📅 Last verified: June 2026. Fee scales and discount practice change. Anything marked † should be reconfirmed with your lawyer before you rely on it.
The short version
- Your lawyer’s fee runs on a fixed government scale (SRO 2023) — not a free-for-all.
- Roughly 1.25% on the first RM500k, then 1.0% on the next band — with up to a 25% discount possible. †
- You pay separate legal fees for the SPA and (if financing) the loan agreement.
- It’s not stamp duty — budget both.
What the legal fee covers
This is your conveyancing lawyer’s fee for handling the SPA (Sale and Purchase Agreement), the title transfer, the state-consent application, and liaising with your bank. Appointing a lawyer isn’t optional on a property purchase.
The scale (SRO 2023)
Lawyers’ fees follow the SRO 2023 — the 2023 Solicitors’ Remuneration Order, the official fee scale:
| Portion of price | Rate |
|---|---|
| First RM500,000 | 1.25% |
| RM500,001 – RM7.5m | 1.0% |
A discount of up to 25% may be given at the lawyer’s discretion. †
Worked example — RM1.5m home: first RM500k at 1.25% = RM6,250; next RM1m at 1.0% = RM10,000 → about RM16,250 before any discount and before disbursements (out-of-pocket items like search and registration fees). †
Two sets of fees if you finance
Buy with a loan and you pay two legal fees: one for the SPA, and one for the loan agreement (charged on the loan amount on the same scale). Cash buyers pay only the first.
Don’t confuse it with stamp duty
Legal fees go to your lawyer; stamp duty is a tax. They’re separate lines on your bill.
→ See the stamp duty guide and the full Foreign Buyer cost stack; price it on the calculators.
Legal fees are the one line on your buying bill that’s fixed by law — know the scale, and you’ll know when a quote is off.
Want to sanity-check a legal-fee quote? Message me on WhatsApp — I’ll help you read it against the scale.
General information only — not legal advice. Scales and discount practice change and vary case by case; confirm with your lawyer. Figures marked † move most often. Author: Jacky Yong, licensed real estate negotiator (REN 77674), Vivahomes Realty Sdn Bhd (E(1)1670).
See this in real projects
Live listings where this applies: