Real estate law · Fees

Real estate, with the price up front.

The fees below cover the most common residential transactions in BC under $2 million. Above that — or for First Nations Lands, multi-title files, or commercial transactions — please contact us for a quote on the file.

Our fees

Standard residential transactions

First Nations Lands & properties over $2M

Real estate on First Nations Lands has its own pricing and process. Properties or mortgages of $2,000,000 and above are quoted on the file. In both cases, please contact us for a precise quote.

What's not in our fee

Third-party charges

A number of charges are paid to third parties on your behalf and are not part of our legal fee. We collect these from you and pay them out at closing — they are not hidden fees.

  • · Government registration fees at the Land Title Office
  • · Title insurance premium (lender-required, sometimes owner-required)
  • · Property tax certificates from the municipality
  • · Strata documents (Form B, Form F, bylaws, depreciation report)
  • · Insurance binder confirmation

For budgeting, plan on roughly $750 – $1,000 for these third-party charges on a typical home purchase.

A separate line item

Property Transfer Tax (PTT)

PTT is the BC tax payable on most title transfers. It is calculated on the fair market value of the property and is paid by the buyer at closing. There may also be GST on certain purchases (most often new construction). Both are separate from our legal fee. We calculate and apply any exemptions you qualify for.

The fees above assume a typical scope and reasonable advance notice (see our timing FAQ on the Real Estate page). Files closed on short notice or with unforeseen complications — title issues, last-minute lender changes, additional registrations — may carry additional charges. We will always confirm anything beyond the published fee with you in writing before adding it.

Want a precise quote on your file?

Send us the contract — or just the address and closing date — and we'll come back with a fixed number.