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As a real estate attorney, your resume should showcase your expertise in property law, transactions, and dispute resolution. The real estate industry has seen significant growth in recent years, so companies are keen to find attorneys with the skills to navigate complex legal issues in this field. Your resume is crucial in demonstrating how you can help businesses protect their investments and achieve success in this competitive market.
In this role, your responsibilities often include drafting and reviewing contracts, negotiating deals, conducting due diligence, and advising clients on legal matters relating to property acquisition and disposition. To stand out in this field, your resume should emphasize your strengths and achievements in these areas.
As an experienced real estate attorney, you should emphasize your past experience in real estate transactions, litigation, and other property-related legal matters. Include specific examples of cases or deals you managed, and note the outcomes achieved.
Real estate law requires a firm grasp of local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Demonstrate your knowledge on your resume by mentioning relevant legal statutes, rules, and regulations you've worked with. This shows potential employers that you can provide comprehensive guidance in specific jurisdictions.
Real estate attorneys deal with the purchase and sale or property, from private home ownership to major corporate buyouts. In addition to preparing and reviewing sale documents, you may be tasked with researching appropriate state and local laws, including those that cover zoning, titles, deeds, and taxes, and with representing your client during negotiations and at closing. To succeed, you’ll need to demonstrate a good knowledge of real estate and contract law.
If you’re an attorney in a specific field like real estate law, it’s best to keep the focus of your resume on that field as much as possible. That also means it’s better to leave older or less relevant information off your resume to make room for more recent accomplishments, unless you have a specific older achievement that’s particularly impressive.
Generally, the more information you can fit — concisely — into your bullet points, the better. That means being specific about how the number of cases you’ve handled or clients you’ve represented, the sizes of the firms or teams you’ve worked with, and the timeline of any accelerated promotions.
As a hiring manager who has recruited for real estate law firms like Kirkland & Ellis, DLA Piper, and Skadden, I've reviewed hundreds of real estate attorney resumes. The best resumes that landed interviews at these top firms had several things in common. In this article, I'll share insider tips on how to write a strong real estate attorney resume that will impress hiring managers and increase your chances of getting hired.
Hiring managers want to see that you have hands-on experience with various types of real estate transactions. Instead of simply listing your responsibilities, quantify your achievements:
Avoid vague statements that don't demonstrate your specific expertise:
As a real estate attorney, your resume summary is an opportunity to highlight your most relevant skills and experiences. While a summary is optional, it can be a useful tool to provide context for your career goals and achievements, especially if you are changing careers or have a lot of experience. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it is outdated and does not add value to your resume.
When writing your summary, focus on your unique qualifications and how they align with the needs of potential employers. Avoid repeating information that is already included in other sections of your resume, and keep it concise - no more than a paragraph. Remember, your resume itself is a summary of your qualifications, so use the summary section strategically to add value and context.
Your work experience section is the foundation of your real estate attorney resume. It's where you showcase your professional accomplishments, legal expertise, and the value you've delivered to employers. Craft a compelling narrative that demonstrates your ability to handle complex real estate transactions, negotiate contracts, and provide sound legal advice.
Here are some key tips to make your work experience section stand out:
When describing your work experience, use powerful action verbs that showcase your initiative, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Weak, generic verbs can make your resume sound passive and unimpressive, like:
Instead, use strong, specific verbs that highlight your contributions and the impact you made:
The education section of your real estate attorney resume is crucial for showcasing your academic background and qualifications. It demonstrates to potential employers that you have the necessary knowledge and training to excel in the role. Let's explore how to effectively structure and optimize your education section.
The skills section of your resume is crucial for real estate attorneys. It's where you showcase your expertise and qualifications to potential employers. A well-crafted skills section can help you stand out from other candidates and demonstrate your value to the firm.
When writing your skills section, focus on the specific skills and knowledge that are relevant to the real estate attorney role. Highlight your legal expertise, as well as any specialized skills or certifications that set you apart.
Here are examples of popular skills from Real Estate Attorney job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Real Estate Attorney job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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