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Real estate paralegal skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Shelly Grunsted,

Emily Allen-Hornblower

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical real estate paralegal skills. We ranked the top skills for real estate paralegals based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.4% of real estate paralegal resumes contained law firm as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a real estate paralegal needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 real estate paralegal skills for your resume and career

1. Law Firm

Here's how real estate paralegals use law firm:

Scheduled/attended commercial and residential real estate closings at various title companies/law firms.
Provided legal and administrative support for bankruptcy and foreclosure law firm.

2. Litigation

Here's how real estate paralegals use litigation:

Manage litigation proceedings on assigned cases by interacting with assigned default counsel and Attorney Relationship Managers.
Translated litigation settlements, of building enforcement court proceedings, into legal records for judicial approval.

3. Due Diligence

Due diligence refers to the process of auditing, investigating, or reviewing done to confirm the authenticity of relevant facts. In addition to this, it also refers to the evaluation of a party's financial records to determine whether one should enter into a transaction with the said party or not.

Here's how real estate paralegals use due diligence:

Review due diligence and complete commercial transactions for national and local developers specializing in land acquisition, zoning and entitlement.
Performed due diligence examinations, including reading cooperative and condominium board minutes, title and survey examinations.

4. Probate

Here's how real estate paralegals use probate:

Attended initial attorney-client conference regarding estate matters to prepare and file petition for probate.
Interviewed clients and gathered necessary documentation for assessing and filing the probate estate.

5. Estoppel

Here's how real estate paralegals use estoppel:

Analyzed and reviewed of new and existing commercial lease agreements, estoppel certificates, subordination and non-disturbance agreements and lease amendments.
Prepared documents such as estoppel certificates, subordination agreements and commencement agreements.

6. Affidavits

An Affidavit is a type of written agreement or statement voluntarily created under an oath which can be led and confirmed by only those people that have been specified by the relevant laws. An affidavit is often used in such places and events as court trials, where a signed and written statement witnessed by other members or witnesses of the court is necessary in order to ensure that a witness or another person are telling the truth.

Here's how real estate paralegals use affidavits:

Communicated directly with lenders in various states, completing affidavits and ensuring that they were properly recorded and organized.
Recorded miscellaneous documents and affidavits * Investigated and help resolve landlord/tenant property issues.

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7. Real Estate Transactions

Here's how real estate paralegals use real estate transactions:

Prepared index and compilation of closing documents, organized and closed residential real estate transactions and attended commercial real estate settlements.
Researched, scheduled and prepared legal documents for refinance and purchase real estate transactions for residential property in Massachusetts.

8. Lenders

A lender is a financial institution, an individual, a private or public group, that offers funds to a business or person with the condition and expectation that these funds must be repaid. Repayment will also include the payment of interest or fees. Lenders have detailed guidelines to verify the ability to repay a loan and creditworthiness. They established the interest rate, repayment schedule, terms, and other key aspects of the money being borrowed.

Here's how real estate paralegals use lenders:

Handled closings of residential mortgage and commercial loans on behalf of institutional lenders and private individuals.
Obtained funding authorization from lenders after closing and validated documents were signed and notarized correctly.

9. Sale Agreements

Here's how real estate paralegals use sale agreements:

Performed reviews of title insurance policies, closing documents, proposed purchase and sale agreements, earnest money agreements, etc.
Prepare draft purchase and sale agreements, amendments, and assignments for FHA/HUD/VA residential property portfolios.

10. Legal Research

Here's how real estate paralegals use legal research:

Conducted legal research on federal, state and local regulations/laws using traditional and computerized research methods.
Performed intensive legal research as requested, using traditional techniques and computerized technology.

11. Settlement Statements

A settlement statement is a document that holds summaries of all the terms and conditions regarding a settlement. In the cases of a loan settlement statement, it fully discloses the terms of a loan and all details of the charges that a borrower needs to pay from a loan's interest.

