Home Purchase
Buying a condominium, townhouse or freehold home in downtown Toronto? We review your agreement, search title, act on your mortgage instructions and register your ownership on closing day.
Get a Purchase Quote
Residential Purchases • Sales • Refinancing
Closing on a condominium or home in downtown Toronto? Shaikh Law Firm’s real estate lawyer and legal team handle residential purchases, sales and refinances across the downtown core, the Financial District and the wider City of Toronto. Most clients sign remotely; in-person signing is available by appointment at our Bay Street location.
Professional Legal Fees
Legal guidance for your next move
From downtown high-rise condominiums to freehold homes closer to the core, our Toronto real estate lawyer acts on residential purchases, sales and refinances, together with title transfers, mortgage independent legal advice and survivorship applications. Each service follows the flat-fee structure set out on our Ontario real estate lawyer fees page.
Buying a condominium, townhouse or freehold home in downtown Toronto? We review your agreement, search title, act on your mortgage instructions and register your ownership on closing day.
Get a Purchase QuoteSelling in Toronto? We prepare your closing documents, answer the buyer’s lawyer’s requisitions, pay out your existing mortgage and release your net sale proceeds once the sale completes.
Get a Sale QuoteSwitching lenders or refinancing your Toronto home or condominium? We act on your new lender’s instructions, pay out and discharge the existing mortgage and register the new one, with most refinance documents signed remotely.
Get a Refinance QuoteAdding a spouse, removing an owner or moving title between family members? We advise on the transfer, including any land transfer tax exposure and lender consent, before the documents are registered.
Title Transfer Fees & QuoteGuaranteeing a mortgage or co-signing for a family member? We explain the documents, your personal liability and the lender’s remedies, then provide the certificate your lender requires.
Mortgage ILA Fees & QuoteAfter the death of a joint owner, the surviving owner’s name must be updated on title. We prepare and register the survivorship application, usually without the need for probate.
Survivorship Fees & QuoteFrom your first quote to closing
Four steps, handled largely online, with your Toronto real estate lawyer available whenever a legal question arises on your purchase, sale or refinance.
Tell us the property address, transaction type and closing date. You receive a written quote setting out the legal fee, office package and estimated third-party costs.
Accept the quote and send your Agreement of Purchase and Sale or refinance details. We open your file and obtain mortgage instructions directly from your lender.
Review your closing documents with your lawyer and sign by secure video where your transaction is eligible. If you prefer to sign in person, we book an appointment at TD Place, 161 Bay Street, in Toronto’s Financial District.
On closing day we register the transfer or mortgage, exchange funds with the other lawyer and confirm completion, followed by key release or payment of your proceeds, as applicable.
Most downtown Toronto clients complete their closing documents remotely, with in-person signing available by appointment.
Clear fees. Upfront pricing.
Our flat legal fees for a standard Toronto residential transaction are $1,100 for a purchase, $999 for a sale and $1,100 for a refinance, plus HST. The same fees apply whether you are closing on a downtown condominium or a freehold home, and whether you sign remotely or attend our Toronto location. The breakdown below separates the legal fee from disbursements, third-party costs and the City of Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax.
From reviewing your agreement and title to registering your ownership on closing day.
Flat legal fee · CAD
$1,100
+ HST
Includes the legal work for one standard institutional mortgage registration, where required.
Legal fee + fixed office package $1,799 + HST
Get a Purchase QuoteClosing documents, mortgage payout and the release of your net sale proceeds.
Flat legal fee · CAD
$999
+ HST
Includes the legal work for one existing mortgage payout and discharge, where required.
Legal fee + fixed office package $1,698 + HST
Get a Sale QuoteLender instructions, payout of your existing mortgage and release of the new funds.
Flat legal fee · CAD
$1,100
+ HST
Includes the legal work for one new institutional mortgage registration and one existing mortgage payout and discharge.
Legal fee + fixed office package $1,799 + HST
Get a Refinance QuoteWhether you are buying a condominium in the Entertainment District or a freehold home closer to the core, our standard legal fee does not increase solely because of the purchase price or the number of owners. Title insurance, land transfer tax and the City of Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax vary by transaction. Additional legal work outside the standard scope is quoted separately.
