Do I need a real estate attorney to close on land in South Carolina?

Yes. South Carolina is an attorney-closing state, which means a licensed attorney, not a title company alone, typically handles the closing and the title work behind it.

The attorney's role goes beyond just preparing paperwork for signatures. During the title search, they are checking:

• Chain of title: confirming the seller actually has clear legal ownership to transfer
• Liens: any outstanding claims against the property from unpaid debts
• Judgments: legal judgments that might attach to the property
• Back taxes: unpaid property tax that could otherwise become the buyer's problem after closing

This process protects the buyer as much as the seller. A buyer who skips this step and relies purely on a handshake and a deed is taking on the risk that something in the property's history, an old lien, an unresolved estate, a boundary dispute, surfaces after the money has already changed hands.

Either the buyer or the seller can typically choose the closing attorney, unless the purchase agreement specifies otherwise, so it is worth discussing this early in the process rather than assuming it is settled. If you are unsure who to use, asking other land buyers or sellers in your county for a recommendation is a reasonable starting point, since local attorneys tend to be familiar with the quirks of that county's records.