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n today’s high‑velocity real‑estate arena, a sluggish legal phase can kill a deal. Brokers and sellers typically control every detail until the paperwork lands in a law firm, where they must trust attorneys to keep the transaction moving. SeedJura’s founders, Geneve DuBois and Tony Alfonso, explain how a smart mix of technology and legal talent can cut that lag.
**Why the legal process drags**
After years of representing buyers and sellers, DuBois and Alfonso pinpointed two core culprits. First, lawyers are trained to eliminate risk entirely, which forces them to start from extreme positions. Bridging the gap then requires multiple rounds of negotiation, consuming time and energy. Second, many deals hand off headline terms—price, deposit, due diligence, closing date—to lawyers, leaving the rest to be negotiated later. Businesspeople can discuss most terms directly; the problem is that lawyers rarely provide a ready‑made framework that lets the parties negotiate the rest upfront. A pre‑designed legal template would let clients lock in essential provisions with minimal attorney involvement, speeding the process and reducing fees.
These bottlenecks not only inflate costs but also threaten momentum, sometimes causing deals to collapse entirely.
**Taking control of the legal workflow**
SeedJura’s platform demonstrates the impact of a deliberate, process‑driven approach. Clients who use its solutions report that drafting a purchase‑and‑sale agreement drops from two months to just three weeks, and overall deal timelines shrink from six months to under three. “To accelerate the cycle, firms must either adopt a platform like SeedJura’s or build their own,” Alfonso says. “It requires a fundamental shift.”
Creating an effective workflow demands lawyers who understand real‑estate nuances and technologists who can embed the right tools. Without that balance, firms risk ending up with a more cumbersome system—more work, higher risk, and greater drag.
**Can AI replace lawyers?**
When asked about generative AI, DuBois and Alfonso emphasize that technology is a tool, not a substitute. “AI can’t cover the full legal needs of a real‑estate business,” Alfonso notes. “Clients want solutions, not a laundry list of tools.” Real‑estate transactions involve human judgment and precise coordination among buyers, sellers, investors, lenders, and brokers. Automation can handle repetitive tasks, freeing legal and business teams to focus on the decisions that actually close deals. As stakeholders adopt more automation, the scope of what can be automated expands.
**Designing tools that work with people**
Experts must guide the creation and deployment of new tech. “The tools must fit into a well‑planned legal process, protect attorney‑client privilege, and address the real reasons legal slows deals,” DuBois says. “They should augment, not replace, human expertise.”
**Owning the legal process, step by step**
Legal is more than paperwork; it’s a lever that can accelerate the entire transaction. If firms ignore this lever, competitors will seize the advantage. “Business models have evolved, markets are faster, and deals are more complex,” Alfonso observes. “If legal doesn’t evolve, it becomes a bottleneck.”
Not every company can jump straight into a full‑blown solution. Alfonso recommends starting small: pick one document, such as the purchase‑and‑sale agreement, and own it. Ask attorneys which terms can be negotiated upfront, learn their meanings and risks, and pay for time spent building a repeatable process. Implement, tweak, and improve over time.
When legal is treated as a core part of the deal workflow rather than a black box, it becomes a strategic driver of speed, clarity, and control. AI alone won’t solve the problem; traditional law firms won’t change the status quo. SeedJura shows a better path: putting the business back in charge. Curious how to modernize your legal processes? Visit SeedJura’s website.