Depending on your transaction, the legal fee covers review of your agreement and title, preparation of closing documents, dealings with the other lawyer and your lender, registration and handling of closing funds. The mortgage work included in each standard fee is identified above.
Disbursements are transaction expenses separate from the legal fee. Our fixed office package is $699 plus HST and covers standard software and platform fees, title searches and routine administration. Third-party costs, including Ontario land transfer tax, the City of Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax, title insurance and government registration fees, are additional and passed through at cost.
Standard transaction scope: These fees apply to one residential freehold or condominium property in Ontario, with the mortgage work described above. The subtotals include the legal fee and fixed office package; applicable third-party costs, including Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax, are additional. Use our Ontario closing costs calculator to estimate the total land transfer tax payable on a Toronto closing.
Islamic financing, including Ijara structures, private lenders, additional mortgages, separation agreements, matrimonial disputes and title issues fall outside the standard scope. Any additional legal fee is confirmed in writing before the additional work begins.
For more detail, visit our Ontario real estate lawyer fees page.
Start with clear pricing
Clear fees. Simple budgeting. Start with your transaction below.
One Ontario freehold or condo with routine requirements. See the scope details below.
First payout included. Each additional payout: $65.00 + HST. Lender and government charges remain separate.
Generally, a first-time buyer is 18 or older, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, has never owned a home anywhere in the world, and will move in within nine months of closing. A spouse's past ownership can affect eligibility. Refund and eligible share require lawyer confirmation.
Enter a number from 0 to 100.
Required to estimate your refinance title insurance allowance.
Our fixed refinance fee covers the legal work from your lender's instructions to funding: we review the mortgage instructions, pay out your current mortgage, register the new mortgage and report to you and your lender. Every cost is itemized, and any additional work is confirmed in writing before it begins.
Leave blank for the automatic firm budgeting allowance. An entered insurer quote, including all taxes and fees, replaces the allowance.
Leave at 0 when the lender registers its discharge. Enter only registrations charged through our office; lender charges are excluded. Do not count a lender's registration twice.
Estimate only. Additional costs may apply; your written quote confirms scope and amounts.
Budget only, not a quote or cash required to close. Standard scope: one Ontario residential freehold or condominium property with routine title and closing requirements. Islamic financing (including Ijara), private lending, additional mortgages, separation agreements or matrimonial disputes, and title or closing issues requiring additional work require a written quote. Additional fees are confirmed in writing before additional work begins.
Private or Islamic financing, additional mortgages, matrimonial issues, and buyers without Canadian citizenship or permanent residency require review.
Your lawyer’s fees are one part of your closing budget. The professional legal fee pays for the legal work on your transaction. Our fixed office disbursement package covers the standard office costs described in the fee breakdown above. Applicable HST and separate transaction expenses must also be budgeted for.
Depending on your transaction, additional amounts may include land transfer tax, title insurance, government registration fees and closing adjustments. Mortgage balances, lender charges and prepayment penalties may also affect the funds required or proceeds available. The calculator provides a budgeting estimate; it is not a final statement of the funds required to close.
Explore the Full Ontario Closing Costs Calculator
Our clients
“They managed the sale of our house with zero stress. Always available and on top of the details.”
“They provided white glove service and walked us through the entire process with detailed explanations.”
“He was very professional and organized. Thank you for making the legal end of our home purchase and sale smooth”
My spouse and I have used Shaikh Law in a title transfer and for independent legal advice for a mortgage contract. Team is efficient in setting up appointments and promptly responds to email queries; almost 24/7. Lawyers in both situations were knowledgeable and thorough. I would not hesitate to recommend this firm
I was a first time home buyer and I had an excellent experience with closing process. Specially Naimesh helped and explained every steps of the closing process, made it worry free. It was well informed and transparent
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions downtown Toronto buyers, sellers and homeowners ask most often about fees, signing, land transfer tax and preparing for closing day.
At Shaikh Law Firm, the legal fee for a standard residential sale in Toronto is $999 plus HST. The legal fee for a standard purchase or refinance is $1,100 plus HST.
Our fixed office package of $699 plus HST and third-party costs, including Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax, are separate, as set out in the pricing section above. For a full breakdown, visit our Ontario real estate lawyer fees page.
