get a accurate estate license in Texas

Vetted by HousingWire |  Our editors independently assessment the products we recommend. If you buy by our links, we’re going to gain a plot to also honest construct a commission. Texas residents drawn to changing real into a accurate estate agent must first total 180 hours of licensed coursework to be eligible to sit down

get a accurate estate license in Texas

Vetted by HousingWire |  Our editors independently assessment the products we recommend. If you buy by our links, we’re going to gain a plot to also honest construct a commission.

Texas residents drawn to changing real into a accurate estate agent must first total 180 hours of licensed coursework to be eligible to sit down down the snarl licensure exam. That’s a long program than in most states. We estimate that it’ll take three to six months to face up and working as an licensed accurate estate agent within the Lone Principal person State.

In this text, we’ll take you by the Texas accurate estate licensing course of step-by-step, sharing the costs, time dedication and the total well-known substances you’ll must originate your new profession

Total 180 hours of class time

It’s good to total six 30-hour, TREC-licensed, qualifying accurate estate programs.

Submit your snarl license application

It’s good to pay a $185 price. As soon as licensed, you’ll get an eligibility letter and a TREC person ID number.

Background take a look at & biometrics

It’s good to post to fingerprinting and a background take a look at.

Schedule & cross the snarl exam

The exam is produced from 125 questions. You’ll dangle 4 hours to total it at a testing center.

Desire a sponsoring broker

When you survey a broker and file your TREC quiz, your energetic license will seemingly be issued.

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Requirements to get your accurate estate license in Texas

Getting your accurate estate license in Texas comes real down to relaxing your qualifying education requirement, applying for your license, getting your background take a look at, taking and passing the exam, and finding a sponsoring brokerage.

Currently, there are about 154,113 Realtors® in Texas, per the Nationwide Association of Realtors. Indubitably, Florida and California are essentially the most exciting states with extra accurate estate brokers. When it comes to accurate estate, the used adage that “All the pieces’s bigger in Texas” appears to be like apropos. [1]

Texas accurate estate license: Requirements checklist

In response to the Texas Exact Property Commision (TREC), a sales agent is a person who is licensed by the Exact Property Price to behave as an agent on behalf of a accurate estate broker and their customers. Moreover, a Texas accurate estate sales agent ought to peaceful be backed by an licensed broker as a plot to assign any accurate estate companies and products on behalf of their customers.

With the functionality to construct $6,559 month-to-month as a accurate estate agent in Texas, the Lone Principal person State has mountainous financial alternatives for someone pursuing a accurate estate profession. [2] Right here’s a counseled checklist to get yours began:

Be at least 18 years of age or older

Be a citizen of america or a lawfully admitted alien

Meet TREC’s abilities for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity

Fulfill your qualifying education requirement by polishing off 180 hours of TREC-licensed programs

File your license application with TREC for approval

Accumulate your critical fingerprinting and cross a background take a look at

Take and cross the Texas Licensing Exam

Procure a sponsoring brokerage

You dangle one 365 days from the date your application is filed to fulfill the total above license requirements. [3]

StockImage-Woman-Agent-vertical

The Texas accurate estate license exam

Texas requires all college students to total a TREC-licensed, qualifying course totaling 180 hours of faculty room time. The Texas accurate estate exam is divided into two sections, with 85 national upright questions and 40 snarl-centered questions. Texas allots 4 hours to total the accurate estate licensing exam. You’ll desire a passing grade of 70% to get licensed in Texas. [4]

Class hours


Hours

Passing grade


Questions

Decent Tip: Query a Fitness Option

Cost: $52

Sooner than you commit to 180 hours of qualifying coursework and invest a variety of or even a thousand greenbacks into your accurate estate profession, dangle in mind soliciting for a Fitness Option, or FD. For $52, TREC will survey at your file and establish whether or now not or now not you meet the snarl requirements to radically change an licensed accurate estate sales agent in Texas.

Even though optionally accessible, soliciting for an FD is a wise dash to get sooner than you label up in qualifying teaching programs, pay for an application, and take the exam. The results will come up with the arrogance to take that first step, vivid you’re eligible to radically change licensed in Texas.



Step 1: Total 180 hours of class time

Your first step to an thrilling accurate estate profession begins alongside with your qualifying education. You’ll must label up in and total the next TREC-licensed, qualifying accurate estate programs. Each course is 30 college room hours, for a whole of 180 hours. After you total all six programs, you’ll must take and cross the prelicense course exam.

