The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) hosted its first meeting of the year in Austin with a room full of Texas REALTORS® in attendance to earn continuing education credit and receive updates from the agency’s staff and advisory committee members. Here’s what happened.
The Commission recognized these departing advisory committee members:
The Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee (TREIC) met January 27 for its first meeting of the year. The slate of officers was elected for 2025:
Because the Texas Real Estate Commission's latest form changes became effective January 3, the Broker-Lawyer Committee (BLC) focused much of its January 10 meeting on its continued conversation related to compensation, including the recent changes to Paragraph 12 and the disclosure on Page 10.
The Broker Responsibility Advisory Committee (BRAC) met January 15. It held elections for officers and selected the following:
For the Texas Real Estate Commission, 2025 opens with the first meeting of the year held by the Education Standards Advisory Committee (ESAC). Its January 6 agenda began with an introduction of new members:
Reappointments were also made:
After combing through 1,100 complaints during his 11-year tenure with the Commission, TREC Chief Investigator Roy Minton wins Investigator of the Year for a second time. The first win was in 2019. Both recognitions, by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), were given for Minton’s work in uncovering rental fraud.
Real estate transactions are complex, so many brokers and sales agents engage the help of assistants to handle the administrative details. Regardless of an assistant’s professional title—unlicensed assistant, administrative assistant, office manager, and transaction coordinator are popular—the real estate license status determines what type of activities they can legally perform in Texas.
The changes listed below, recommended by the Broker-Lawyer Committee, were adopted by the Texas Real Estate Commission during its November 4 meeting. These apply to all contract forms unless specified otherwise.
The Real Estate License Act (TRELA) says a licensed sales agent may not engage in real estate brokerage activity unless that sales agent is sponsored by a licensed broker and is acting for that broker.
In Texas, transaction coordinators and showing agents are frequently used by brokerages as part of their business model, but sometimes these models entail working for other brokerages. Here is what “acting for” your broker means in these situations.
Multiple contract form changes were adopted by the Texas Real Estate Commission during the November 4 TREC Meeting after being recommended by the Broker-Lawyer Committee (BLC). Some of those changes are in response to industry practice changes around broker compensation.
None.
I hope this message finds you recovering from Halloween and the election. In these uncertain times, I urge us all to focus on what matters to us most. November brings Thanksgiving, and with that a unique opportunity to give thanks. This year is one for the record books, but I am grateful to live in the great state of Texas.
The Inspector Advisory Committee met on October 12 via teleconference. There were some public comments submitted in response to the newly proposed Consumer Protection Notice, and most of the feedback was positive. The new notice includes verbiage to inform consumers that inspectors are required to carry E&O insurance, and that inspectors have the ability to limit their liability through the use of an agreement between themselves and their client.
October is here. It is finally cooling off outside and the hints of fall in the air give me a spirit of optimism for our future. I hope that is true for you too.
After almost two years of effort on the part of the Inspector Committee to restructure and streamline the education and substitute experience requirements for inspector licensure, the Commission adopted rules at its August meeting to implement the proposals recommended by the Committee. This long-overdue revamp of these requirements remove redundancies in the current rules and simplify the process to become an inspector in Texas.
We have made it another month in the virtual environment, and I don’t know about you, but I am ready to see folks in person again. The agency continues to work primarily remotely with a high level of productivity, maintaining a call hold time of under 2 minutes, and processing 5 months of renewals after the COVID extensions expired.
Hello to each of you. I hope you and your families are safe and well.
The Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee met via teleconference on July 20th. The agenda was reasonably short this time around. The education rules which change the pre-licensure process were proposed at the previous Commission meeting, and they have gone through the public comment period. After considering the comments received, the Inspector Committee voted to forward the rules as proposed, along with some non-substantive changes made as a result of questions raised by the Go
The agency has been busy over the last several months adjusting to the new norm resulting from the COVID-19 virus. We are operating almost 100% remotely, with only essential staff coming into the office to process mail, or deal with the various technical issue that arise from a remote workforce.
Last weekend we celebrated our country's 244th birthday.
Greetings to you upon the beginning of summer. I hope each of you continues to live well in this COVID-19 season. This is a season in which the burdens of each of us are personal and unique. Our agency will do what we can to ease whatever burdens possible.