No. Our standard legal fee does not increase solely because the purchase price is higher or more than one person is on title, even on a higher-value downtown Toronto property.
Additional legal work outside the standard scope is quoted separately. Title insurance and land transfer tax vary with the transaction.
Usually not. Most clients sign their closing documents by secure video, subject to identification, legal and lender requirements. Our team confirms whether your transaction is eligible.
If you prefer to sign in person, or your transaction requires it, we book an appointment at TD Place, 161 Bay Street, 27th Floor, in Toronto’s Financial District. Appointments are available between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and must be arranged in advance.
Yes. Properties in the City of Toronto are subject to both the Ontario land transfer tax and the City of Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax (MLTT). The two taxes are calculated separately and are payable in addition to one another.
Land transfer tax is separate from our legal fee. Use our Ontario closing costs calculator for an estimate of both amounts; your lawyer confirms the total payable before closing.
Eligible first-time homebuyers purchasing in Toronto may qualify for a rebate of up to $4,000 against the Ontario land transfer tax and, separately, up to $4,475 against the City of Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax. Eligibility depends on ownership history, residency and how soon you occupy the home, among other requirements.
Tell your lawyer early if you believe you qualify. For the City’s requirements, see the City of Toronto MLTT rebate page, and for the provincial rebate, the Ontario first-time homebuyer land transfer tax refund guide.
We act on properties throughout downtown Toronto, including the Financial District, the Entertainment District, King West, Liberty Village, CityPlace, Yorkville, St. Lawrence Market and the Harbourfront.
We also act on properties elsewhere in the City of Toronto and across Ontario. Because most signing is remote, your location rarely affects how your file is handled.
Yes. Condominium transactions make up a significant share of our downtown Toronto files, including resale condominiums, pre-construction assignments and interim occupancy closings.
Condominium files can raise issues a freehold closing does not, such as status certificate disclosures, special assessments, parking and locker registration, and assignment clauses. Our standard legal fee applies to a standard condominium closing; status certificate reviews and interim occupancy closings are quoted separately, as set out below.
Start with the property address, your expected closing date and your contact details. We confirm the identification and documents required for your file.
Our office then sends a checklist specific to your transaction.
Ideally before you sign, if you want the agreement reviewed. Otherwise, contact us as soon as your offer is accepted. For a refinance, contact us once your lender and target funding date are confirmed.
Early instructions leave time to search title, satisfy lender conditions and resolve any issues. Tell us immediately about condition deadlines in your agreement.
Yes. Our legal fee for a condominium status certificate review is $360 plus HST. Our legal fee for an Agreement of Purchase and Sale review is also $360 plus HST. These are separate services.
Send us the documents and your condition deadline so we can confirm availability. A review is not included in a closing retainer unless we have confirmed it in writing.
Yes. Our legal fee for an interim occupancy closing is $860 plus HST. Interim occupancy and the final title closing are separate stages of a new condominium purchase, and both are common in downtown Toronto pre-construction transactions.
Send us your purchase agreement and the builder’s occupancy notice. We confirm the services required, the applicable costs and the arrangements for final closing.
Your lawyer confirms the amount, payment method and deadline before closing. Funds must be received and cleared in time to complete the transaction.
The amount reflects your deposit, mortgage proceeds, the balance of the purchase price, adjustments and closing costs. Always verify payment instructions with our office by telephone before sending funds.
There is no fixed key-release time. Timing depends on when funds arrive, registration and completion of the closing requirements.
We notify you as soon as your purchase closes and confirm the arrangements for your keys, fob or lockbox access.
Have a question about your Toronto purchase, sale or refinance? Send us your property address and expected closing date.
Get Your Closing QuoteShaikh Law Firm
Most Toronto closings are signed remotely. When you prefer to meet in person, or your transaction requires an in-person signing, we book an appointment at our downtown Toronto location.
Shaikh Law Firm — TorontoBy appointment only, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please book before attending.
Start with clear pricing
Tell us about your purchase, sale or refinance. We reply with an itemized quote showing the legal fee, office disbursements and estimated third-party costs.
Prefer to speak with our team? Call (905) 795-7757