Real Estate Lawyer Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a real estate lawyer. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a real estate lawyer.
Who is a Real Estate Lawyer?
Real estate lawyers are licensed professionals who oversee the legal aspects of real estate transactions. Real estate law is a specialized field of practice that necessitates knowledge of regional rules and laws. Real estate attorneys must be able to navigate the complex process of buying or selling real estate while protecting their client’s interests at all times.
They are in charge of drafting and reviewing real estate legal documents, negotiating the terms of real estate transactions, and facilitating title transfers.
A real estate lawyer is a lawyer who specializes in the legal aspects of real estate transactions. When a property is sold or purchased, the seller or buyer retains the services of a real estate attorney to ensure that all legal requirements are met.
When a residential or commercial property is about to be transferred from one owner to another, the real estate attorney drafts documents for both the seller and the buyer to sign. They conduct research to confirm the vendor’s ownership and debt-free status of the property.
Real estate lawyers are responsible for more than just ensuring the smooth running of real estate transactions. When one party breaches a contract, they may also intervene in property disputes.
To practice real estate law, a Juris Doctorate degree from an American Bar Association-accredited institution is required. To be successful in this field, one must have strong research, speaking, and writing skills, among other things.
Real Estate Lawyer Job Description
Below are the real estate lawyer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a real estate lawyer job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
- Keeping an eye out for legal risks in real estate documentation and providing appropriate advice to clients.
- Ensuring that real estate-related laws, decisions, and regulations are interpreted.
- Creating leases for homes or businesses, sales agreements, mortgages, or real estate documents.
- Interacting with clients about legal issues concerning their real estate holdings, such as drafting default notices or putting together deeds for property transfers
- Advocating in court on behalf of clients in cases involving zoning regulations, eminent domain, or land use issues.
- Engaging in real estate transactions, making certain that all necessary approvals are in place.
- Managing compliance and regulation-related services.
- Assisting with the legal and general advisory needs of a sizable real estate portfolio.
- Negotiating real estate purchase or sale agreements, including ensuring that all parties are treated fairly.
- Managing trespassing, infringement, and injury real estate disputes.
- Submitting the necessary documentation for land development licenses and permits.
- Locating and negotiating with prospective tenants or buyers in order to reach the best possible agreement for all parties.
- Providing real estate tax advice to clients, such as capital gains tax and depreciation schedules.
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in Law.
- strong legal background in real estate.
- A strong grounding in business law.
- Powerful negotiating abilities.
- Solid underwriting, curative, and claims experience in title insurance.
- Excellent knowledge of foreclosure.
- Knowledgeable about conducting investigations and possessing the capacity to evaluate gathered data.
- Strong skills in conflict resolution and analytical thinking.
- knowledge of legal jargon and endurance for long hours of work.
- A naturally born leader with good judgement and attention to detail.
- The capacity to work under deadline pressure.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and public speaking abilities.
- Ability to network with people from all walks of life.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs and computer technology.
Essential Skills
If you want to be a successful real estate attorney, you must master the following skills:
- Investigation Skills:
Real estate lawyers conduct studies to gather information about specific properties, laws, and court cases. As a result, real estate lawyers should stay current on new legislation and how it may affect their clients’ cases. They should join networking groups with other lawyers and attend legal association lectures and seminars to stay current on industry changes and keep their skills relevant.
- Communication Abilities:
Real estate Lawyers must be skilled verbal communicators in order to establish working relationships with clients, clarify complex legal concepts, and present their cases in court. They must have excellent communication skills when drafting legal documents such as contracts and memos.
- Negotiation Ability:
Negotiation is used to reach an agreement between two parties. Real estate Lawyers use negotiation skills to help clients buy and sell homes. They may also use their negotiating skills to assist clients in resolving disputes involving zoning, easements, and property rights.
- Research:
Understanding the rules and laws governing real estate transactions is required for real estate law practice. A real estate lawyer who is good at research can learn more about the rules and laws. They can also use their research skills to learn more about the building, such as its history and any issues that may reduce its value.
- Interpersonal skills:
Clients and professionals with whom lawyers work and interact are extremely diverse. Strong interpersonal skills, such as empathy and the ability to connect with others, are thus extremely valuable. Reading emotions, offering support, and assisting in conflict resolution are all skills that lawyers frequently employ when working with clients.
- Problem-solving:
Real estate lawyers must be problem solvers in order to be successful. This is because real estate law necessitates problem-solving abilities. This skill helps real estate lawyers resolve disputes between buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, or landlords and tenants. They may also be required to devise solutions for issues that arise during the closing, such as when a buyer is unable to make a scheduled payment.
- Analytical Skills:
Analytical ability is the ability to assess a problem and find solutions. Real estate lawyers use their analytical skills when reviewing contracts, inspecting property records, and researching laws. These skills are also used when they advise clients on how to handle real estate transactions.
- A Comprehensive understanding of Mortgages:
Mortgages are types of loans that can be used to purchase real estate. Real estate lawyers frequently interact with mortgage lenders and borrowers, so understanding the mortgage application process and how it affects real estate transactions is critical.
