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Olivia
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
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Real Estate Attorney
What is involved in being a real-estate attorney? How much school is required and what skills are needed?
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Jenna Zebrowski, JD, MBA
Bilingual JD/MBA with compliance and regulatory experience and real estate (leasing and franchise) expertise
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Dallas, Texas
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Jenna’s Answer
As a real estate attorney, I received a 4 year undergraduate degree, then went to law school for three years before I graduated. I did not have any special training before I started in real estate, but some attorneys have a real estate background, such as by being a real estate agent or broker. I worked for several companies and now have my own practice.
A real estate attorney must pay attention to detail and be able to read a lot- 60 page documents are not uncommon, and you have to read and review every single one! Risk analysis is also very important- I may not agree with an action from a legal standpoint, but I understand from a business or financial standpoint, and can advise my client accordingly. Skills in negotiation and persuasion are also very important- you have to be able to review a document, then defend and argue every point in the document that you want to change, with an audience that might have varying levels of sophistication and leverage. Clients with small transactions don't have the same bargaining power as client with more resources. Real estate also moves very quickly, everyone wants their transaction done quickly and accuses the attorney of "holding it up" when I'm really reviewing it for risk and preparing to advise my client about what they are going to sign. I also have clients that didn't do the risk analysis up front, then we have to work even harder to mitigate the situation they created.
If you enjoy reading and analyzing a large volume of documents, you are picky and detail-oriented, and can view a situation from the points of view of all parties involved, and negotiate accordingly, real estate law can be a very rewarding career.
A real estate attorney must pay attention to detail and be able to read a lot- 60 page documents are not uncommon, and you have to read and review every single one! Risk analysis is also very important- I may not agree with an action from a legal standpoint, but I understand from a business or financial standpoint, and can advise my client accordingly. Skills in negotiation and persuasion are also very important- you have to be able to review a document, then defend and argue every point in the document that you want to change, with an audience that might have varying levels of sophistication and leverage. Clients with small transactions don't have the same bargaining power as client with more resources. Real estate also moves very quickly, everyone wants their transaction done quickly and accuses the attorney of "holding it up" when I'm really reviewing it for risk and preparing to advise my client about what they are going to sign. I also have clients that didn't do the risk analysis up front, then we have to work even harder to mitigate the situation they created.
If you enjoy reading and analyzing a large volume of documents, you are picky and detail-oriented, and can view a situation from the points of view of all parties involved, and negotiate accordingly, real estate law can be a very rewarding career.