How to hire a real estate paralegal

How to hire a real estate paralegal, step by step

Here's a step-by-step real estate paralegal hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a real estate paralegal job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new real estate paralegal
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a real estate paralegal do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a real estate paralegal, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A real estate paralegal's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, real estate paralegals from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of real estate paralegals and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Real Estate Paralegal	Description	Hourly rate
   Real Estate Paralegal	Paralegals and legal assistants do a variety of tasks to support lawyers, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents.	$23-45
   Legal Administrator	The job of legal administrative assistants is to provide support to lawyers and paralegals. They typically perform legal research, manage schedules, and draft legal-related documents... Show more	$15-31
   Legal Clerk	A legal clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to legal offices and organizations to ensure smooth legal business operations. Legal clerks sort and distribute documents to the appropriate personnel, update information on the database, schedule appointments, respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, and document meeting objectives... Show more	$11-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Law Firm
   • Litigation
   • Due Diligence
   • Probate
   • Estoppel
   • Affidavits
   • Real Estate Transactions
   • Lenders
   • Sale Agreements
   • Legal Research
   • Settlement Statements
   • Real Estate Closings
   • Real Property
   • Residential Real Estate

   Check all skills

   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.

   More real estate paralegal duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your real estate paralegal job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A real estate paralegal can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, real estate paralegals' average salary in indiana is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level real estate paralegals 48% less than senior-level real estate paralegals.
   • Certifications. A real estate paralegal with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a real estate paralegal's salary.

   Average real estate paralegal salary

   $68,387yearly

   $32.88 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level real estate paralegal salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2026

   Average real estate paralegal salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$89,470	$43
   2	Washington	$82,337	$40
   3	Oregon	$78,002	$38
   4	New Jersey	$77,134	$37
   5	Colorado	$77,018	$37
   6	District of Columbia	$75,282	$36
   7	Arizona	$72,770	$35
   8	Illinois	$72,050	$35
   9	New York	$69,492	$33
   10	Utah	$68,512	$33
   11	Connecticut	$68,290	$33
   12	Massachusetts	$68,254	$33
   13	Texas	$67,507	$32
   14	Minnesota	$66,606	$32
   15	Virginia	$62,675	$30
   16	Maryland	$62,167	$30
   17	Georgia	$62,167	$30
   18	Florida	$54,816	$26
   19	North Carolina	$52,603	$25
   20	South Carolina	$51,467	$25

   Average real estate paralegal salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kane Russell Coleman Logan	$93,990	$45.19
   2	Walgreens	$89,578	$43.07
   3	Morgan Stanley	$88,496	$42.55	13
   4	Fidelity National Financial	$87,386	$42.01	1
   5	Simon Property Group	$83,001	$39.90	2
   6	Macerich	$81,186	$39.03	5
   7	Ross Stores	$81,051	$38.97	2
   8	Prologis	$80,813	$38.85	9
   9	Kent Daniels & Associates	$80,337	$38.62	16
   10	CVS Health	$79,296	$38.12	4
   11	Koch Industries	$78,950	$37.96
   12	Starbucks	$78,741	$37.86
   13	Holland & Knight	$78,211	$37.60	9
   14	Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton	$77,027	$37.03
   15	Fortress Investment Group	$75,827	$36.46
   16	Mission Regional Medical Center	$75,094	$36.10	1
   17	Citizens Financial Group	$74,726	$35.93	2
   18	Reid and Riege	$74,683	$35.91
   19	Richmond American Homes	$74,674	$35.90
   20	Ortale Kelley	$74,406	$35.77

4. Writing a real estate paralegal job description

   A job description for a real estate paralegal role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a real estate paralegal job description:

   Real estate paralegal job description example

   Are you an experienced Commercial Real Estate Paralegal who is looking to join a team that appreciates your expertise? Do you have a deep understanding of commercial real estate closings and everything that's involved? If so, the Boca Raton office of Nelson Mullins wants to meet you!
   
   Be prepared to hit the ground running! You'll be working directly with our Commercial Real Estate team's attorneys and paralegals. Utilizing your experience handling commercial real estate development, dispositions, acquisitions, and financing, you'll assist with daily needs including: review and analysis of title, survey and zoning matters; preparation of title analysis memoranda; resolution of title and survey matters; coordination of title and survey revisions with underwriters and surveyors; preparation of opinions of title and title objection and response letters; preparation of closing documents, including Excel based closing statements; coordination of due diligence and closing matters; managing closings and disbursements as escrow agent; compliance with escrow instruction letters, including recording and the issuance of final title insurance policies; and managing post-closing. This role will support the attorneys representing developers, construction companies and shopping centers and responsibilities will include the support all matters involved in facilitating the commercial closing process from inception through closing and post-closing.
   
   You understand that working in the commercial real estate field is an entirely different world. You speak the language and know the process by heart. You are looking to utilize your 3+ years of commercial real estate paralegal experience to help this successful team reach new levels of client satisfaction. Working under strict deadlines is a breeze as you're an organizational master with excellent administrative and legal skills. You work well in a team environment and can easily learn any new technology put before you.
   
   + Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university, or a paralegal certificate from an ABA approved program is preferred but not required.
   
   With more than 900 attorneys and professionals, Nelson Mullins has strong roots in the business community and an appreciation for new directions in the business world. As a Firm, Nelson Mullins has a strong foundation of community service and good citizenship. Our professional staff likewise promote these values, with opportunities to participate and play roles in various pro bono and community service initiatives.
   
   Our Paralegal Department Training Program, regular staff meetings, retreats, and paid professional association membership allow for continuous opportunities for growth. We offer quarterly and annual awards in recognition of exceptional contributions, and discretionary bonuses may be available to eligible professionals based upon performance.
   External Company Name: Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
   
   External Company URL: www.nelsonmullins.com
   
   Street: 1905 NW Corporate Boulevard

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find real estate paralegals for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your real estate paralegal job on Zippia to find and recruit real estate paralegal candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit real estate paralegals, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new real estate paralegal

   Once you've decided on a perfect real estate paralegal candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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