From the negotiation of the contract of sale through due diligence, title clearance, and closing — Madison Law Firm PLLC represents buyers, sellers, investors, developers, and lenders in every type of New York real estate transaction.
Flat-fee pricing for standard residential transactions. Direct attorney access throughout. No handoffs to paralegals.
New York's real property system operates under one of the most intricate legal frameworks in the United States. Unlike most states, New York treats the drafting of contracts, deeds, mortgages, and proprietary leases as the practice of law — only a licensed attorney may prepare these instruments, and both buyers and sellers customarily retain separate counsel throughout every transaction.
The New York Real Property Law (RPL), the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL), and the Real Property Transfer Tax Law form the statutory backbone of residential and commercial transactions. Overlay the particular rules governing co-operative corporations, condominium offering plans, 421-a and 485-x tax abatements, air rights transfers, Regulation D private placements, and CEMA transactions, and the complexity becomes evident immediately.
The practical stakes are equally high. A Manhattan co-op purchase requires attorney review of three to five years of board meeting minutes, financial statements, proprietary leases, and house rules — before a contract is even signed. A commercial acquisition requires due diligence across title, zoning, environmental, rent rolls, existing leases, and financing simultaneously. Errors at any stage are expensive, often irreversible, and nearly always avoidable with proper counsel.
"The right legal counsel does not simply execute a transaction — it anticipates what the other side has not yet thought of."
From first-time homebuyers to institutional developers, from single-family closings to complex syndication offerings — our real estate practice handles the full spectrum.
We represent buyers and sellers in every residential transaction across New York City and the metropolitan area. Flat-fee pricing for standard closings. Senior attorney attention on every file.
Commercial real estate deals require legal counsel with deep transactional experience across multiple disciplines simultaneously — zoning, finance, tax, title, and leasing. We bring that expertise.
Development projects require simultaneous legal support across contracts, zoning, tax, and entity formation. We represent developers from site acquisition through certificate of occupancy.
Capital raisers and investment managers require sophisticated securities counsel alongside real estate expertise. We handle both — drafting compliant offering documents that reflect how sophisticated investors actually transact.
We represent institutional and private lenders across residential and commercial mortgage transactions, construction loans, refinancings, and enforcement proceedings.
We represent both landlords and tenants in commercial and residential leasing transactions, with particular depth in complex commercial leases and new development lease-ups across all asset classes.
New York's real estate market spans an extraordinary range of property types, each governed by its own legal framework. We handle all of them — with depth, not breadth.
The most legally distinct property type in New York. A co-op purchase involves acquiring shares in a corporation — not title to real property. The proprietary lease, house rules, board minutes, financial statements, and alteration agreements must all be reviewed. Board approval is required and can be rejected for any reason in most buildings.
Unlike co-ops, condominium units are real property — ownership is evidenced by a deed. No board approval is required for most sales, though right-of-first-refusal provisions may apply. New development condos require offering plan review. Assessed separately for real property taxes, condos involve lien searches and title insurance.
House purchases and sales in New York require contract drafting, title examination, survey review, and compliance with the Property Condition Disclosure Act (RPL § 462). Multi-family properties involve additional due diligence on existing tenancies, rent stabilization status, and Certificate of Occupancy compliance.
Commercial property transactions require simultaneous due diligence on title, zoning compliance, existing tenant leases, estoppel certificates, and financing. Office and retail acquisitions often involve assignment of leases as part of the transaction, requiring analysis of tenant creditworthiness and remaining term value.
Multifamily and mixed-use acquisitions in New York require deep knowledge of rent stabilization law, deregulation history, and compliance with NYC Administrative Code. Following the HSTPA of 2019, luxury deregulation has been substantially eliminated and IAI rent increases are capped — understanding the rent roll and regulatory history is critical to accurate valuation.
New York City's development market depends on air rights transfers, zoning lot mergers, and TDR transactions to maximize permissible floor area. These transactions are among the most technically complex in real estate law, requiring coordination between zoning attorneys, architects, title insurers, and tax counsel.
Every real estate transaction at Madison Law Firm follows the same process — thorough, proactive, and fully transparent at every stage.
We review the transaction, discuss your objectives, provide a fee quote, and identify any issues that need early attention — before any documents are signed.
We review, negotiate, and draft the contract of sale and all riders — protecting your deposit, contingencies, and remedies. For sellers, we draft the initial contract.
Title search, board minutes and financials (co-ops), offering plan (condos), survey, lien searches, zoning compliance, and all property-specific investigation.
Lender coordination, title insurance, closing cost calculations, RPTT filings, transfer tax compliance, and all pre-closing deliverables — managed proactively.
We attend and manage the closing, ensure all documents are properly executed, and handle post-closing recordation with the City Register or County Clerk.
Whether you are under contract, actively searching, or beginning the planning process for a development or syndication — we welcome the conversation. Initial consultations are complimentary. We provide a clear scope and fixed fee quote at the outset, so you know exactly what to expect.
Tell us about your transaction and we will respond within one business day.