, borrowers, investors, and businesses across Ontario on residential and commercial purchases and sales, assignments and pre-construction deals, refinancing and private mortgages, title transfers, independent legal advice, and commercial leasing — with a licensed lawyer on every file and transparent pricing on every quote.
Every Ontario property transaction needs a lawyer. The difference is in the review, the diligence, and the closing.
What we handle
Six areas of real estate transactions.
Each area below corresponds to a dedicated practice page with the specific steps, costs, statutes, and documentation involved. Start with the one that matches your transaction — or call us if you’re not sure which it is.
01 — Residential
Buying & Selling
Full closings for buyers and sellers — Agreement of Purchase and Sale review, title search, status certificate review for condos, lender coordination, statement of adjustments, land transfer tax, and registration on title via Teraview.
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02 — Pre-Construction
Assignments & Pre-Construction
Builder Agreement of Purchase and Sale review inside the 10-day cooling-off period, assignment agreement drafting, HST and interim occupancy guidance, and Tarion warranty coverage for new home and pre-construction condo purchasers.
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03 — Mortgages
Refinancing & Private Mortgages
Standard refinancing for institutional lenders, private and second-mortgage transactions, reverse mortgages, and mortgage discharges. Title search, mortgage registration, payout of the existing charge, and reporting on every file.
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04 — Title
Title Transfers
Adding or removing a spouse, transfers between family members, survivorship and transmission applications after a death, transfers into or out of corporations and trusts, and Land Transfer Tax Act exemption analysis on every file.
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05 — ILA
Independent Legal Advice (ILA)
ILA for private and reverse mortgage borrowers, guarantors and co-signers, spouses being added or removed from title, parties to co-ownership and cohabitation agreements, and personal guarantees secured by real property. Available by video.
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06 — Commercial
Commercial Real Estate
Commercial purchases and sales, due diligence and environmental review, HST and bare trust structures, commercial lease drafting and negotiation for landlords and tenants, and offers to lease — for office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use properties.
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When to call us
If any of these sound familiar, call today.
Real estate transactions are governed by firm closing dates, statutory cooling-off periods, and lender deadlines. The earlier a lawyer is on the file, the more room there is to actually protect your position — rather than just process documents at the end.
You’ve signed an Agreement of Purchase and Sale and a closing date is set.
Resale, condo, pre-construction, or assignment — once the deal is firm, the closing clock starts. Title searches, lender instructions, and adjustments all need to be lined up well before the closing date.
A builder or pre-construction agreement just landed in your inbox.
New condo agreements carry a 10-day rescission window under the Condominium Act. After day 10, the terms are firm — which is exactly why review needs to happen during those first ten days, not after.
Your mortgage is renewing or you’re refinancing — bank or private.
Whether the lender is a chartered bank or a private mortgage investor, a title search and registration on title are required. Private mortgages add Independent Legal Advice and a much closer review of the terms before signing.
Title needs to change hands — by family, by estate, or by structure.
Adding or removing a spouse, transferring to a child, applying for survivorship after a death, or moving property into a corporation. Each path has its own documentation, tax treatment, and consent requirements under the Family Law Act and Land Transfer Tax Act.
Our approach
Closings without the surprises.
Every Ontario real estate transaction has to clear the same legal mechanics — title, taxes, lender instructions, registration. The variation is in the diligence done before closing and the clarity of communication while it happens.
01 — Diligence First
Title and terms before closing.
Title searches, status certificates, builder agreements, and lender instructions all get reviewed before the closing date — not on it. Issues found early are issues you can negotiate around. Issues found at the registration step are issues that move the closing.
02 — Transparent Pricing
A quote before a retainer.
You receive a written quote covering legal fees, disbursements, title insurance, and land transfer tax before signing a retainer. No mid-file surprises, no separate invoices for routine work — the number on the quote is the number on the trust statement.
03 — Direct Access
A licensed lawyer on every file.
No handoffs to clerks once the file is opened. The lawyer who reviews your agreement is the lawyer who answers your email, reads the status certificate, talks to your mortgage broker, and signs the registration.
The Property Counsel Standard
“A real estate closing should be the least eventful part of the transaction. Everything we do before closing is in service of that.”
Real estate only
We don’t do wills, family, or corporate work on the side. Residential and commercial real estate transactions are the entire practice.
Flat fees, written in advance
A clear quote covering legal fees, disbursements, and taxes — issued before you sign a retainer and held to at closing.
Province-wide, remote-first
We close transactions across Ontario from a paperless practice — virtual signing, electronic ID verification, and Teraview registration.
Ready to start a transaction?
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Disclaimer: The content on this page is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this page does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For advice specific to your situation, contact Property Counsel or your own legal counsel. Property Counsel makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the information provided. Content reflects the law as of its publication date and may not reflect subsequent legal developments.