Real Estate Finance Associate — 3-5 PQE — London
Hybrid | Full-time
A well-regarded national firm is recruiting a real estate finance associate at 3-5 PQE into its London office.
The team
The practice acts for clearing banks, challenger banks, alternative lenders, debt funds and real estate investors and developers, on both lender and borrower side. Work spans investment and development finance, real estate debt fund lending, and secured lending against commercial and residential assets. Deal sizes sit in the mid-market, which means associates get direct client contact and real drafting responsibility rather than a narrow slice of a large transaction.
What you'll be doing
- Running your own matters from instruction through to completion, with partner supervision on the more complex deals
- Drafting and negotiating facility agreements, security packages (legal charges, debentures, share security) and intercreditor arrangements, on LMA REF and bespoke precedents
- Advising on structure and execution risk on both investment and development facilities, not just process-managing conditions precedent
- Handling due diligence, title review and coordination with valuers and monitoring surveyors on development transactions
- Supervising and developing trainees and junior associates
- Working with corporate, real estate and restructuring colleagues on cross-referred mandates
- Contributing to business development: client events, know-how, panel submissions and building your own following
About you
- 3-5 PQE gained in a recognised real estate finance practice — City, US, national or strong regional all considered
- Solid transactional grounding in investment and/or development finance, ideally with exposure to both lender and borrower side
- Confident holding client relationships directly and comfortable with autonomy
- Strong technical drafting and negotiation skills, with a good handle on security and title issues
- Qualified in England and Wales, with a current practising certificate
- Commercially minded, with a genuine interest in building a practice rather than simply processing deals
PQE is a guide rather than a bar. If you sit slightly outside the range but the experience fits, it is worth a conversation.
What's on offer
Excellent salary + benefits. Hybrid working, a clear progression route to senior associate and beyond, and a team small enough that your contribution is visible.