Imagine for a second you were swimming in a river, struggling to keep your head above the water. Then, when you think someone is walking over to help you out they hand you an envelope of legal documents to sign! This is what some real estate agents feel like right now. The market post-covid is already taxing on your sanity to navigate, then LEGAL.
At Arth Group we work hand-in-hand with attorneys all the time. Over the years we have developed a great working relationship with our attorneys. Instead of kicking and screaming about the sometimes-difficult legal process, we have learned to embrace it and find gratitude in the wonderful help we have in our attorneys.
If you are an agent, here are some helpful tips we have learned over the years, some from watching other agents handle this relationship quite poorly. Here are the DOs and DONTs of working with real estate attorneys.
DO use the right attorney
You will definitely want to invest in an attorney who works and specializes in real estate specialists. Choosing someone honest, someone available for your questions, and someone you ultimately have good chemistry with. Also, be sure to check how much the attorney will be delegating issues to their team versus working on your case themselves. The North Carolina Real Estate Commission shares these guidelines for choosing an attorney.
DON’T hire someone without experience
Do you have a family friend who practices another kind of law? Have they offered to help you out as a real estate agent? Maybe defer to someone with specific real estate experience, in fact, lots of experience. Feel free to ask attorney questions like, “how many of these types of cases have you handled before?” Or “how comfortable do you feel handling cases like mine?”
DO intentionally foster a great relationship
It takes time and energy to foster a relationship with someone new, especially someone you work with. When working with attorneys and paralegals, take the extra time to learn about them. Learn their coffee order, their birthdays, the names of their spouses and/or children. Send them thank-you notes, invite them to your holiday get-togethers, and even a night out to dinner. Work relationships can be so transactional, it’s nice to take the time to treat others, especially busy attorneys, with a little more love.
DON’T expect to be an attorney’s No. 1 priority
Attorneys are juggling multiple clients, cases, and issues, so do not take yourself so seriously in thinking you are the most important client. At Arth Group, we have seen this happen far too often watching other agents work with attorneys. Some agents expect the entire world when going into a legal office, but frankly, it doesn’t work that way.
DO have some patience
Everything we learned, we learned in kindergarten, right? Have patience with your attorneys, as stated above they have multiple clients and cases. Understand good things take time, even in a world where we expect instant results. There are people, not machines, working in your attorney’s office. So understand everything takes time.
DON’T expect something to happen overnight
Early on in the process with your attorney, talk to them about the best ways to follow up on what you are working on together. Ask them how you can express timelines with them in a way that makes it seem you are not being impatient.
DO rely on your attorney for more than closing
Far too often we see agents not utilize their attorney for all they can assist within real estate transactions. Have your attorney investigate properties for you. Ask your attorney to look into properties and see if they have a lean or if the home is tied to an estate. Additionally, real estate attorneys can help you if a purchase involves abnormal elements that could complicate closing contracts. Good attorneys can spot these potential issues ahead of time and make sure contracts account for the complexity of any given situation.
