Best Lawyers in South Carolina, United States for Real Estate Law
Practice Area Overview
Buying, selling, or managing real estate in South Carolina isn’t just a financial transaction—it’s a legal process. And unlike in many other states, South Carolina law requires a licensed attorney to oversee real estate closings. That means legal support isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Whether you're navigating a residential purchase, handling a commercial lease, or facing a property dispute, having the right legal guidance protects your investment and your peace of mind. Many clients search online using terms such as realtor attorneys near me or realty attorney near me to find trusted local legal experts.
This page is your starting point for finding a South Carolina real estate attorney who’s been vetted and recognized by their peers. Explore legal services, understand when to hire an attorney and connect with trusted professionals who know South Carolina law—and how to make it work for you.
When to Hire a Real Estate Attorney in South Carolina
Real estate law can be complex, especially when your property—and your money—are on the line. Whether you're buying your first home or managing a commercial portfolio, knowing when to call in a lawyer can save you time, stress and costly mistakes.
A real estate lawyer in South Carolina can help with:
- Drafting or reviewing residential or commercial purchase agreements
- Clearing title defects or handling quiet title actions
- Negotiating commercial or multi-unit leases
- Addressing zoning, permitting, or land use conflicts
- Settling disputes with buyers, sellers, developers, or HOAs
- Representing you in litigation, foreclosure, or bankruptcy involving real property
If you’re unsure whether your situation calls for legal support, it probably does. Use this directory to find a real estate lawyer in South Carolina who can guide you through your next step with confidence.
Residential vs. Commercial Real Estate: What’s the Difference?
Not all real estate deals are created equal. Residential and commercial transactions involve different levels of complexity, risk and regulation. The right legal support depends on the type of property and what’s at stake.
A residential deal usually involves fewer parties, simpler financing and standard contracts. But even these transactions can unravel without proper legal review. A South Carolina real estate attorney can help spot red flags before you sign, especially when you're dealing with title issues, property disclosures, or HOA rules.
Commercial real estate? often comes with higher stakes and more moving parts. From multi-unit developments to retail leases, commercial transactions often require in-depth negotiation, zoning compliance and careful structuring.
Many real estate lawyers in South Carolina focus on one or the other. Whether you’re buying a home in Charleston or leasing office space in Greenville, the right attorney will understand the local market and your legal risks.
What South Carolina Real Estate Attorneys Can Help You With
The best real estate lawyers in South Carolina don’t just show up at closing—they help protect your investment at every stage. Here’s what that can look like.
Sales and Acquisitions
Every deal starts with a contract, but not every contract protects your interests. A real estate attorney can help with deal structuring, due diligence, negotiations and compliance with South Carolina’s closing laws. Whether you’re buying a home, selling land, or managing a property transfer, legal oversight is critical.
Title Matters
Title defects can delay or derail a transaction. Attorneys can identify and resolve title issues, clear liens and pursue quiet title actions when ownership is in dispute. In South Carolina, where attorney involvement in closings is required, title review is a key part of the process.
Land Use and Environmental
From zoning and permitting to environmental impact assessments, South Carolina property laws can be highly local and deeply technical. Attorneys help you navigate restrictions, secure necessary approvals and avoid costly regulatory violations—especially for coastal or rural properties.
Development
Real estate development comes with layers of complexity, from site selection to municipal approval. Legal support helps you move forward with confidence, ensuring your plans comply with local ordinances, community covenants and environmental rules. Development projects in fast-growing areas like Charleston or Greenville often require deep local knowledge.
Leasing
Commercial leases can be long, detailed and one-sided if you’re not careful. Whether you’re a landlord or a tenant, an attorney can review terms, negotiate favorable clauses and resolve disputes. Leasing for multi-unit or mixed-use properties also requires careful attention to South Carolina-specific rules.
Finance
Financing arrangements are the engine of many deals—but poorly drafted loan documents can leave you exposed. Real estate attorneys assist with mortgage documentation, construction loans, refinancing and lender negotiations to ensure financing aligns with your goals.
Joint Ventures
When two or more parties invest in property together, clear agreements are essential. Attorneys can draft joint venture documents, manage risk allocation and build in exit strategies to prevent future conflict. Many real estate lawyers in South Carolina assist with partnership and LLC formation for real estate deals.
