Contributed by - Tony Slagle – Deputy Executive Director

Austin, TX – The Texas Real Estate Commission and Appraiser Licensing & Certification Board is pleased to announce the agency has won two coveted Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) Communications Awards. One is for the new integrated communications plan, and the other for Board and Commission meeting communications. The agency will be recognized for these achievements and will make presentations on these topics at the ARELLO Annual Conference on September 28^th, 2018.

At the Commission Meeting on Monday, August 13, 2018, the Commission adopted changes to the advertising rules (§535.155) allowing Broker team names to include the term "realty," so long as the other requirements for team names are met. For example, a team name must still end with the word “team” or “group.” A team name of “John Doe Realty Group” is allowed, but a team name of “John Doe Realty” is not.

Many of you know that the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) and the Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB) is currently undergoing a review by the staff of the Sunset Advisory Commission. But what is a Sunset review and why is it necessary?

In the mid-1970s, many states, including Texas, established Sunset laws as a method to introduce an additional level of accountability for state agencies. Here’s a breakdown of how the process works in Texas:

The Texas Real Estate Commission takes pride in providing high quality education and licensing services, and effective consumer protection across Texas. In recent months, there have been significant issues with the quality of customer service we are providing to consumers and to our license holders. I take personal responsibility for addressing these issues. I want you to know that I – along with the entire Texas Real Estate Commission staff – recognize your frustrations, and we are committed to solving these issues.