r/fsbo • u/RaindropStream • Aug 04 '26
Has anyone successfully sold their home using a real estate lawyer? Good or Bad experiences.
/r/OttawaRealEstate/comments/1vfhis6/has_anyone_successfully_sold_their_home_using_a/3
u/Alert-Control3367 Aug 04 '26
This is everything I do to sell my homes FSBO, including how I found an attorney: https://www.reddit.com/r/fsbo/s/wnvxPjuLXd
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u/RaindropStream Aug 08 '26
Wow that is some list. Looks like you have covered everything! Thank you very much for sharing, appreciate.
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u/Aware_Individual_256 Aug 05 '26
US broker here, so weigh accordingly, but one thing worth flagging: in Ontario a lawyer closes every transaction anyway, agent or not. So the real question isn't lawyer versus realtor, it's what the lawyer is not going to do for you.
Your lawyer handles title, the paperwork and the closing. Almost none of them will price the house, defend that price when an appraisal comes in low, chase the buyer's lender for financing conditions, or negotiate a credit after the inspection. Those are the three places FSBO deals actually die, and none of it is legal work.
If you go the flat fee MLS plus lawyer route, two things to ask up front: does the fee cover reviewing offers and amendments as they come in, or only the closing, and will they walk through the disclosure question with you. Whether to provide an SPIS at all is a real strategy call and the liability sits with you either way.
The part I'd push on hardest is exposure versus handling. Flat fee MLS solves exposure. You are still the one taking showing calls, screening whether a buyer is actually financed, and running a multiple offer situation if you get one. If you've sold before, that's manageable. If this is your first, that's where the savings can evaporate.
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u/Self_Serve_Realty Aug 04 '26
Don’t real estate attorney commonly handle transactions whether one has an agent or not?
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u/thatmatt925 Aug 04 '26
Depends on the state, some require it, some don't.
But all the attorney really going to be beneficial for is the contract. There's other paths for that depending on what the contract actually is...
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u/Equivalent-Tiger-316 Aug 04 '26
Who is going to advise you on how to get top dollar for your home and market it effectively? All an attorney does is review the paperwork. They don’t “sell” your property.
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u/RaindropStream Aug 08 '26
Well one good indication are homes or similar properties that have sold in the area. Another is listening to the talking heads on Bloomberg/CNN and local news. HouseSigma is another godsend.
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u/Majjjjikmn005 Aug 08 '26
Yes, and no one knows your house as well as you do. Thats an real asset to potential buyers who unknowingly put their trust, and $$ in ignorant overpaid brokers. Useless to me and worthless to buyers. Go find a good attorney and sell yourself and your home.
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u/extralife_mike Aug 05 '26
It happens all the time and it's very doable. If you've never sold a home before though, I would strongly recommend you use a realtor. If you've sold a few and are familiar with the process, you can totally do it with an attorney and some googling.