Job Description
Title Paralegal — Real Estate Transactions & Closings
Location: Coral Gables, FL — Fully onsite
Employment Type: Full-time
Compensation: Exempt salary and benefits
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., with occasional offsite closings
About the Opportunity
An established boutique law firm is seeking an experienced Title Paralegal to support its real estate and lending practice. This individual will manage the procedural and administrative aspects of transactions from initial file intake through closing and post-closing.
The practice handles commercial and residential real estate transactions, including acquisitions, sales, refinancings, and lender-related title work. The ideal candidate brings broad experience across the entire closing process, strong technical skills, and the ability to keep transactions moving accurately with minimal instruction on core title procedures.
Key Responsibilities
File Intake and Transaction Management
- Review purchase contracts, loan commitments, and related transaction documents to identify key terms and title obligations.
- Prepare and maintain critical-date timelines covering due diligence periods, contractual deadlines, and closing requirements; calendar these dates for the attorneys’ records and reference.
- Open and organize physical and electronic transaction files.
- Track outstanding items, anticipate tasks requiring additional lead time, and follow up proactively with the appropriate parties.
Title Processing and Closing Preparation
- Order title searches, commitments, lien searches, surveys, applicable third-party reports, and supporting documentation.
- Assist attorneys with reviewing title commitments, requirements, exceptions, and related records, and with curing title defects.
- Retrieve underlying instruments and exhibits, read surveys, and coordinate with surveyors.
- Coordinate with title underwriters, underwriting counsel, lenders, and transaction participants to obtain information and address outstanding requirements under attorney direction.
- Gather documentation related to lien releases, permit closures, and other title clearance items.
- Prepare standardized closing documents and affidavits using established forms and attorney instructions.
- Maintain closing checklists and confirm that required documents and information are ready for closing.
Settlement Statements and Closing Coordination
- Prepare accurate settlement statements and internal transaction balance sheets for attorney review.
- Verify calculations, invoices, charges, and payment allocations; resolve discrepancies before closing.
- Coordinate document collection, execution, and exchange among transaction participants.
- Provide complete, balanced closing packages and supporting invoices to the internal team responsible for disbursements.
- Assist with occasional offsite closings as needed.
Post-Closing
- Coordinate document recording and track the return of recorded instruments.
- Assist with preparing and issuing title insurance policies.
- Deliver recorded documents and policies to owners, lenders, and other appropriate parties.
- Organize and file all closed transaction files.
- Track outstanding post-closing requirements and assist with related administrative follow-up.
- Support routine title underwriter audits by organizing files and providing requested documentation.
Required Qualifications
- At least 8 years of relevant title and real estate closing experience; the target background is 8–10 years or more.
- Demonstrated experience managing the complete transaction lifecycle, from file opening through policy issuance and post-closing.
- Strong transactional real estate background, including familiarity with commercial and residential purchase contracts and financed transactions.
- Working knowledge of title commitments, title exceptions, underlying documents, code enforcement violations, open, expired and pending permits, encumbrances, surveys, settlement statements, and closing requirements.
- Familiarity with loan documentation and coordinating title requirements with lenders.
- Experience interpreting Florida Realtors and Florida Realtors/Florida Bar purchase contract forms.
- Experience working with First American or Old Republic title underwriting processes.
- Professional fluency in English and Spanish, with the ability to communicate about transactions with clients and other parties.
- Strong numerical and analytical skills, including the ability to prepare accurate, balanced settlement statements.
- Excellent organization, attention to detail, follow-through, and discretion when handling confidential client and financial information.
- Ability to work onsite consistently and meet transaction deadlines.
Technology Experience
- Hands-on experience with First American AgentNet, DoubleTime, and Qualia.
- Familiarity with Alta Star, Form Simplicity, or comparable software for preparing Florida real estate contract forms.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams, Adobe Acrobat/PDF tools, Dropbox, and Zoom.
Preferred Qualifications
- Recent experience in a small or midsize transactional law firm, with responsibility across multiple stages of the closing process.
- Title agency or underwriter processing experience that includes broad transaction responsibilities.
- Active Florida notary commission.
- Experience coordinating remote online notarizations, including NotaryCam.
- Familiarity with Simplifile or comparable electronic recording platforms.
- Experience with Clio for practice and matter management.
- Miami-Dade County residence preferred.
Working Environment and Expectations
This is a fully onsite position within a small, collaborative team of experienced attorneys. The role requires ownership of transaction workflows, proactive communication, and dependable follow-through.
Responsibilities focus on title processing, review and preparation of standardized documentation, and closing coordination under attorney supervision. Attorneys retain responsibility for legal advice, substantive legal drafting, and negotiation.
What Success Looks Like
- Transaction files are complete, organized, and current.
- Critical dates and title requirements are identified early, calendared, and tracked consistently.
- Settlement statements and supporting financial documents are accurate and balanced.
- Closing and post-closing tasks move forward with minimal reminders.
- Attorneys can devote more time to substantive legal work because routine transaction procedures are handled reliably.
Additional Employment Requirements
- Authorization to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.
- Employment is subject to a background check.
- Candidates must maintain a valid driver’s license and have access to reliable transportation for occasional offsite closings.
- Ability to sit, stand, walk, and work at a computer for extended periods; occasional lifting, carrying, or moving of files, boxes, and office materials may be required.
- Candidates must be able to perform the physical requirements of the position, with reasonable accommodation where applicable.