Switching to Real Estate

[LawYertoronto]

Hi Everyone, 

Second year call here. I am currently a second year associate in the corporate/securities field. I am looking to make the switch to real estate with the long term goal of eventually opening a solo real estate firm. It looks like the real estate legal market is not too hot right now. With zero real estate experience is there any suggestions on how to make the switch or find an opportunity at a small/medium size firm? 

[infoinfoinfo]

Hi,

I'm a corporate/securities lawyer and I made the switch from general commercial law to big law securities when I had about your level of experience.

In short, you're so green that any switch is currently doable.

I assume that if you're doing securities, you're currently working in big law. The name of your firm alone on your curriculum should be enough to make the switch.

Now if I were you I'd be careful not to end-up in the real estate group of a full-service law firm which heavily depends on corp. 

[Mountebank]

If you're looking to go solo, then I assume it's residential you're mainly interested in.

This is unfortunately not a great time for hiring on the residential side. Small/medium firms are largely adopting a wait and see approach. Not yet shedding staff but not looking for new talent either. Certainly not looking to train.

I'd recommend focusing more on opportunities for solicitor work generally and signal a desire to get more experience on the real estate side when and as opportunities become available. There is a need in some parts of the province for corporate/commercial solicitors. I'd suggest starting there since you already have some experience.

[Case]

On 3/13/2023 at 7:54 PM, LawYertoronto said:

Hi Everyone, 

Second year call here. I am currently a second year associate in the corporate/securities field. I am looking to make the switch to real estate with the long term goal of eventually opening a solo real estate firm. It looks like the real estate legal market is not too hot right now. With zero real estate experience is there any suggestions on how to make the switch or find an opportunity at a small/medium size firm? 

Where do you want to work? 

I am a solo real estate practitioner and I can say that in my smaller community, a lot of firms are kind of falling apart. Staffing issues on the clerk side, burnout, older lawyers retiring... I feel like a hungry young lawyer would get gobbled up pretty quickly once they started to put feelers out. There are a couple of offices in my town that have hired green lawyers or articling students and they have them trying to get up to speed on the RE side. 

Like, I have peers referring stuff to me because they don't have the time or remaining expertise in their office/firm to do somewhat basic things like a Registry Act closing or a simple severance.