An Irish commercial property buyer should compare solicitors with the same brief about title, occupation and funding. Transaction complexity and lender involvement can change the work needed to reach completion.

The decision that deserves the closest review

Provide the property documents, buyer structure and financing plan. Ask which title enquiries, lease reviews and completion tasks are included. Keep tax, survey and other specialist advice visible as separate budget items where outside the legal scope.

A hypothetical example

A buyer acquires a leased unit through a company with bank funding. It requests a quote reflecting all three features instead of comparing an estimate prepared for a straightforward personal cash purchase.

Define the legal instruction

Title, lender and occupation details should be supplied together. Keep specialist advice and third-party payments visible in addition to professional fees.

Professional fees, scope and other expenses

Ask for written scope and a clear fee basis: fixed, hourly, staged or another agreed arrangement. Identify applicable taxes, third-party expenses and excluded specialist work. Clarify what happens if facts change or the instruction expands, and who must authorise additional work before it begins.

Comparison item Question to resolve
Property title and occupation Are existing leases reviewed?
Buyer and lender requirements Is lender-related work included?
Searches and specialist transaction costs What additional costs and assumptions are documented?

Compare the deliverable and excluded stages line by line. Keep a record of the agreed estimate, revision process and approval for any additional expenses.

Prepare a brief the solicitor can price

Supply the complete documents, a short chronology where useful, the commercial objective and any urgent dates. Explain what outcome you need from the instruction. Clear organisation allows the adviser to distinguish initial scoping from a substantive review and later negotiation or dispute work.

Show the Irish property and funding documents together

Provide the transaction papers, intended occupation and relevant lender information. Identify tenancies, access or other matters needing particular attention. Ask the solicitor to distinguish the standard purchase work from additional instructions arising from this property or the proposed financing.

Compare professional fees, third-party expenses and any separate specialist advice. Review how the estimate changes if negotiations expand or the transaction stops. Written Irish costs information is useful when its assumptions and work stages are linked to the actual instruction.

Use an adviser familiar with the Irish instruction and agree written scope and costs for the actual documents.

A mistake to avoid

Treating a preliminary legal estimate as a complete property transaction budget.

Agree how the instruction will be managed

Agree the contact person, expected updates and who can approve further work. Ask how the budget changes if the other side sends new documents, negotiations expand or proceedings become necessary. Keep advice, agreed terms and the executed documents organised so operational decisions use the final position rather than an earlier draft.

Questions before choosing

Does a solicitor’s quote include tax advice automatically?

Establish the specific scope and any separate adviser needed before relying on the estimate.

Will a commercial purchase fee include every lender-related task?

Ask the firm to identify the included work and connected documents. A change in lender or security requirements can require a review of the quoted scope.

Sources and further reading

Research date: 6 October 2026. Refer to the current linked guidance and written provider or adviser terms when making a decision.