The lawyer may be used to assist in negotiations and represent their client before governmental entities from whom an approval is required. Prior to the construction of buildings or houses, the developer or landowner must deal with a contractor. This usually involves negotiating and preparing a construction agreement. Lawyers can also be called upon to review and comment upon a proposed construction agreement. In rare instances, there may be problems with the construction of a structure that cannot be resolved without litigation in court.
Property owners use written leases when renting real property.
Some of the more complex real estate agreements are leases at shopping centers. Shopping center leases might contain some rather sophisticated arrangements in which landlords require that their tenants pay a share of the expenses incurred in maintaining the common areas of the center, such as the indoor malls and parking areas. Customers at shopping malls take for granted their ability to freely access stores and go from one parking area to another. Behind that freedom of use is usually a series of detailed written agreements between various property owners and tenants. These agreements typically involve granting rights to neighboring property owners, and their tenants or customers.