When buying or selling a home in the Chicago area, it is very common for a realtor to recommend a real estate attorney.
That recommendation may be helpful. Many realtors work with experienced attorneys and know who can keep a transaction organized. A referral can save time, reduce confusion, and give a buyer or seller a place to start.
But it should not be an automatic decision.
Your real estate attorney should be chosen because they are the right fit for you, not simply because their name was handed to you during the transaction.
A Realtor Recommendation Can Be Helpful
There is nothing wrong with asking your realtor for an attorney recommendation. Realtors are involved in real estate transactions every day, and many have worked with attorneys who are responsive, practical, and familiar with local closing practices.
That can be valuable.
The problem is not the recommendation itself. The problem is blindly accepting the recommendation without asking whether that attorney is the right person to represent your interests.
A real estate transaction is too important for that kind of autopilot decision-making. But naturally, people will research a coffee maker for six hours and then spend about nine seconds choosing a lawyer for a home sale. Perfectly normal human behavior.
Your Realtor and Your Attorney Have Different Jobs
Your realtor and your attorney are both important, but they do not serve the same function.
Your realtor helps market the property, negotiate the business terms, coordinate showings, communicate with the other side, and keep the deal moving toward closing.
Your attorney reviews the contract, handles attorney review, negotiates inspection issues, reviews title and survey matters, explains closing figures, addresses legal risks, and helps protect you from problems before they become expensive.
Those roles often work well together.
But they are not identical.
A realtor is generally focused on getting the transaction closed. A lawyer should be focused on protecting the client’s legal and financial interests, even when that makes the transaction less convenient.
Most of the Time, Everyone Wants the Same Thing
In many real estate deals, the realtor, attorney, lender, title company, buyer, and seller all want the same result: a smooth closing.
When the transaction is clean, that alignment works well.
But real estate deals are not always clean.
Inspection issues come up. Buyers ask for credits. Sellers resist repairs. Closing dates get moved. Possession terms become risky. Tax prorations are misunderstood. Title issues appear late. Survey matters create confusion. Contract deadlines start to matter.
In those moments, your attorney may need to slow things down or push back.
That is not being difficult. That is the job.
Independence Matters
An independent attorney should be willing to tell you what you need to hear, not just what keeps the deal moving.
Sometimes that means saying:
- Do not agree to that inspection credit yet.
- That repair request goes beyond the contract.
- This closing date extension creates risk.
- The tax proration needs to be reviewed.
- You should not give possession on those terms.
- This title issue needs to be resolved before closing.
- You can agree to this, but understand what you are giving up.
That kind of advice is not always convenient. But it can be extremely important.
The question is not whether the attorney knows your realtor. The question is whether the attorney is focused on protecting you.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Realtor-Recommended Attorney
Before hiring the attorney your realtor recommends, ask a few basic questions:
1. What portion of their practice is residential real estate?
A divorce lawyer shouldn’t dabble in real estate. You don’t want a dabbler.
You want someone familiar with the kind of transaction you are actually doing.
2. Will you communicate directly with the attorney?
Some offices are attorney-led. Others are mostly staff-driven. Support staff can be very helpful, but you should understand who will actually review your contract, negotiate attorney review issues, and answer legal questions.
3. What is included in the fee?
Ask whether the fee includes attorney review, inspection negotiations, title review, closing document review, and attendance or availability at closing.
A low fee is not always a bargain if the service is limited.
4. How responsive are they during attorney review?
In Illinois residential transactions, attorney review deadlines can move quickly. Responsiveness matters.
A lawyer who does not respond during the most important part of the contract review process is not exactly inspiring confidence. Stunning revelation, I know.
5. Are they willing to push back when necessary?
This is the big one.
Your lawyer should be practical and deal-oriented, but not passive. If a contract term, inspection demand, title issue, closing statement, or possession arrangement creates risk, your attorney should be willing to address it.
The Referral Is Not the Problem
To be clear, using a realtor-recommended attorney is not automatically a mistake.
Many realtor recommendations are solid. In some cases, the recommended attorney may be a very good choice.
But you should still make an independent decision.
Do not hire a closing attorney only because the name was convenient. Hire the attorney because you are comfortable with their experience, communication style, judgment, and ability to protect your interests.
Final Thought
Your realtor’s attorney recommendation may be convenient.
But convenience should not be the deciding factor.
In a real estate transaction, your attorney should be independent, responsive, experienced, and willing to protect your interests, even when that means slowing down or pushing back.
A smooth closing is important.
But a smooth closing that leaves you exposed to avoidable risk is not much of a win.
Choose the lawyer who protects you, not just the one who keeps the deal moving.
