The 6 Best Real Estate Lawyers in NYC (2026)

1. Belkin Burden Goldman — Midtown East (Grand Central), Manhattan

A real-estate-only firm since 1989, covering disputes, deals and the city's regulations.

Belkin Burden Goldman has practiced nothing but real estate law since it was founded in 1989, which in New York means a very wide brief: high-stakes disputes, purchases, sales and leasing, co-op and condo representation, zoning and land use, tax exemptions and the city's alphabet soup of regulations, from the Loft Law to Local Law 97's building-emissions rules.

That depth on the regulatory side is what sets it apart. Its offices are on East 42nd Street, a few steps from Grand Central.

Good to know: Building owners facing Local Law 97 emissions compliance should ask specifically about that practice — it is a stated focus.

60 E 42nd St, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10165

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2. Rosenberg & Estis — Midtown East, Manhattan

One of New York's best-known real estate firms, active since 1975.

Rosenberg & Estis describes itself as having shaped the New York City skyline since 1975, and it is one of the most recognized names in New York real estate law. Its practice spans litigation and foreclosures, acquisitions, sales and leases, rent regulation, co-op and condo disputes, construction, property-tax certiorari, zoning and affordable-housing tax incentives.

The firm also publishes guidance on topics like New York's proposed pied-à-terre tax, which is a useful read for second-home buyers. It is a natural first call for owners dealing with rent-stabilised buildings.

Good to know: Its rent-regulation and administrative practice is particularly relevant if you own a rent-stabilised building.

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3. Romer Debbas — Manhattan, Manhattan

A full-service real estate firm with a large residential closing practice.

Romer Debbas bills itself as a full-service New York City real estate firm, and its bread and butter is the transaction: representing buyers and sellers of co-ops, condos and townhouses, handling refinances, and running closings from contract to keys.

For a first-time buyer navigating a co-op board package or a condo offering plan, a firm whose day-to-day work is residential closings is often the most efficient choice.

Good to know: Ask for a flat-fee quote for a residential purchase or sale, and who on the team will actually handle your file.

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4. Gallet Dreyer & Berkey — Midtown East, Manhattan

Co-op and condo law alongside trusts, estates and tax — useful when property and planning overlap.

Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, on Third Avenue in Midtown, is a general practice firm with a strong real estate side — cooperative and condominium law and real estate transactions sit next to trusts and estates, asset protection, tax, litigation, construction and family law.

That combination is useful for New Yorkers whose apartment is also their largest asset, where buying, selling or passing it on touches estate and tax planning as well as property law.

Good to know: A good fit when an apartment sale or purchase is tied up with an estate or a family trust.

685 Third Ave, New York, NY 10017

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5. Herrick, Feinstein — Murray Hill, Manhattan

A large New York firm whose real estate group handles major commercial deals.

Herrick, Feinstein is a full-service New York law firm in which real estate is one of the largest and best-known practices, covering acquisitions and sales, development, financing, leasing and real estate litigation for institutional and private clients.

It is a firm for significant commercial transactions rather than a single apartment purchase, but for developers and investors it is one of the established names in the city.

Good to know: Best suited to commercial and development work — for a straightforward apartment closing, a residential specialist will usually be faster and cheaper.

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6. Borah, Goldstein, Altschuler, Nahins & Goidel — Manhattan, Manhattan

Long-established real estate litigators, well known for landlord-tenant and co-op work.

Borah Goldstein is one of the long-established New York firms focused on real estate, best known for landlord-tenant litigation and for representing co-op and condo boards and property managers in the city's Housing Court and beyond.

If you own or manage residential buildings in New York, it is one of the firms most often recommended for the day-to-day legal work that comes with them.

Good to know: Housing Court practice is specialized — ask how much of the firm's work is in the borough where your building is.

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