Question 1

What does a real estate expert witness do?

Accepted Answer

A real estate expert witness gives a court or arbitration panel an independent, professional opinion on industry standards, practices and facts that a judge or jury would not otherwise know. Jeff Rothbart reviews the record, prepares a written expert report, sits for deposition and testifies at trial.

Question 2

Who can retain a real estate expert witness?

Accepted Answer

Litigation firms and corporate in-house counsel. Jeff handles both commercial and residential real estate matters, and is retained by plaintiffs and defendants alike.

Question 3

Can you serve as a real estate expert witness outside Illinois?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Jeff is a licensed Illinois attorney and is available as a real estate expert witness for matters in other states. He travels for depositions and trials and works remotely through secure document portals.

Question 4

What types of real estate litigation do you handle?

Accepted Answer

Real estate litigation expert witness work includes valuation and damages, partnership and joint venture disputes, brokerage standard of care, financing and lender liability, title and survey disputes, and landlord-tenant matters such as lease and guaranty interpretation.

Question 5

Do you serve as a commercial real estate expert witness?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Jeff has testified on commercial real estate disputes involving shopping centers, multifamily, hotels, senior housing and mixed-use property, including leasing, financing, ownership and partnership issues.

Question 6

Do you also handle residential real estate cases?

Accepted Answer

Yes. As a residential real estate expert witness, Jeff addresses disputes over sales, disclosures, closings, agent conduct and landlord-tenant issues involving residential property.

Question 7

Can you testify as a real estate broker expert witness?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Jeff opines on brokerage standards of care, including commission disputes, duties to clients, disclosure obligations and the conduct of agents and brokers in a transaction.

Question 8

Do you handle appraisal and valuation disputes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Jeff serves as an expert on commercial appraisal disputes, valuation methods, investment risk and return analysis, and damages tied to property value. He can also review an opposing appraisal for methodology and reliability.

Question 9

Do you take land survey and boundary cases?

Accepted Answer

Jeff testifies on the real estate side of land survey disputes: title defects, easements, riparian rights and boundary conflicts, and how survey issues affect transactions and ownership. For a technical field survey, he can coordinate with a licensed land surveyor.

Question 10

Do you provide expert witness services for real estate disputes before trial?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Real estate expert witness services include early case assessment, consulting on strategy, document review, written reports, deposition preparation and testimony. Many attorneys start with a consulting role before deciding on a testifying expert.

Question 11

Will you provide a written report and testify?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Jeff has prepared 175+ written expert reports, sat for 90+ depositions and given trial testimony in 35+ cases.

Question 12

How do I know if my case is a fit?

Accepted Answer

A free 30-minute call is usually enough to confirm fit. Book a time or call 312-307-1429 with a short summary of the matter.

The real estate expert who holds up under cross-examination.

Legal precision with operator-level depth

Unshakeable under cross

Clear, on-time reports

Available throughout the case

Real estate litigation cases we handle

Appraisal & damages

Partnership & JV disputes

Broker standards

Financing & lender liability

Title & land survey

Landlord-tenant

Real estate expert witness questions

Discuss your case with Jeff