Restructuring and Workouts
Markets shift and not every investment goes as planned. When you're facing foreclosure, bankruptcy, or the need to restructure debt, attorneys can help renegotiate terms, protect your assets and guide you through court processes when necessary.
Litigation
Disputes happen—even with the best contracts. Real estate attorneys represent clients in breach of contract cases, boundary line disputes, title claims and landlord-tenant litigation. When property issues land in court, you need someone who knows both the law and the local legal landscape.
What Makes South Carolina Real Estate Law Unique
Every state handles real estate differently—and South Carolina stands out in a few important ways. Most notably, South Carolina law requires a licensed attorney to conduct residential and commercial real estate closings. That means legal support is mandatory.
Local legal issues can vary widely depending on where you’re buying or developing. In coastal regions like Charleston or Hilton Head, floodplain regulations, beachfront zoning and hurricane-related insurance requirements are common hurdles. Upstate, developers often deal with land-use conflicts or county-level permitting challenges in fast-growing areas like Greenville and Spartanburg.
Many properties are also governed by homeowners’ associations (HOAs) and disputes over covenants, dues and architectural guidelines are more common than you’d think. A South Carolina real estate attorney understands how to handle these regional nuances—before they turn into legal problems. Whether you're dealing with residential or commercial property, local knowledge isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
Find a Trusted Real Estate Attorney in South Carolina
No matter where you are in the real estate process, having the right legal support can make all the difference. South Carolina’s real estate laws are unique—and so are the attorneys who practice here. If you’ve been searching for 'realtor attorneys near me' to help with a residential or commercial transaction in South Carolina, this directory offers a trusted place to begin.
At Best Lawyers, we make it easy to connect with peer-reviewed real estate attorneys who are recognized for their integrity, skill and experience. Whether you're closing on a home, launching a development, or resolving a dispute, you can search by location, practice focus, or attorney name to find the right fit.
Select a city from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Cities
Chris Colwell concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial real estate transactions, representing owners, sellers, and developers in a variety of transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, routine and complex leasing matters, financings and development of commercial real estate properties throughout South Carolina and the United States. Chris has significant third-party legal opinion experience for real estate lending in the State of South Carolina. Chris also...
Carter Deupree focuses on real estate and business transactions in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Charleston office. Carter represents individuals, businesses and institutions on real estate matters, corporate transactions, governance issues and financing. He handles both routine and complex business and financial transactions.
Kevin’s practice areas include commercial and residential real estate transactions, real estate development and community association law, foreclosure, workouts, corporate law, banking law and commercial law. He regularly advises clients on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including but not limited to contractual and development issues, form of ownership, financing, leasing, title, and zoning. He is an approved attorney for Chicago Title Insurance Company, Fidelity Na...
A co-founder of the firm, John Gettys’ wide-ranging practice focuses on real estate, probate administration, probate litigation and personal injury. He is a preferred closing attorney for some the area’s best-known developers and builders, handling all types of residential real estate closings from purchases to re-finances and home equity lines of credit. John is an experienced probate litigator. He regularly assists clients with pursuing guardianships and conservatorships for chi...
David Humphreys co-leads Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's real estate team, focusing on commercial real estate transactions and commercial real estate finance. David works in the firm's Charleston office and helps developers and lenders balance major business opportunities against the risks involved and represents clients in land transactions and zoning and land-use issues. He also advises clients on forming corporations, limited liability companies' partnerships and joint ventures.
Bud McDonald has practiced real estate law in the Greenville area for nearly 40 years. He has handled numerous transactions involving the purchase, sale, financing and leasing of real property. Mr. McDonald is also a member of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. He regularly serves as lenders’ counsel in mortgage-related transactions for leading regional and national financial institutions. He also acts as South Carolina counsel in multistate loan transactions involving industri...
Jack McDonald PARTNER Jack McDonald ‘s practice is primarily focused on real estate transactions. He represents buyers, sellers and lenders in residential and commercial transactions. He also represents creditors in foreclosures and collection actions and handles probate and estate matters. Jack graduated from Clemson University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. In 2000, he received his Law Degree from The University of South Carolina and was admitted to the practice of law in...
Gary Morris is a shareholder and economic development attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Columbia office. Gary is also involved in all aspects of real estate transactions, including acquisition, land use and financing. Gary advises on every aspect of corporate expansion and has represented clients in various LLC, partnership and corporate disputes, financial and banking litigation, defense of legal malpractice cases, environmental litigation, eminent domain battles, prosecution of insuranc...
