How to Become a Real Estate Lawyer

About Real Estate Lawyer

A Real Estate Lawyer in India is a certified professional who oversees all the real estate transactions that involve real estate law. They are responsible for assembling and reviewing legal documents based on real estate affairs along with negotiating the terms and conditions of the transactions entailing real estate transactions. A Real Estate Lawyer is expected to have a thorough knowledge of relevant laws like the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, Transfer of Property Act, state rules and regulations, Standardized Building Bye-laws, Development Control Rules, West Bengal Housing Industry Regulation Act (WBHIRA), etc. All in all, a Real Estate Lawyer in India does everything, from a property title search to a resolution of a dispute in the real estate sector. 

Eligibility to become Real Estate Lawyer

• The candidate must have passed 10+2 and graduation from a recognised Board of education or university with not less than 50% marks in aggregate. If the candidate is applying for LL.M, then he/she must hold an LLB degree.

• Must have a valid law entrance exam score accepted by the college one is seeking admission to. Some of the popular law entrance exams in India are CLAT, AILET, LSAT India, etc.

• There could an age restriction which may vary according to the degree and the institute. 

Note: The eligibility criteria to pursue a course in Real Estate Law shall vary from college to college and degree to degree. 
 

Types of Job Roles Real Estate Lawyer

Real Estate Law is another field of law that is every-growing. It does not matter is the real estate industry is going through boom or bust, the need for lawyers in the sector will never cease. Find all the popular job positions or job roles that a Real Estate Lawyer can explore in India:

Property Dispute Lawyers

The Property Dispute Lawyers in India are expected to give sound advice on the purchase, lease or license of property for residential, commercial or industrial purposes. They also assist clients in obtaining pre and post-construction licenses, approvals, and permits for the development of real estate projects.

Property Advocate

The responsibilities of a Property Advocate or Lawyer will include filing civil suits pertaining to property matters, partition suits, specific performance matters, lease, license and other related matters, family estate distribution matters, rent matters, stay on demolition matters, arbitration proceedings in property matters, implementation of arbitration awards, etc.

Assistant Manager (Legal)- Real Estate Division

An Assistant Manager (Legal) in the Real Estate division may be responsible for managing all consumer litigations at RERA/NCDRC/High courts/NCLT, managing all civil litigations at High courts & other forums, conducting land/property-related due diligence, documentation including Agreements, Mutations, etc.

RERA Lawyer

RERA Lawyers are special lawyers in the Real Estate sector who handle RERA complaints. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 law was introduced to protect and safeguard the interests of homebuyers in India.

Legal Advisor- Real Estate

A Real Estate Law Advisor offers legal advice to those with real estate issues about topics related to sale, bankruptcy, easement and foreclosure. 

Employment Sector/Industry for Real Estate Lawyer

Some of the major employment sectors/industries that hire Real Estate Lawyers have been given below:

• Law firms

• Government Firms or Public Departments

• State Government- Real Estate Regulatory Authority

• Real Estate Companies

Top Recruiting Companies for a Real Estate Lawyer

Some of the top recruiting companies for a Real Estate Lawyer have been given below:

• AZB & Partners

• Hariani & Co., Advocates and Solicitors

• Khaitan & Co LLP

• L&L Partners Law Offices

• Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

• Real Estate Regulatory Authority

• DSK Legal

Pay Scale/Salary of Real Estate Lawyer

The pay scale or salary of a Real Estate Lawyer will depend on various factors such as the profile of the job, job location, academic background, prior work experience, etc. Find the starting salary, mid-level salary and senior-level salary for each job real estate law job profile in the table below:

Note: The figures given in the above table are an estimate which may vary from individual to individual and company to company.

Books & Study Material to Become Real Estate Lawyer

If you want to pursue a career in Real Estate Law, you can refer to the books or study material given below:

• Indian Real Estate Law 2016 by Dr K Natarajan, Mr. B Nedunchezhiyan

• Guide to Real Estate (Regulation & Development Act, 2016 (2019-2020) Session by Kapil Goyal CA

• GST on Real Estate Law & Procedure by CA Pritam Mahure

• Law relating to Real Estate Regulation in India by M.V. Durga Prasad

Pros of becoming a Real Estate Lawyer

• Apart from enjoying the everyday developments in the sector, a Real Estate Lawyer also gets to enjoy decent pay.

• The industry gives you the opportunity to be your own boss and still earn more than lawyers who work at a law firm. Almost 50% of the Real Estate Lawyers in the country prefer to be self-employed. 

• There is never an end to the number of opportunities in the real estate industry.

• A good Real Estate Lawyer often finds it easy to make partners at a law firm.

• As mentioned earlier, no matter what the industry is going through, there will always be a requirement of a Real Estate Lawyer. 

Cons of becoming a Real Estate Lawyer

• A real estate lawyer is expected to have an extensive educational background in the field. 

• In order to be able to practice, you must enrol yourself in the State Bar Council and pass the All India Bar Examination (AIBE).

• Long hours of work and research.

• High levels of stress.

• Many clients do not want to spend enough money on Real Estate Lawyers.