Real estate law
Real estate, from contract review to keys in hand.
We close residential and commercial transactions for buyers, sellers, lenders, and borrowers across Metro Vancouver. Flat-fee pricing on most files.
Real estate law
We close residential and commercial transactions for buyers, sellers, lenders, and borrowers across Metro Vancouver. Flat-fee pricing on most files.
What we cover
Most clients come to us for one of the items below. Many come back for the next one a few years later.
For buyers
Contract review, title work, and the closing meeting that makes your purchase real. Includes pre-sale assignments and new construction.
For sellers
Conveyancing for sellers — discharge, closing, and the funds in your account. We also act for sellers without a realtor.
For owners
The new lender, the old lender, and the title work in between. Including private mortgage refinances when the bank says no.
For owners
Adding or removing a spouse, family transfers, and transfers into or out of a holding corporation.
Borrowers & lenders
Borrower-side and lender-side. Multi-lender transactions and Independent Legal Advice where required.
Different rules
Reserve land, FNLMA lands, and treaty lands have their own legal frameworks. Quoted on the file, with timelines that account for band and registry processes.
Read this first
Both can close a real estate deal. The difference shows up the moment something goes wrong on title or in the contract.
New tool
Estimate the 5% federal GST on a BC new-build purchase, the FTHB rebate (up to $50,000), and the standard New Housing Rebate. Updated for the March 2025 first-time buyer rebate.
The price up front
Most home purchases and refinances under $2 million run on a flat fee. Above that, or for First Nations Lands, we quote on the file.
Government fees, title insurance, and other third-party charges (typically $750 – $1,000) are billed at cost and are not hidden in our fee.
How a typical purchase runs
In most files, the contract is already subject-free, the deposit has been paid, and the mortgage is approved by the time the file reaches us. We confirm the retainer, take initial instructions from you, and open the file. (If you come to us before subjects are removed and want a contract review, we do that as a separate step at intake.)
We collect the contract of purchase and sale, any addenda, and the deposit confirmation from your realtor and the cooperating brokerage. Strata documents, disclosure statements, and any insurance binders the lender requires come in at this stage too.
We pull the current title from the Land Title Office and order tax certificates, strata Form B and Form F where applicable, and any other registry documents the file needs. If anything turns up — a pending charge, an incorrect legal description, a strata restriction — we deal with it before closing.
Your lender (if any) sends instructions a few days out. We prepare the statement of adjustments — purchase price, deposit, property tax and strata fee adjustments, our fee, government charges, third-party costs — and send it for your review.
You come in (or sign electronically where the file allows) one to three days before closing. We sign the land title documents, mortgage documents, statutory declarations, and the trust conditions for releasing funds.
We receive your funds and any mortgage advance, register the transfer and new mortgage at the Land Title Office, send the purchase price to the seller's lawyer, and confirm registration. Your realtor releases the keys on possession day, usually the next business day.
Frequently asked
You need either a lawyer or a notary public. Both are authorised to close a real estate transaction in British Columbia. The difference is what each can do when something on the file goes sideways: a lawyer can advise on contract terms, dispute issues with the other side, and represent you in court if needed; a notary in BC is limited to non-contested conveyancing.
For purchases and sales, we usually need at least 5 business days from the day the file lands with us. These aren't set in stone — the timeline shifts with the complexity of the file and the lender's requirements. If your timeline is shorter, please call us so we can evaluate the file on a case-by-case basis.
No. Acting for both sides of a real estate transaction is a conflict of interest under the Law Society of BC rules. We act for one party only. The exception is a transfer between parties who already share property (for example, adding a spouse to title), where joint representation is permitted.
Property Transfer Tax (PTT) is the BC tax payable when title to real property changes. We calculate it, claim any exemptions you qualify for, and remit it on your behalf at closing. There is no separate certificate — the tax is paid as part of the closing transaction. To estimate PTT on a specific purchase price, use our PTT calculator.
GST at 5% applies to new construction, presale condos, and substantially renovated homes — it does not apply to a typical resale of a previously occupied home. Two rebates can reduce the net GST: the standard GST New Housing Rebate (up to $6,300 for owner-occupied homes under $450,000), and the First-Time Home Buyer GST Rebate (up to $50,000 for FTHB-qualifying buyers under $1,000,000, available on contracts signed on or after March 20, 2025 through January 1, 2031). For a specific purchase price, use our GST calculator. For a full walk-through of the new FTHB rebate, see our explainer post.
On closing day we receive funds from your lender (if any) and your deposit, register the transfer of title and any new mortgages at the Land Title Office, send the purchase price to the seller's lawyer, and arrange for keys with your realtor. You usually get keys the day after closing, on the possession date set in your contract.
For homes or mortgages under $2,000,000, our flat fees are: $1,400 for a purchase without a mortgage, $1,600 for a purchase with a mortgage, $1,200 for a cash sale, $1,500 for a refinance with one payout, and $100 for each additional mortgage discharge. Above $2 million, on First Nations Lands, or on complex multi-title files, we quote on the matter. See our full fee schedule.
More on real estate
Closing costs
A line-by-line breakdown of every cost on a typical residential purchase.
PTT
How the brackets work, who qualifies for the exemptions, and the additional 20% on certain foreign purchases.
FAQs
Common questions on fees, timelines, closing day, and what to do when things go wrong.
Send it over with the closing date. We'll come back with a fixed quote and a clear next step.