Bustamante Fabara has ‘extensive expertise in all areas of real estate’ and stands out for its ability to handle the full life cycle of both construction and real estate projects, from due diligence to sale. It has a particular strength in real estate projects in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The group’s diverse workload is epitomised by Juan Felipe Bustamante, who has extensive experience in real estate and commercial negotiations and leverages strong ties with municipalities and other governmental agencies. Bustamante leads the team alongside José Rafael Bustamante C.; both are skilled in real estate project financing, including credit transactions. Bustamante C. is singled out by clients for his transactional expertise. Director Pedro Gómez de la Torre, who consults foreign banks on the financing of real estate projects, and in particular the financial structure of such projects. Such real estate finance matters are areas of strength for director Kirina González.

Noted for having a ‘nationwide network of connections which allows practitioners to carry out real estate activities throughout the country’, Lexvalor Abogados regularly assists with real estate project financing. Notably, the team's workload spans commercial and residential real estate, with commercial projects including offices and residential projects including large mixed residential projects in key economic centres of the country. Daniela Irigoyen and Karla Villacís Echeverría head up the team; the latter regularly assists construction companies and developers with property acquisitions and construction agreements, and the former is key for financing and project structuring. At the associate level, Marcelo Morabowen is who clients turn to for advice on the M&A aspects of real estate projects, such as partnership agreements and financial structuring.

Pérez Bustamante & Ponce has established a strong presence in the real estate market in Ecuador, advising on the full life cycle of economically significant real estate and construction projects, including the drafting, negotiating and closing of sophisticated lease agreements. The team also advises on project finance for large construction projects, which is an area of strength for Juan Manuel Marchán, who heads up the team alongside Sandra Reed and Diego Pérez-Ordoñez. Reed is key for financing and structuring, whereas Pérez-Ordoñez often advises on corporate structures, and the negotiation and implementation of contracts for real estate projects. The group’s notable strength in depth extends to Patricio Quevedo, who is called upon for the group’s real estate disputes, including mediation, arising from negotiations over contractual matters such as shareholders’ agreements and association agreements. Senior associate Carlos Dassum also has extensive knowledge of such negotiations and the implementation of contracts for real estate projects. Nicolás Maldonado was promoted to partner in January 2025.

Heka Law Firm stands out for its advice on urban planning and mixed-use real estate projects. The group is entrusted by a large client base ranging from private universities to private equity companies and private individuals who manage significant assets in Ecuador. The team is well equipped to deal with the gamut of real estate and construction matters, from asset purchases to financings and compliance with regulations such as construction requirements under municipal law. Practice co-head Mauricio Subía focuses on the financing and management of large-scale real estate projects. Fellow co-head Santiago Albán stands out for real estate trust assistance, including the drafting of contracts, a focus of the group more broadly, as well as being heavily involved in construction projects.

Robalino excels in assisting clients, often global organisations, with operations in Ecuador, including the development of large-scale and high-value projects. Other areas of focus include advising on the strategic purchase of real estate and the structuring of real estate projects more generally. Martín Pallares, who is notable for his expertise in regional real estate in Ecuador, is at the helm alongside Daniel Robalino, who stands out for the acquisition of land, notably farmland acquisitions and other agricultural projects. The group is also able to assist with the construction permits and licenses related to land acquisition. Pallares is also key on the transactional side, with a long history of acting in cross-border real estate transactions. Senior associate Christian Narvaez is prolific in the retail sector, particularly for purchase agreements.

Benefiting from the firm’s large global network, the team at Dentons Paz Horowitz is, according to one client, ‘distinguished by its combination of local experience and global reach’. The group is also highlighted for its regulatory knowledge, which is utilised for cases involving permitting issues and title searches. Practice head Veronica Mieles Guevara, who often advises clients on structuring and M&A in the real estate sector, such as asset transfer for estates, is supported by Fabricio Solórzano, whose public law expertise makes him well positioned to work on the public law elements of real estate such as public deeds.

ECIJA‘s real estate mandates include residential projects and urban redevelopment projects, where it acts for both local and foreign investors looking for significant stakes in real estate projects, as well as international developers. Genesis Bermeo and Nicolás Romero lead the team alongside Ingrid Rodríguez, who is noted for her expertise in structuring foreign investment into real estate in Ecuador. Byron Sotomayor is relied upon by clients for real estate transactions, particularly the acquisition of urban property in industrial locations in the country.

Pino Elizalde Abogados ‘combines legal knowledge with a true understanding of the real estate business‘, adopting a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on the expertise of the firm's tax and commercial law experts. The department assists a range of manufacturers, family businesses and local entrepreneurs, as well as real estate companies looking to expand their real estate portfolio via land acquisition. Praised for his ‘strategic vision and extensive experience’, Jaime Arosemena leads the team, focusing on the group’s largest real estate projects. Elsewhere, María Ritha Guillén is key for contractual negotiations in the real estate industry, and is described as ‘meticulous and organised’ with ‘impressive technical mastery.’

Praised for its ‘comprehensive and personalised approach, combined with deep technical knowledge and a constant search for innovative solutions’, Apolo Abogados has a niche in land acquisition and the aquaculture industry. The group often assists tourism companies looking to expand in Ecuador’s coastal regions. José Gabriel Apolo Santos, Rafael Balda Santistevan, Andres Suarez Trujillo and Javier Cardoso Andrade head up the team. Cardoso is key for the structuring of projects, and assists with the regulatory aspects of real estate projects, with additional experience in maritime law.

CorralRosales has a broad real estate offering, ranging from negotiations in contractual matters to the review of corporate elements of real estate transactions, including drafting documents or acquiring permits, and mediation processes. Ramón Paz y Miño leads the department, and is supported by Mateo Zavala, a prominent litigator whose administrative law expertise lends itself to mediation and other contentious mandates arising from real estate acquisitions.