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Real Estate and Urban Planning Law
From the title search to the registration of the development, with attention to what stalls a project before it even starts.
A real estate project brings together three risks that rarely appear side by side in other businesses: chain of title, planning approval and the relationship with the buyer. Failing on any one of them freezes construction, sales and cash flow at once.
We act for developers, builders, investors and owners at every stage of the cycle: title verification, deal structuring, municipal permitting, registration of the development and defence in disputes over delivery, delay and rescission.
What we handle in Real Estate and Urban Planning Law
Choose a matter and see how we work, what you receive and the most common questions.
Real Estate Transactions
Buying, selling, swapping and assigning property with due diligence, sound contracts and completed registration.
See matterReal Estate Development
Development filing, registration, segregated asset regime and buyer contracts, from land to condominium.
See matterZoning and Building Permits
Project approval, construction permits, neighborhood impact studies and appeals against denials before the city.
See matterLand Title Regularization
REURB, adverse possession, compulsory adjudication and registry correction for properties without a deed.
See matterHow we work
Real estate due diligence
Review of the property record, chain of title, certificates covering the asset and the sellers, encumbrances, tax standing and occupation, with a risk report and a clear recommendation on whether to proceed.
Structuring the land acquisition
Land swaps in units or in cash, purchase and sale, options, assignment of rights and conditions precedent tied to permitting, so that payments track the security of the deal.
Real estate development and registration
Preparation and filing of the development memorandum and its registration on the property record under Law No. 4,591/1964 (Brazil's condominium and property development act), plus the creation of the condominium and the ring-fenced project estate.
Urban planning and environmental permits
Handling project approvals, building permits, licences and zoning requirements before municipal authorities, including administrative appeals when a request is denied.
Land title regularisation and adverse possession
Regularisation of urban areas, rectification of property records and adverse possession claims, judicial or through the registry, for properties without clean documentation.
Real estate litigation
Eviction, rescission and specific performance claims, construction delay disputes and defence against claims brought by buyers and condominium associations.
Why work with us
Feasibility thinking, not just paperwork
Legal analysis starts alongside the feasibility study, while there is still room to renegotiate price, timing or walk away from the site.
Integrated with administrative law
Permitting is a relationship with public authorities. We handle the administrative file with the same rigour as a court defence, appeals included.
We act for owners and for developers
Working both sides of the table in different matters gives us a realistic read on what the other party will actually accept.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before buying property in Brazil?
Before signing anything, check the updated property record, the chain of title, personal certificates for the sellers, the tax standing of the asset and whether there is any occupation or pending lawsuit. That review is real estate due diligence, and it is what keeps you from buying a problem along with the property.
Can foreigners buy real estate in Brazil?
Yes, foreign individuals and companies may own urban property in Brazil, subject to registration requirements such as holding a Brazilian tax number. Restrictions apply mainly to rural land and to areas near the border, so the buyer profile should be checked before the deal is structured.
What is the ring-fenced project estate and why does it matter?
It is the regime that separates the assets of a given development from the rest of the developer's estate, provided for in Law No. 4,591/1964. In practice it protects the buyers of that project if the developer becomes insolvent, and it usually improves financing terms.
Can I cancel an off-plan purchase and get my money back?
As a rule yes, with a partial refund of the amounts paid, subject to the contract terms and the withholding caps set by Brazilian rescission legislation. The effective percentage depends on the regime of the development and on the reason for the cancellation, so the contract has to be reviewed before any request is filed.
Who is liable for delay in delivering a project?
The developer is liable for delay beyond the contractual deadline and the agreed grace period, unless a proven excusing event applies. For the developer, the defence turns on evidencing the cause of the delay and the regularity of its notices; for the buyer, on documenting the loss.
See also
Buying land or launching a development in Brazil?
Talk to our team before signing. That is the stage where legal analysis can still change the deal.