Here's how real estate paralegals use settlement statements:

Programmed computer system integrating PowerCloser, WordPerfect and QuickBooks to prepare closing documents, settlement statements and disbursements.
Reviewed files for compliance and required documentation for closing, prepared settlement statements and provided figures to purchaser.

12. Real Estate Closings

Here's how real estate paralegals use real estate closings:

Assisted attorneys with corporate/civil defense and real estate closings.
Attended real estate closings as representative of condominium owner.

13. Real Property

Real property refers to the land, buildings, and every other physical thing on sight within a marked area of land. It also refers to everything physically and permanently attached to a given parcel of land including the soil. It goes further into the legal documents like the right to ownership, right to sell, lease, and use the land including all the physical assets on it. The term is also related to real estate and can be used interchangeably.

Here's how real estate paralegals use real property:

Prepared and edited documents relating to real property.
Traveled to various countries regarding the real property refinanced and purchased for title abstraction, examination, judgment and tax checks.

14. Residential Real Estate

Here's how real estate paralegals use residential real estate:

Evaluated and analyzed various residential real estate documents with emphasis on resolving title issues prior to foreclosure.
Performed independent work specializing in commercial and residential real estate including preparation of documents and closing statements.

15. Title Searches

Here's how real estate paralegals use title searches:

Ordered & reviewed title searches, payoffs, surveys, moisture & pest inspections, HOA and condo documents, etc.
Assisted and performed real estate settlements; Prepared Wills and Trusts; and Performed title searches and updates in various courthouses

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What skills help Real Estate Paralegals find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on real estate paralegal resumes?

Shelly Grunsted

Executive Director - Center for Student Success, Director, First Fidelity Integrated Business Core Program (IBC), Associate Professor, The University of Oklahoma

Depending on the job, but some that stand out: experiential learning experience, leadership skills, communication skills, problem-solving/analytical, internship experience, and collaboration efforts/group-work

What real estate paralegal skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Emily Allen-Hornblower

Associate Professor of Classics, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

No question our economy has been hit hard, and the job market will be very competitive, for students in all courses of study but those who have solid training in the Humanities, along with the strong writing and communication skills that come with it, should do well. Good writers and critical thinkers are essential across the board, and those who have studied history, philosophy, oratory, and literature at its source (that is, the Classics) are well equipped to be competitive in any market.

What soft skills should all real estate paralegals possess?

Che Dawson J.D.

Faculty, Highline College

Willingness to learn, professionalism (punctuality, collegiality), ability to work independently and take the initiative.

What hard/technical skills are most important for real estate paralegals?

Richard Olivieri

Professor, Legal Studies, Berkeley College

Hard skills are essential to working in a legal environment. Proficiency in legal technology such as how to eFile documents with state and federal courts, experience with the drafting of pleadings and discovery documents, and the ability to conduct legal research via free resources available on the internet, as well as subscription databases (e.g., Westlaw Edge and Lexis+), is important. There has also been an increased demand for legal specialists with knowledge of eDiscovery platforms, such as Relativity and Capterra. As evidenced by legal employers increasingly requesting that candidates produce a writing sample along with their resume, it is clear that legal specialists must have excellent writing skills.

Do you want to know more?

List of real estate paralegal skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a real estate paralegal resume and required skills for a real estate paralegal to have include:

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
Title Searches
Title Insurance Commitments

Legal Descriptions
Estate Administration
Foreclosure
Notary
Survey Review
Title Review
HUD-1
Conveyance
Real Estate Contracts
Title Issues
Commercial Leases
Estate Tax Returns
Attorney Review
LLC
Lease Amendments
Ucc-1

HOA
Title Reports
Title Insurance Policies
REO
Use Development
Commercial Loans
Subpoenas
Loan Closings
Financial Institutions
Loan Packages
Title Policies
Softpro
Evictions
Snda
IRS
Mortgage Brokers

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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