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 components.   

Choosing the Right Delivery Method

New real estate inspector and

New inspector pre-licensing education and experience requirements begin March 1, 2021.  The new experience requirement includes a 40 hour Texas Practicum, which must consist of a minimum of five complete and in-person inspections.  In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, TREC will grant a temporary allowance for on-site inspections to take place virtually, as long as the Practicum instructor conducts inspections live and on-site, and the instructor and students are able to interact with each other in real-time through both audio and video. 

On February 1, 2021, sales agents and brokers will be required to complete at least three hours in contract-related coursework as part of the 18 hours of continuing education (CE) required to renew a license.  For your convenience, and the convenience of your students, a “contracts” search filter is available on the Approved Real Estate CE Course List, which allows license holders to search for contract-related courses on the TREC website.  

The TREC Education & Examinations Division will launch the next phase of the education provider audit program in January of 2021.  TREC rule §535.67(a) gives staff the authority to conduct on-site audits without prior notice as well as enroll in and attend courses without identifying themselves as employees of the Commission. 

Course Applications and Fees

When preparing course applications, be sure they are filled out completely, all necessary documents are included and the fee is accurately calculated.  Course applications and fees received separately will be sent back to the provider. 

Course Evaluations

All providers are required to provide each student with a course evaluation form approved by the Commission or Board.

Qualifying course examinations must satisfy TREC rule 535.65(h).  This means:

The Education Standards Advisory Committee (ESAC) met on October 5, 2020, to continue to diligent work of the committee.  

Classroom courses for real estate license holders and inspectors require the instructor and the student to interact face-to-face and in real time, either in the same physical location, or though technology.  Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many courses that historically were offered in a classroom, are now being offered virtually.  In fact, the number of classroom courses taught virtually has skyrocketed.  As the frequency has increased, a concern regarding appropriate conduct in virtual courses has been