Our Expertise
Greek Real Estate Law
Greek real estate law provides an important role for lawyers in the purchase and sale of real estate in Greece.
Your lawyer will contact the buyer’s lawyer and request copies of the deeds relating to the property to be sold to verify the titles and confirm that the property is free of any liens, legal encumbrances or liabilities.
Verification of the titles to the property takes place at the local land registry office where the property is located. The buyer’s lawyer will go there and perform all the necessary checks to ensure the regularity of the process and then give his consent to proceed with the purchase.
Your lawyer will then advise the notary on drafting the deed and accompany you to his office for its execution. Suppose you cannot be present when the contract is signed at the notary. In that case, your lawyer can also sign the act on your behalf, acting as your legal representative.
Finally, your lawyer will take care of the last critical step required to finalize the transfer of ownership of the property. Under Greek real estate law, the transfer of ownership of property only occurs when the deed is registered at the local land registry in the name of the purchaser and never before.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you are looking for a Greek real estate lawyer.
Thessaloniki
+30 2310 284408
Berlin
+49 30 88702382
Our Real Estate Law Services
Experienced lawyers in Greek Property Law
The firm is based in Thessaloniki but supports international clients purchasing property throughout Greece, including islands.
Buying a property in Greece
We take care of everything regarding buying real estate in Greece and ensure the conveyance is completed most safely and cost-effectively as possible. We will make all the necessary checks to verify that the house you want to buy is free of legal encumbrances and that third parties do not dispute its ownership. We will draw up or review all sale and purchase agreements to protect your interests. Once the sale is complete, we will register your new property in the land registry office to formalize the transfer of ownership.
Sell property in Greece
Suppose you want to sell a house you own in Greece. In that case, we will assist you throughout the process, carrying out all the appropriate investigations and drafting all the relevant contracts to ensure you are as protected as possible.
Leasing Real Estate in Greece
There are many types of real estate leases. When setting up leasing agreements, you want to make sure that your interests are protected, and that you don’t lose your land rights and privileges because of a poorly written contract or a tenant who exploits a legal loophole.
Property Management
We manage on your behalf the real estate you bought in Greece as an investment or summer residence. In all the months you are not there, this will have to be checked, and bills will have to be paid. Using a property management service in Greece is a common practice for people who live in another country and cannot do it themselves.
Real Estate Trusts
We help you set up trusts so that your real estate holdings can be managed and smoothly transferred to other parties. Setting up trusts can be a complicated matter and mistakes can affect the viability of the trust, ownership of it, voting rights of the owners, and when it can be liquidated. Our legal professionals can give you personalized advice on how to set up your trust so that it achieves its intended purpose.
Landlord/Tenant Disputes
When leasing land, buildings, or other types of property, there could be problems that are not covered by the lease. Ideally, the landlord and tenant can discuss the problems and come to an amicable solution. If that is not possible and one of the parties is financially suffering because of the dispute, it’s time to call a lawyer. We are knowledgeable about landlord/tenant law and know what can and cannot be done legally and are your best defense to a countersuit.
Of course, we can also act as neutral third parties who can represent your interest and speak on your behalf when you may not know how to effectively communicate your ideas to the other party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Read frequently asked questions about buying real estate in Greece
Can foreigners buy real estate in Greece?
Is it safe to buy property in Greece?
It is the buyer’s responsibility to check the property’s condition before entering into a purchase agreement and to make sure that legal encumbrances do not encumber the property and that the other party has the right to proceed with its transfer.
The ideal way to carry out these checks is to appoint a lawyer you trust and not rely on lawyers proposed by real estate agents or builders. Only a personally appointed lawyer has as his mandate the legal protection of the buyer and will act to defend his interests without being accountable to anyone else for his actions.
Do I need a lawyer to buy or sell property in Greece?
The lawyer checks the seller’s title deeds to ensure that there is no legal defect, that the owners’ continuity before the sale has not been broken in the past and that all previous sales contracts are legitimate.
The lawyer also verifies that the property for sale is free of legal encumbrances, mortgages, seizures or claims by third parties.
The seller’s and buyer’s lawyers are also present when the sale deed is notarized.
The property's real estate agent/developer already has a lawyer who can also handle the practice for me. Can I trust them?
Unfortunately, there have been many cases in Greece of foreign nationals suffering complications or being scammed by malicious people. Hiring your lawyer will ensure the proper verification of the property and its legal status, drafting a valid purchase contract to present to the notary, and registering the property with the land registry office.
I want to buy a house in Greece. Can you handle the entire process?
First, suppose you still need to find a property to buy. In that case, we can advise you on the most suitable location for your needs and evaluate the offers available on the market.
Once you have identified the property you wish to buy, we will gather all the necessary information and documentation to ensure that the purchase process is legally risk-free. Then, together with our professionals, we inspect the property to establish its condition and evaluate it accurately.
We negotiate the purchase price for you with the seller and, in cooperation with a trustworthy notary, ensure that the money transaction goes through.
I own a property in Greece but live abroad. I am looking for someone who can manage it. Do you also handle property management?
After helping you draw up the best possible lease agreement for your house in Greece, we will collect the rent on your behalf and transfer them to your bank account in the manner you specify.
Should any conflicts or disputes arise in connection with the property, we will act promptly to enforce your legal rights.
I own a house in Greece but live abroad most of the year. While away, my neighbors illegally entered the property and damaged it. Can you help me?
If this is not enough, we will take the case to court to force the person in question to stop the detrimental behavior and pay compensation for the damage he has caused you.
I want to sell my property in Greece. Can you help me?
Keep this in Mind!
What to know about Greek Real Estate Law
Greek Real Estate Law
Greek real estate law regulates the relationships associated with property in Greece. It, therefore, deals with the purchase or sale of a property, donation and parental donation, creation and usufruct of property, acquisition by extraordinary succession, mortgage, etc.
The provisions on property law in Greece are mainly contained in the Civil Code and apply in combination with the provisions on contractual obligations regarding donation, sale or lease, for example.
The contract of sale of a property in Greece must be notarized. Therefore, the transfer of ownership of a property is only deemed to have been concluded once it has been entered in the registers of the land registry or the cadastral office.
The Greek Cadastral Office
All information regarding a property in Greece is registered in the land registry office. The land registry office is where title deeds and any existing liens on the property are checked.
These records are not digitized and are often poorly organized, so it is very important to seek legal advice to verify the titles associated with a property.
Verifying property titles in Greece
Property law in Greece provides that property can be acquired by a person who has had possession of an object, movable or immovable, for 20 years.
Given this peculiarity of Greek law, it is essential for the homebuyer to conduct a thorough investigation of the seller and the previous owners, going all the way back to the original title. Only by establishing that every sales contract that took place in the past is legal does one eliminate the risk of someone coming forward claiming to have rights associated with the property.
Power of attorney for the purchase or sale of a property
Since people who buy or sell property in Greece often reside abroad, the law provides that the contracting party living abroad may appoint a representative. The delegated representative can deal just with the preparatory process or manage the entire buying and selling process through a power of attorney, including the conclusion of the contract.
A power of attorney may also be executed abroad by going to the Greek consulate competent for the region where the residence of the person living abroad is located. The consulate, however, does not take care of drawing up the notarial power of attorney, which a lawyer usually prepares.
We help you buying or selling real estate in Greece
Please write or call us if you are looking for an expert Greek real estate law lawyer.
We are here to advise you and take care of your legal needs in Greece.
