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Real Estate Law / Private Sales

Private Sale Real Estate Lawyer
in Alberta.

A private sale works the same way as an MLS sale legally. The difference is that nobody has drafted the contract yet. Our lawyers draft the purchase agreement, hold the deposit in trust, manage the conditions, and close the deal with the same care as any brokered sale, for buyers and sellers who have already found each other.

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How a private sale works

The steps mirror a normal closing: a written contract with a deposit and any conditions, then the conveyancing, the mortgage work, and registration at Land Titles. Because a lawyer drafts the contract instead of a standard form, it can fit the actual deal, whether that means a family price below market, a possession date that floats with a build, or a vendor take-back for part of the price.

Family deals get extra care. When a parent sells to a child below market value, the difference is a gift with tax and lending consequences, and lenders have specific requirements for purchases between family members. We paper what your family actually intends, in a form your lender and the CRA can both live with.

What this desk handles

  • Purchase agreements for sales without a realtor
  • Family and related-party sales
  • Deposits held in trust
  • Condition drafting for financing, inspection, and condo documents
  • Vendor take-back mortgages
  • Full conveyancing and Land Titles registration

Where we act

Our lawyers handle private sales files across Alberta from our Calgary office, including Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, Edmonton, and everywhere between. Alberta has one Land Titles system, so the closing works the same wherever the property sits. Signing happens at our office, by video where permitted, or with a local commissioner near you.

Common questions

Private Sales: frequently asked questions

  • Yes, family sales are common and completely lawful. The contract still needs to be drafted, the price and any gift portion documented deliberately, and the lender’s requirements for family purchases met. We handle the file end to end, and each side should get its own advice on the price terms.

  • Our trust account. In a brokered deal the brokerage holds the deposit. In a private sale that job falls to the lawyer, which protects both sides and gives the deposit terms in the contract real teeth.

  • It avoids commission, which on an average Calgary home is a five-figure amount. The legal work costs a little more than a standard closing because we draft the contract rather than just review one. If you have already found your buyer or your seller, the savings are usually well worth it.

Book a consultation

Talk to one of our lawyers about your private sales file.

Send us the details of what you are working on and we will follow up within one business day. Closing inside seven days? Please call us directly.

Call the firm
587-327-7314
Office hours
Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Mountain Time
Signings outside these hours by arrangement.

Book a consultation

One business day response. For closings inside seven days, please call us directly.

One business day response. Closing inside seven days? Call us.

Calgary · Alberta

Opening a private sales file?

Send us the details and we will respond within one business day, with a flat quote on standard matters.