As a commercial/industrial real estate agent this is an area that we may not always look upon with great love and affection. However, your ability to form a good working relationship with the attorney who represents your client in a deal is vitally important.

An unfortunate situation can easily occur in your transaction if your client decides to utilize an attorney who is not a full-time real estate attorney. This is more likely to happen if your client is entrepreneurial and one attorney represents him for every single one of his needs. Sometimes dealing with an attorney like this can be a nightmare, especially if he or she is not even familiar with the standard forms used in the industry in your territory. Anything you can do to have your client utilize a full-time real estate attorney who is familiar with your industry-standard forms will go a long way towards having the transaction go smoothly.

If you are fortunate enough to be working on a deal with an attorney who is reasonable, good to work with, and assists you in making the deal you are truly blessed. On the other hand if your client is represented by an attorney who wants to renegotiate the terms of the deal, reduce your commission, or considerably alter the standard industry forms that are used in your territory, you have your work cut out for you. In this situation your best schmoozing abilities and people skills are what's needed.

Keep your eye on what must happen for the deal to close and focus on accomplishing these things. You may need to sublimate and keep your own ego in check while catering to the attorney's ego. Always remember this--would you rather butt heads with the attorney and possibly blow the deal or do what will have the deal close so you can get paid? Sometimes while in the heat of the moment the choice is not that easy.

You have chosen to work in a business where you must adapt to working with people who have diverse personalities. Learning to work effectively with your clients' attorneys, regardless of the level of charm and personal magnetism they exude, will go a long way towards you closing more deals while keeping your sanity.