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Real estate attorney vs real estate paralegal

The differences between real estate attorneys and real estate paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a real estate attorney has an average salary of $98,016, which is higher than the $68,387 average annual salary of a real estate paralegal.

The top three skills for a real estate attorney include law firm, litigation and legal advice. The most important skills for a real estate paralegal are law firm, litigation, and due diligence.

Real estate attorney vs real estate paralegal overview

Real Estate AttorneyReal Estate Paralegal
Yearly salary$98,016$68,387
Hourly rate$47.12$32.88
Growth rate7%14%
Number of jobs22,44424,369
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4946
Years of experience-12

What does a real estate attorney do?

Real estate account executives manage the logistics of commercial or residential real estate accounts. Responsibilities include understanding prospective deals, as well as presenting them to the investment committee, and negotiating and closing transactions. They typically have a solid background in math and computer skills and a good sense of integrity.

What does a real estate paralegal do?

A Real Estate Paralegal helps real estate lawyers with a variety of tasks, such as offering advice to clients, doing research, and preparing documents. They collaborate with landlords, housing managers, or other real estate personnel.

Real estate attorney vs real estate paralegal salary

Real estate attorneys and real estate paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.

Real Estate AttorneyReal Estate Paralegal
Average salary$98,016$68,387
Salary rangeBetween $67,000 And $143,000Between $49,000 And $94,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companySullivan & WorcesterKane Russell Coleman Logan
Best paying industryEnergyFinance

Differences between real estate attorney and real estate paralegal education

There are a few differences between a real estate attorney and a real estate paralegal in terms of educational background:

Real Estate AttorneyReal Estate Paralegal
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorLawLegal Support Services
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Real estate attorney vs real estate paralegal demographics

Here are the differences between real estate attorneys' and real estate paralegals' demographics:

Real Estate AttorneyReal Estate Paralegal
Average age4946
Gender ratioMale, 51.1% Female, 48.9%Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 81.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.0% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%9%

Differences between real estate attorney and real estate paralegal duties and responsibilities

Real estate attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage sales staff inside of the branch to proper real estate loanorigination, servicing, cross-selling and follow-ups.
  • Manage outside counsel for representation and litigation on various matters including leasehold disputes.
  • Prepare probate documents including filing necessary appointments, notice and assents, and powers of sale.
  • Prepare construction loan status reports, develop new business opportunities, and engage in cross-selling of products.
  • Present at seminars to local professionals on foreclosure and short sale topics
  • Negotiate alternatives to foreclosure with bank lenders on behalf of low-income persons facing foreclosure.
  • Show more

Real estate paralegal example responsibilities.

  • Manage BPO and MMR reports on properties.
  • Manage a social marketing image for the agency (Facebook).
  • Manage national referrals for quiet title actions, injunctions, wrongful foreclosures, and appeals.
  • Achieve sole responsibility for administration of all estates and guardianships.
  • Communicate directly with lenders in various states, completing affidavits and ensuring that they are properly record and organize.
  • Prepare forms for the MLS submission.
  • Show more

Real estate attorney vs real estate paralegal skills

Common real estate attorney skills
  • Law Firm, 15%
  • Litigation, 11%
  • Legal Advice, 6%
  • Due Diligence, 6%
  • Legal Research, 5%
  • Sale Agreements, 5%
Common real estate paralegal skills
  • Law Firm, 14%
  • Litigation, 9%
  • Due Diligence, 9%
  • Probate, 4%
  • Estoppel, 4%
  • Affidavits, 4%

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