- Social Aptitude:
Before entering into a negotiation or appearing in court, real estate attorneys should have the interpersonal skills to make their clients feel at ease and confident in their abilities.
- Ability to organize:
Being organized entails keeping track of various duties and obligations. Real estate lawyers must be organized because they frequently work on multiple projects at once. This ensures that they can meet deadlines and complete their work quickly. It also allows them to stay up to date on any changes to the law or rules that may have an impact on their legal practice.
- Title Searches:
Title searches are used by real estate lawyers to determine whether a property is free of outstanding debts or other legal obligations. Clients can use this information to ensure they have a clear title to the property and to make informed property purchases. A lawyer for real estate may draw on their expertise in titles when drafting legal documents for real estate transactions such as deeds and mortgages.
- Ability to Write:
Real estate attorneys frequently draft legal documents, such as contracts and agreements, so writing is a skill they must have. Additionally, they send letters to clients outlining the progress of their cases or giving them legal information. A written report on the results of the case may also be required from real estate lawyers.
- Detail-oriented Observation:
Real estate law necessitates close attention to detail due to its specialized nature. Real estate lawyers who pay attention to details can review contracts, identify risks, and ensure their clients understand all aspects of a real estate transaction. Furthermore, real estate lawyers can solve problems by paying attention to details and spotting potential issues before they occur.
How to Become a Real Estate Lawyer
The real estate industry is expanding on a daily basis and there will always be a need for real estate lawyers. The demand for them will never decrease. However, prospective candidates can take the following steps to become real estate lawyers:
- Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
After deciding that a career in real estate is something you are interested in, the first thing you should do is earn a bachelor’s degree from a reputable university.
To be ready to apply to law school, you have to complete a four-year undergraduate degree. Although real estate lawyers can major in almost any subject, including business or economics, real estate lawyers frequently choose to major in law.
- Step 2: Get High Demand Skills in Law
To achieve your goal of becoming a real estate lawyer, you must be talented. Real estate lawyers frequently interact with a diverse range of people throughout the course of their workday, including clients, potential clients, rival attorneys, judges, and arbitrators. You must be able to communicate effectively in order to avoid losing clients or potential clients. You should strive to improve your communication skills and self-confidence so that you can speak in front of a crowd and address current issues. Another essential skill is the ability to bargain. Marketing and sales should not be overlooked after providing service to others.
- Step 3: Intern with Real Estate Company
An internship with a real estate company can help you learn about the industry. You get a firsthand look at what it’s like to work for such a company. Networks can also be built here. Meet with the firm’s attorney, who will be able to best guide you. Even before you graduate, you will learn about the industry’s regulations, practices, and culture. However, an internship with a real estate firm would be more beneficial to you.
- Step 4: Pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
After receiving your bachelor’s degree, you must take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The LSAT assesses your analytical and critical thinking abilities. You must pass this test in order to apply to law schools that have been approved by the American Bar Association.
- Step 5:Attend LawSschool
After being admitted to law school, you must complete your studies for three to four years in order to earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, which allows you to practice law in the United States. During your final year or second year of study, you can choose to specialize in a specific area of law. At this point, you can decide whether to further your education to become a real estate lawyer.
While in law school, intern at law firms to gain experience. Employers expect lawyers applying for entry-level positions to have prior experience preparing real estate transactions and negotiating contracts, which you can gain through internships.
- Step 6: Take the Bar Exam
After graduating from law school, you must take and pass the bar exam in order to practice law in the United States. You must take the bar exam in the state where you plan to practice law. The length of a state-specific bar exam ranges from six hours to eight hours and includes both multiple-choice and essay questions.
- Step 7: Find a Job
Many states have real-estate lawyer organizations that help recent graduates network and learn about job opportunities and developments in the real estate legal sector. Join these organizations and apply for positions as a real estate lawyer. Moreso, you can search for real estate lawyer jobs on online job listing platforms and websites. While applying for a job have a well-tailored real estate layer resume as well as a cover letter and always be prepared for an interview in case you are being invited for one.
- Step 8: Continue to Learn
After earning a law degree and passing the bar exam, enroll in classes on a regular basis, attend seminars and conferences, and stay current on legal developments. Many employers anticipate that real estate lawyers will take advantage of these continuing education opportunities on their own.
Where to Work as a Real Estate Lawyer
Law offices, governmental organizations, and real estate firms are just a few places where real estate lawyers work. They are employed by both law firms and courts. They additionally work for property owners or tenants. Since many real estate attorneys work for themselves, they frequently put in long hours, including on the weekends. Many real estate attorneys also participate in volunteer work or community organizations.
Real Estate Lawyer Salary
Real estate lawyers can earn a wide range of salaries depending on a number of important factors, including their level of education, certifications, additional skills, and length of practice.
Payscale.com stated that an entry-level real estate lawyer with less than a year of experience can expect to earn $64,000 in total compensation, including tips, bonuses, and overtime pay. A real estate attorney’s annual salary in their first few years of practice is $79,986.
A mid-career real estate lawyer with five to nine years of experience earns an average annual salary of $97,833. A real estate lawyer with 10 to 19 years of experience can expect to earn $101,823 per year on average. Workers in their late careers (20 years or more) earn an average salary of $120,000 per year.