Real Estate Paralegal

Becker is a multi-practice, commercial law firm with international affiliates and 16 offices in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC.  Becker is a diverse commercial law firm that prides itself on client focused services and a commitment to always exceeding our client's expectations. We are looking for professionals who share the same commitment. Becker offers its employees competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The real estate paralegal collects, analyzes, organizes, and maintains factual information and documents in accordance with correct legal practice and procedure.

DUTIES:

Section 1 -      GENERAL TITLE COMPANY DUTIES INCLUDE:

Must be able to handle a moderate volume of residential and/or commercial real estate closings (25-30) from contract to closing.  Duties include:

1. Order title, lien search, survey, estoppel letters, and zoning (if applicable).
2. Calculate and calendar critical dates and proactively request extensions.
3. Prepare preliminary CD/Closing Statement and interacting with buyer’s lender.
4. Phone and email interaction with buyer, seller, agents, and lenders to ensure all parties are kept up to date on the status of their files.
5. Have competence in resolving title, lien, estoppel, and survey issues, and complete all processing duties so closing occurs timely.   
6. Prepare and coordinate closing including notifying all parties cash to close and seller proceeds, coordinate funding and disbursements, and obtain lender approvals.
7. Understand how to balance a closing statement and incorporate lender funding “net” or “gross”.
8. Knowledge of industry closing software is required, SoftPro is preferred but not required.
9. Understand how to E-record and the order of recording.
10. Understand how to issue title policies in a timely fashion.

Section 2 -      GENERAL REPRESENTATION DUTIES INCLUDE:

In addition to the title company duties defined in Section 1, candidate must be competent:

Draft and understand residential and commercial real estate documents including:

• Purchase and sales contracts

Closing statements

• Closing documents (including deed, bill of sale, affidavits, company resolutions, etc.)
• Loan documents (including promissory note, mortgage, assignment of leases, closing statements)

Due Diligence Activities

• Understand “Defined Terms” within a purchase and sales contract and prepare, calendar and monitor contract critical dates.
• Order and review title commitments, lien searches, zoning reports, surveys, environmental reports, etc.
• Review and abstract leases

Law Knowledge

• General knowledge of state and county transactional real estate customs and laws.
• Understand different residential purchase / sale contracts such as FAR and FAR/BAR contracts.

Title Insurance and Surveys

1. Knowledge of title insurance regulations and standards.
2. Review B-I title conditions and B-II exceptions to title to satisfy conditions and to determine whether the B-II title exceptions encumber the property.
3. Review third-party reports and convey pertinent information to attorney and client
4. Review surveys and point out encroachments or violations.

REQUIREMENTS:

A real estate law paralegal shall possess an undergraduate degree and a minimum of three years’ experience working as a legal assistant or shall possess a high school diploma plus formal and extensive training as a paralegal. In addition, the candidate for this position shall have at least five (5) years’ experience working in the real estate law section of a mid-size or large law firm.

Must have ability to process a volume of various types of real estate purchase and sale files and loan files simultaneously. 

Strong organizational skills are a must.  Must have the ability to keep up to date reports on each file indicating status of file and what is pending. 

Must have thorough knowledge of state and county customs and laws relating to real estate law, conveying property, title and surveying, condominium, and homeowner’s association laws. 

Must have strong computer skills and have the ability to use Outlook calendar system, SoftPro or other industry-standard real

estate software.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Becker is committed to diversity in the workplace. Workplace diversity refers to the protection, respect and inclusion of all of the attributes that each employee contributes to the workplace. We strive for a workplace that welcomes and respects all employees regardless of any protected class status, including, but not limited to, race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, age, ancestry, and disability. We also acknowledge the other ways in which people are different, such as educational level, life experience, work experience, socio-economic background, and personality and recognize the value of these individual differences.

We are wholly committed to creating hiring practices and a work environment that values and utilizes the contributions of people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

As such, it is the policy of Becker to recruit, employ, train, develop, and promote employees on the basis of individual qualifications, competence, and merit. We believe that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity and do not discriminate on any basis prohibited by applicable law. It is our goal to fully comply with the letter of the law, as well as its spirit and intent.