An unexpected illness, a new opportunity, a change in the market, or a change in your personal life: These are all common reasons why Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) license holders may take a break from the business.

Whether your break is planned or unexpected, setting your sales agent, broker, or inspector license to inactive status before your renewal or renewing as inactive is the best move if you want return to the real estate business in the future. Here’s why.

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) traveled to Houston for its May 4, 2026, meeting, continuing its initiative to host meetings across the state to increase transparency and accessibility for license holders and the public. This marks the Commission’s second visit to Houston since 2023.

REALM Portal Progress Update

A major focus of the meeting was the continued rollout of the Real Estate and Appraiser License Management (REALM) Portal.

You can request a copy of your license directly through your REALM Portal account in just a few steps:

1. Log in to your REALM Portal account and go to My Records.
2. Locate your license and click Amendment on the same row.
3. In the Type of Change Request dropdown, select License Reprint, then click Continue.
4. Check the confirmation box and click Continue.
5. On the confirmation page, submit your request.

A copy of your license will be emailed to you.

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) is launching a new webinar series to help license holders and applicants better understand how to use the Real Estate and Appraiser License Management (REALM) Portal. These live sessions will provide step-by-step guidance on common tasks in the portal, highlight frequent mistakes, and give participants the opportunity to ask questions in real time.

Keeping your business contact details and legal name up to date ensures you receive important communications and maintain accurate licensing records. You can quickly make these updates through the Real Estate and Appraiser License Management (REALM) Portal.

How to Update Your Information

Follow these steps to update your business contact information or legal name:

The Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee (TREIC) met January 20, 2026, to welcome new members, elect officers, make subcommittee appointments, and consider rule changes related to inspector education requirements and the Standards of Practice (SOPs).

New Members and Officer Elections

The committee welcomed three new members:

• Public members (two-year terms) Natalie Manzanares and Peter Charles
• Inspector member (six-year term) Greg House

The committee also elected officers for the year:

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) meets at 10:00 a.m. CT on Monday, February 9, 2026, at the Stephen F. Austin Building, Room 170. Find the livestream link, agenda, and materials on the meeting page.

The Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee (TREIC) met October 13 at TREC headquarters in Austin. The committee received updates from its subcommittees, discussed the timing of coursework, and license reciprocity between states.

Standards of Practice Subcommittee Update

The Standards of Practice (SOP) Subcommittee revealed their first draft of the proposed SOP changes. The subcommittee has been working on the review of the entire set of SOPs for almost two years now.

The Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee (TREIC) met July 14 at TREC headquarters in Austin. We got an update from our subcommittees and discussed education delivery methods, advertising, and the new Inspector Legal & Ethics and SOP Review Course.

San Antonio hosted the Texas Real Estate Commission’s (TREC) second quarterly meeting of 2025 on May 5. This also marks the Commission’s third out-of-Austin meeting: Traveling to “meet people where they are” is an effort started by TREC Chair R. Scott Kesner in 2023.