Real Estate Associate - Award Winning Firm

Hunters Legal is proud to be working with this award-winning, purpose-driven City firm to recruit a Real Estate Associate. Renowned for its work with charities and mission-led organisations, the firm offers an exceptional opportunity for a lawyer to join a collaborative real estate team and make a real impact from day one.

Why this firm?

This is an award-winning, purpose-driven City law firm with a strong reputation for innovation and social impact. Recognised globally as the market-leading UK firm for charities and mission-led organisations, its commercial teams are also committed to using the law as a force for good and driving positive change from within the legal sector.

Its values are key to its success, and new joiners can make a real impact from day one.

This is a firm with a standout and authentic commitment to a triple bottom line, where profit is never prioritised over people and planet.

The role

This position offers the opportunity for a bright, energetic lawyer with an interest in business development to support a diverse range of clients as part of a collaborative real estate team. The successful candidate will be a team player and take responsibility for a varied workload, including acquisitions, disposals, secured lending, leasing, and general property work. The role provides direct client engagement, involvement in business development, and the chance to contribute to wider team projects, all within a supportive and empowering environment. The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Establish themselves quickly in a busy team and contribute across a varied and interesting workload.
• Enjoy a high degree of client contact and take an active role in business development.
• Apply a positive and pragmatic problem-solving approach to their work.
• Prioritise effectively across a range of matters and tasks, with the ability to work autonomously when needed.
• Support a wide range of clients, including commercial organisations, financial institutions, social enterprises, charities, and organisations in the sports, education, and retail sectors — with a particular focus on the not-for-profit sector.
• Carry out day-to-day work including real estate acquisitions and disposals of both freehold and leasehold properties, landlord and tenant matters (such as granting and taking leases, lease assignments, underlettings and licences), and real estate finance.
• Work on matters with the support of partners and senior associates, while developing greater autonomy over time.
• Be part of larger project teams and contribute to broader departmental initiatives.
• Take on delegation and supervision responsibilities as appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

In this position, the Real Estate Associate will:

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and industry professionals.
• Provide high-quality legal advice and offer strategic, solutions-focused approaches to client matters.
• Uphold the firm’s expected standards of client and matter management.
• Continue building expertise to deliver practical, commercially aware advice and increase internal profile.
• Identify and contribute to business development opportunities, including supporting client growth and cross-sector initiatives.
• Stay informed and adaptable, maintaining awareness of legal, commercial, and market developments to respond effectively.

What qualities is the firm looking for?

The firm is seeking a candidate with strong technical ability, a collaborative mindset, and a practical, client-focused approach. Ideally, the successful candidate will:

• Be a UK-qualified Associate
• Have broad experience in commercial property transactions, including both sales and purchases.
• Bring a solid grounding in landlord and tenant matters.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, with a concise and accessible writing style and strong verbal skills.
• Think creatively and act proactively, offering practical solutions, particularly when advising clients with more limited resources.
• Be comfortable managing a varied workload and prioritising between matters with differing levels of urgency.
• Show a genuine interest in business development and building lasting client relationships.
• Work collaboratively and be willing to support wider team projects and initiatives.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and development, for themselves and, where appropriate, in mentoring junior colleagues.

Desirable experience includes:

• Advising charitable or not-for-profit organisations on property matters
• Familiarity with the Charities Act 2011 and compliance with its property disposal requirements

About the Real Estate team

The Real Estate practice provides expertise across all aspects of the property sector, from typical transactions such as acquisitions, disposals, and leases to development, funding, finance, litigation, and dispute resolution. The firm acts for an impressive array of clients, from the charity sector, where it is a market leader, to commercial organisations. Its experienced team is always looking for new and cost-effective ways to provide the best solutions to meet clients’ needs.