Real Estate & Development
End-to-end support for acquisitions, leasing, development and land use
Over the past decade Jordan has seen sustained expansion in real estate development and investment, and with it a need for legal work that goes beyond conveyancing. Our practice advises owners, developers, investors, lenders and occupiers across the whole life of a property asset.
On acquisitions and disposals, we run title investigation at the Department of Lands and Survey, review encumbrances and registered rights, advise on the restrictions applying to non-Jordanian ownership, and prepare and register the transfer documentation. Title problems are almost always cheaper to solve before completion than after.
On the development side, we advise on zoning and planning permissions, construction and consultancy contracts, contractor claims and defects, joint development and profit-sharing structures, and the management, leasing and service-charge arrangements that govern a completed scheme. We also act on property-secured financing and on disputes arising from any of the above.
Property work in Jordan rewards early diligence. A registered right that nobody checked, an access easement that was never formalised, or a permitted use that does not match the intended scheme can each stop a project after the capital has been committed. We front-load the investigation so those questions are answered while the client still has the option of walking away.
Key Highlights
- Title investigation, acquisition and registration
- Foreign ownership restrictions and approvals
- Zoning, planning and land-use advice
- Construction contracts, claims and defects
- Commercial leasing and asset management
- Property finance and security over land
The firm's services in real estate and development include:
- Title & Due Diligence: Investigation of title, encumbrances and registered rights at the Department of Lands and Survey.
- Acquisitions & Disposals: Preparing sale, option and transfer documentation and managing registration.
- Foreign Ownership: Advising on restrictions and approval requirements applying to non-Jordanian purchasers.
- Development Structuring: Joint development, profit-sharing and special-purpose vehicle arrangements.
- Planning & Land Use: Advising on zoning, permitted use, building permits and change-of-use applications.
- Construction Contracts: Drafting and negotiating employer, contractor and consultancy agreements.
- Construction Disputes: Advising on variations, delay and disruption claims, defects and final account disputes.
- Leasing: Commercial, retail and industrial leases, service charge regimes and management arrangements.
- Property Finance: Advising on mortgage security, priority and enforcement over registered land.
- Real Estate Disputes: Proceedings concerning title, possession, lease terms and development obligations.
Representative Matters
Development Site Acquisitions
Title investigation, structuring and registration for development sites acquired by local and regional investors.
Construction Programmes
Advising employers and contractors on contract packages, variations and delay claims through delivery.
Leasing Portfolios
Preparing and negotiating lease and management documentation for commercial and retail schemes.
Property-Secured Finance
Advising lenders and borrowers on security over registered land and its enforcement.
Matter descriptions are given in general terms. Client identities and transaction details are confidential.