Solicitor, Real Estate - Residential Conveyancing

The role

Our Residential Conveyancing team has a new opportunity for a Solicitor to join the team in April 2025.

Howard Kennedy has a leading residential real estate team with repeat referrals from leading estate agents, buying agents, financial intermediaries and clients. We have experience, expertise and knowledge of the market and the deal process involved. The team is proactive, commercial and efficient and always keeps our clients informed throughout the conveyancing process.

We provide clear and straightforward advice and regularly support clients in residential and investment property sales and purchases, leasehold enfranchisement, planning considerations, and construction and building contracts.

Role responsibility

• Supporting all aspects of residential conveyancing transactions (Leasehold and Freehold transactions, including new build transactions) from end to end, delivering in line with client expectations and deadlines.
• Undertaking due diligence, preparing reports on title, dealing with elements of the contract and/or supplemental documents.
• Dealing with property aspects for financing transactions and certificates or disclosure of title.
• Acting for the landlord and tenants in connection with licences to assign, rent deposit deeds, licences to alter and deeds of variation. 
• Dealing with voluntary lease extensions.
• Assisting the Real Estate Dispute Resolution Team on matters relating to statutory lease extension and enfranchisement claims under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Development Act 1993 and Leasehold Reform Act 1967.
• Assisting the Private Client and Family Teams on matters requiring support from the Residential Conveyancing team, such as property transfers following death, property transfers following relationship breakdowns. 
• Drafting, negotiating, settling and completing assured shorthold tenancy agreements and common law tenancy agreements.
• Management of own files (subject to supervision as necessary).
• Assisting more senior fee earners on larger transactions.
• Responsibility for participating in business development and client relationship management activities.
• Assisting and mentoring more junior members of the team including Trainees and Paralegals.
• Dealing directly with solicitor and client enquiries, along with any internal enquiries.
• Ensuring that up-to-date client matter schedules are maintained for both internal and external use.
• Contributing where possible to the effectiveness of team workflow, including attending departmental and other appropriate briefings to assess current and future needs.

About you

Ideally you will be able to demonstrate;

• Relevant  post qualification experience within a high performing Residential Conveyancing department.
• Post qualification experience dealing with enfranchisement matters.
• Experience of working effectively across multiple matters in a deadline driven environment.
• Experience of transactions relating to prime and super prime residential property.
• Pro-active and conscientious approach to work.
• Confident and effective communication skills
• Experience of time recording using Elite or a similar system.
• Experience of using Filesite or a similar document management system.

Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Private Healthcare
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.

Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.

We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.

Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm’s values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.

At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.

As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.