Megan represents clients in complex real estate transactions, focusing her practice on the acquisition, development, leasing, disposition and private equity and/or commercial financing of all types of commercial properties, including horizontal and vertical mixed-use projects, retail and office parks, apartment complexes, residential subdivisions and other planned communities.
Meg Scoopmire is the co-leader of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Real Estate Team and works in the firm's Greenville office. Meg assists clients in negotiating purchase and sale agreements, coordinating and reviewing due diligence materials and closing transactions. Meg also advises clients on title matters, permitting and entitlement, financing, leasing, acquisition, and disposition.
Kerk practices in the areas of residential and commercial real estate litigation and loan workouts. He has handled numerous commercial foreclosure cases including golf courses, stockyards, theaters, commercial office buildings, development tracts and hotels. He has successfully tried cases in the South Carolina Supreme Court on behalf of lenders and recently litigated the enforceability of arbitration agreements regarding consumer claims against the lender. His construction work has involved ...
Jeddie Suddeth is a shareholder, management committee member, and real estate attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Charleston office. Jeddie helps developer clients with residential, commercial and mixed-use projects, including entity formation, site acquisition, entitlements, financing, sales and leasing. He also assists lender clients with commercial real estate transactions and landlord and tenant clients with leasing needs.
Seth Swan is a real estate, finance and business lawyer in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Greenville office where he focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate and financing transactions. His clients include developers, investors, buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, lenders and borrowers. He also advises clients on general corporate matters, including choice of entity, corporate structure and governance documents.
David Swanson handles large and small commercial and residential property matters at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, representing owners, developers and financial institutions as well as many sellers and buyers of plantation properties in coastal South Carolina. David represents financial institutions and other lenders in all aspects of commercial loan transactions, including the drafting of loan documents and due diligence review of all information relevant to the borrower and guarantors.
Manning Unger, co-managing member of the firm’s Charleston office, practices in the areas of business, mergers and acquisitions, securities, financial services, economic incentives, and commercial real estate law. Equipped with an MBA and a law degree, Manning has a passion for helping his clients with business deals and diving into the details to better advise them. His work consists of providing advice structuring, negotiating, documenting, and closing deals, as well as acting as a co...
Josh’s practice concentrates on commercial real estate and development and real estate finance. A veteran attorney, he has the experience to shepherd projects from conception to completion, including land acquisition, financing (representing lenders and borrowers), commercial leasing and regulatory and administrative approvals. His practice also includes corporate formation and transactional law. He has advised businesses in creating holding companies, and he has represented firms on bo...
Benton Williamson is a shareholder and real estate attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Columbia office where he focuses his practice on structuring complex legal deals efficiently and effectively to meet his clients' goals. He also advises multinational companies and investors on environmental, leasing and acquisition issues in numerous states and foreign countries.
Guy Dabbs is a real estate attorney with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Charleston office, where he represents clients in a variety of transactional matters. Guy focuses a significant portion of his practice on commercial real estate, including acquisition and development, title review, leasing and lender financing. He also advises on corporate matters, including entity formation, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance, and he serves as outside general counsel for a number of clients.
Bryan Kitz is a commercial real estate attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Charleston office where he counsels clients on a broad range of transactional matters. He represents developers and other businesses in the acquisition, disposition and financing of commercial real estate, including multi-family, office, industrial and hospitality properties. Bryan assists banks and other financial institutions in construction and permanent financing transactions and negotiates and drafts complex loa...
Heath Myers’ practice at Morton & Gettys includes estate planning, residential real estate, and probate law. He is licensed in North Carolina as well as South Carolina. He is a native of Rock Hill who returned home after practicting in North Augusta, and a graduate of the University of South Carolina.
Jane Stoney, a shareholder and real estate attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Charleston office, focuses her practice on all aspects of commercial and institutional real estate, including sales, acquisitions, financing, leasing and zoning and land use regulation. Additionally, she advises clients with respect to entity formation, the formation of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, trademark and business start-up matters and business litigation disputes.
William R. Stroud provides clients dirt-to-divestiture representation in commercial real estate, covering acquisition, financing, development, construction, land use and zoning, commercial leasing, and operational matters. William also advises clients in various business matters, including entity formation, corporate governance, and related commercial contracts. William represents a wide range of clients, focusing on their real estate and related business needs, including acquisitions, dispos...
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