Good Prospects
There are many types of paralegals, of which the paralegal in real estate is one of the more lucrative in terms of salary, perks and privileges, not to mention exposure to many types of cases in the property market. Depending on location, education and experience, you can expect to be paid from $40,000 to $75,000 yearly.
Now, if you compare that to your total training costs of $3,000 to $15,000, it is indeed an investment in your future. Plus, despite the property bust in recent years, law jobs as paralegals in the field are relatively stable than in other industries.
Good Path
Indeed, becoming a certified paralegal in real estate is a very desirable career path. To start you off on this journey, the following steps are highly recommended.
First, you must develop the related skills for becoming a paralegal, of which there are many. To name a few, you must like reading books, researching files both online and offline, carrying on interviews to secure information, and presenting results in a clear manner. You can do all of these by learning all you can about the legal profession as well as in engaging in extracurricular activities aimed at developing these talents.
Second, you have to meet the educational requirements, which are fewer than what you may have expected from other law jobs. Basically, you have to acquire your high school diploma or its GED equivalent before you can enroll in a school offering paralegal programs. Keep in mind that taking your 2-year paralegal course in a school accredited by the American Bar Association is preferred although it is not a strict requirement.
Many employers do prefer it if you have a diploma from an ABA-accredited school. There are colleges that also offer 4-year baccalaureate degrees with the 2-year associate degree as the take-off point. During the last 2 years of your education, you will be provided with training in your desired specialization such as real estate.
Third, you need to acquire the necessary experience. Many of the law jobs available for paralegals require a certain degree of experience. There are many ways with which this is possible, of which becoming an intern while studying in the program, working in an entry-level position for a law firm and taking a job as a research assistant are the most popular and most accepted.
Of course, now that you have acquired the requisite education and experience, you can start hunting down the jobs that you want either in the public or the private sector. Keep in mind that it is not just law firms that offer law jobs for paralegals. You can also find work in hospitals, real estate companies and government companies, to name a few of the many job prospects as a paralegal in real property.
