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1031 exchanges

1031 exchanges: understanding the professionals involved

Coverage of who does what in a 1031 exchange — qualified intermediaries, exchange specialists, tax advisers and attorneys — with sourced profiles.

A 1031 exchange lets an investor defer tax when real property held for business or investment is exchanged for like-kind real property, under rules the IRS publishes [1]. The deadlines are strict [2][3], and several professionals can be involved in one exchange, each with a different job.

We compare like roles only. A qualified intermediary, which holds exchange funds under a written agreement, is not interchangeable with a tax adviser, an attorney or a real estate broker. Our detailed guides to choosing a 1031 professional are awaiting review by a qualified professional before we publish them. Nothing on BotCitations is tax or legal advice.

Guides and profiles

How we assessed this

Criteria fixed on September 14, 2026, before any candidate was assessed. Assessment is qualitative; we do not publish scores. A role, credential, fee or protection that is not publicly verifiable is recorded as “not verified.” We compare like roles only: a qualified intermediary is not compared with a tax adviser or a broker.

  • Verified role and credentials
  • Service scope and hand-offs
  • Pricing transparency
  • Fund protection by the QI
  • Communication process and independently supported experience

Full criteria, evidence and limits · Report an error

Sources

Sources are summarised in our own words. “Company source” means the company describing itself; we label those claims as brand-reported.

  1. [1]
    Like-kind exchanges now limited to real property — Internal Revenue Service

    Government or regulator · checked September 14, 2026

    Since 2018, like-kind exchange treatment applies to real property held for business or investment, not to personal or intangible property.

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  2. [2]
    26 CFR § 1.1031(k)-1 — Treatment of deferred exchanges — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

    Independent source · checked September 14, 2026

    Mirror of the Treasury regulation: identification and exchange periods, identification rules, the qualified intermediary safe harbor and limits on access to exchange funds. Confirm current text at ecfr.gov before quoting.

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  3. [3]
    Instructions for Form 8824 — Internal Revenue Service

    Government or regulator · published or updated April 30, 2026 · checked September 14, 2026

    Explains reporting of like-kind exchanges, the 45-day identification and 180-day exchange periods, and additional reporting for related-party exchanges.

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