The Broker Responsibility Working Group (BRWG) met April 12.
The Texas Real Estate Commission's Education Standards Advisory Committee (ESAC) is accepting applications to fill two education member positions by real estate instructors or owners of real estate schools, accredited by the Commission, that provide qualifying or continuing education. It is also accepting applications to fill four real estate license holder positions.
Multiple state agencies, including Texas Real Estate Commission and Texas Appraiser Licensing & Certification Board, are experiencing technical difficulties with the services we use to handle phone calls. The phone system is currently down as the Texas Department of Information Resources troubleshoots the issue.
During the 87th regular session, the Texas legislature passed SB 1588 which amended Chapter 209 of the Texas Property Code governing certain property owners ' associations (more commonly known as HOAs) to address a number of HOA-related issues, including providing greater transparency in HOA operations and leadership.
View today's Commission meeting in real-time! Make sure to review the full agenda and materials and follow along.
During the 87th regular session, the Texas legislature passed SB 1588 related to Home Owner Associations (HOAs). This bill requires TREC to establish a database to accept management certificates from HOAs.
The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) is pleased to announce the appointment of two broker members to the TREC Broker-Lawyer Committee. Broker members Dianne McCoy and Mary Miner were appointed at the August 2021 Commission meeting with terms set to expire in 2027.
As a result of the healthy Texas real estate market, the agency has seen an increase in new applications and longer hold times. TREC is committed to providing superior customer service to anyone who reaches out to the agency. Part of that commitment is a dedication to ensure short hold times and quick responses to emails.
In case you missed it, we have published the May "Coffee with the Commission" session. TREC Chair, Scott Kesner and TREC Executive Director, Chelsea Buchholtz discussed the latest from the May TREC Commission meeting and answered your questions about recently adopted rules, the legislative session, upcoming events, and more.
Broker business entity licenses were inactivated in error on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. The issue is resolved, and all licenses are restored.
None.
An upload feature has been added to the CE Posting System. The upload feature allows CE providers to use a CSV file to upload CE course completions for real estate agents, inspectors, and appraisers as an alternative method to manual entry.
The 87th Texas Legislature enacted HB 2730, requiring easement/right of way (ERW) agents to complete 16 hours of qualifying education prior to registration and 16 hours of continuing education per registration period. As a result, TREC will establish an education program for ERW agents.
The current inspector non-elective CE courses, 4-hour Inspector Legal & Ethics, and 4-hour Standards of Practice Review course expire on August 31, 2021. Please be sure all students enrolled in these courses are notified to complete these two courses before August 31, 2021.
The new 8 Hour Inspector Legal & Ethics and Standards of Practice Review course will replace the two inspector non-elective courses on September 1, 2021.
Education providers can electronically provide TREC their course content, text materials, quizzes, exercises, and exams using SharePoint. The only item education providers must send by mail is the application form and the required fee. Once mailed, contact the Education & Examinations Division to receive instructions for using SharePoint.
To expedite the renewal of qualifying courses where content, design, and delivery have not changed, qualifying education (QE) providers may submit the appropriate Qualifying Course Application (Real Estate or Inspector) and the Qualifying Course Renewal Certif
The new 8 Hour Inspector Legal & Ethics and Standards of Practice Review course is effective on September 1, 2021. This course replaces the 4-hour Inspector Legal and Ethics and the 4 hour Standards of Practice Review courses.
The current inspector non-elective CE courses, 4-hour Inspector Legal & Ethics and 4-hour Standards of Practice Review course expire on August 31, 2021. Please be sure all students enrolled in these courses are notified to complete these two courses before August 31, 2021.
The Education Standards Advisory Committee (ESAC) met on April 5, 2021. This meeting was held virtually and included a presentation from the Broker Responsibility Working Group (BRWG) Chair, Leslie Lerner. ESAC and BRWG have agreed to collaborate to develop recommendations aimed at better informing sales agents and brokers of duties and responsibilities to one another, which may include both education and experience co
New real estate inspector and
None.
If you feel there has been a violation of The Real Estate License Act , or TREC rules
File a Complaint
Customer Survey
Rules and Laws
Contract Forms