Senior Property Lawyer
Name: Tracy Carr
Career stage: Senior - 10+ years' experience
Working: Office
High School Subjects: I attended school in Queensland so can't answer this one!
Favourite: If I had to pick one, I'd say English as that's helped me the most after school and during my career as a lawyer.
Further study: University
where and what: Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Business, James Cook University (Cairns).
"The best part of my job is closing deals worth up to $2 billion!"
THE INSIDE SCOOP…
What does a Senior Property Lawyer actually do? I provide legal advice to people who are looking at selling, buying, leasing or building any type of property. These people are entering into lengthy and complicated contracts as part of those transactions, and the contracts typically involve either paying or receiving significant money. My job is to negotiate those contracts for those people and make sure my clients are protected. I currently work for a business which operates from around 2000 sites in Australia, many of which involve brand new constructions. So it's a busy and fun role to keep up with their portfolio!
What does a day in your life at work look like? Property lawyers will tend to spend most of the time in offices, at meetings and on the phone, advising clients or negotiating with other lawyers, or drafting advices or legal documents. Sometimes we'll go out to site, but mostly we are solving problems from the desktop. With the agile tech that we have now, I can easily work from home or from anywhere else with wifi (even overseas!). If I can, I love making time for networking and mentoring, preparing or practising presentations for public speaking opportunities, doing some running and trying not to drink too much coffee!
What's the best part of your job? Probably closing deals worth up to $2 billion! Property lawyers don't get paid in commission (sadly!), but we do get paid good salaries and enjoy very comfortable lives if you make the effort to save your money.
What made you realise construction could be for you? My late dad was a well known economist in the property industry. As it turns out, I hated economics but I fell in love with property! I did some work experience at a local LJ Hooker office which I really enjoyed. So when I ultimately chose the legal path and stepped into law firms when I was approaching the end of my law degree, practising in property and development felt like a great (and natural) fit!
Tracy is open to engaging further via: Speaking at a high school.
If you'd like to enquire more, please fill out the form below with the subject name: "Tracy Carr" and we'll pass your message on.