AUSTIN, TX - The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) is pleased to welcome Abby Lee as Deputy General Counsel of the Texas Real Estate Commission effective October 20, 2020.

Prior to joining TREC, Abby worked as in-house counsel for Texas REALTORS® for nearly eight years. During that time, she served as the Association’s liaison to the Texas Real Estate Commission—attending meetings, monitoring rulemaking, and working with TREC staff. Most recently, Abby served as an assistant general counsel for the Texas Medical Association.

Yes, but only if the business entity is licensed by TREC. A business entity owned by a broker or a sales agent that receives compensation on behalf of a license holder must hold a business entity broker’s license. If a business entity receives such compensation and does not hold a license, the business entity is engaging in unlicensed activity and the Commission can take action against the entity.

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.

The Commission adopted rules at the August meeting that implement significant changes to the education, experience, and exam requirements for real estate and professional inspectors.  These changes are a reflection of the Agency’s commitment to making pre-licensing requirements more impactful while minimizing undue burdens on new applicants entering the industry. 

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.  

The Commission has proposed several rule changes based on recommendations made by the Broker Lawyer Committee. The revisions to the TREC standard contract forms address issues that have arisen in response to public comments received from the previously posted version of these rules in the June 12 issue of the Texas Register.   

The Texas Real Estate Commission has temporarily closed lobby access to members of the public. Our highest priority is the health and well-being of the consumers of Texas and our staff.  The agency will remain open to provide assistance via phone and email.

The contact center hours of operation are 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday-Friday.  Please call 512-936-3000 to speak to a representative.

Intermediary relationships have been part of The Texas Real Estate License Act (TRELA) for well over a decade. Even though these relationships have been well established, there is still confusion about how it works.

An intermediary is a broker who negotiates a real estate transaction between two parties when a broker, or a sales agent sponsored by the broker, has obtained written consent from the parties to represent both the buyer and the seller. A broker acting as an intermediary can make appointments in some circumstances.

TREC and TALCB have launched a survey to help gather feedback about the agency's websites. Completing this short survey will help TREC and TALCB better serve Texans in all matters related to real estate and appraisal services.

We value your opinion and appreciate your time. Thank you for participating.