  1. Solutions of Exact Property I
  2. Solutions of Exact Property II
  3. Law of Company
  4. Law of Contracts
  5. Promulgated Contract Sorts
  6. Exact Property Finance

Did you know?

You are required by law to get your fingerprints taken, dangle them on file with the Texas Department of Public Security (DPS), and cross the next background take a look at. Fingerprints on file for other businesses can’t be authorised. Moreover, a Texas accurate estate license are now not issued while you attain now not cross a background take a look at.

Step 2: Submit your snarl license application

Cost: $185 application price

It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also apply for your sales agent license online or by mail the utilization of TREC’s paper application. [11] To apply online, you’ll post your sales agent application and price the utilization of TREC’s online licensing provider. [12]

Need to peaceful you total any of the six qualifying accurate estate programs by an accredited college or college for academic credit, you presumably can even post a transcript to TREC for evaluate and that you just presumably can even mediate of exemption. [9]

After you construct an myth as a new person, you are going to pay the $185 application price and gather a price affirmation. Be definite to assemble and save this affirmation on a cloud force. It doesn’t pain to print a reproduction to dangle as backup. Subsequent, you’ll be triggered to email your price affirmation.

When you file your Texas sales agent application, you’ll must post your course completion documents to TREC. It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also email all six of your prelicensing course completion certificates to TREC at [email protected].

Expose: Your affirmation and course certificates MUST NOT be sent as one document. They ought to peaceful be sent as person attachments to your email.

After your online application is submitted and likewise you email your documents, you’ll must aid for TREC to approve your application. It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also music your application space the utilization of Texas’ Utility Position Tracker.

Upon approval, you’ll gather an email from TREC alongside with your eligibility letter and your TREC person ID number. Carefully study the eligibility letter and apply the equipped instructions to the letter.

Did you know?

In Texas, attorneys can’t get a accurate estate sales agent license with out meeting the total frequent requirements, including the critical education and examination. Many of the college and law college programs you accomplished to get your law diploma, nonetheless, can even honest depend toward the education requirements. To settle whether or now not you presumably can even honest gather credit for any appropriate programs, your transcript will ought to peaceful be evaluated.

Step 3: Total a background take a look at and biometrics

Cost: $38.25 processing price for fingerprinting

Applicants for a accurate estate license with TREC are legally required to dangle fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Public Security (DPS) so as that a background take a look at can even also be accomplished. It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also agenda a fingerprinting appointment by IDEMIA if you gather your exam eligibility letter from TREC.

Decent Tip

TREC encourages applicants to use the electronic fingerprinting course of. In most instances, you presumably can even steer clear of doable delays within the processing of application, as electronic fingerprinting is now not most effective extra factual, but sooner.

Scheduling the critical fingerprinting is as easy as making an strive for your myth the utilization of the TREC person ID number emailed to you ought to you applied for your license. It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also survey it up the utilization of your establish and date of beginning, as successfully. [13]

From there, you’ll be ready to attain your IdentoGO ID, which is required to agenda a fingerprinting appointment. IdentoGO by IDEMIA is a provider that collects and submits fingerprints by the Texas DPS. Since IndentoGO doesn’t salvage stroll-ins, you’ll must agenda your fingerprinting appointment in advance by booking it by their web snarl or calling 1-888-467-2080. To cowl the associated price of the criminal history document, a fingerprint processing price of $38.25 ought to peaceful be paid to IdentoGO. [14]

Your Texas accurate estate license are now not issued in case your fingerprints had been taken someplace else. What’s extra, your license are now not issued except TREC receives your criminal history document from the DPS and the FBI clears your background history take a look at.

Did you know?

Fingerprints on file for other businesses or submitted for some other plan (old employment or one other snarl-issued license, and many others.) are now not authorised for a TREC license. TREC requires accurate estate licensees to post fingerprints that had been taken at an licensed DPS snarl and are within the FBI’s required structure.

Step 4: Schedule and cross the exam

You’ve met TREC’s abilities, accomplished your required prelicens ing coursework, studied onerous, and handed your background take a look at… now what? With one 365 days from the date your application is filed to take and cross your exam, it’s time to shift your center of attention to the Texas Exact Property Salesperson Exam!

It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance dangle four hours to attain the Texas accurate estate licensing exam and the exam will robotically discontinue when the time is up. If you dash away the take a look at center, you dangle your official ranking document in hand – there’s no waiting around anxiously for your finally ends up in Texas! [15]

Administered by PearsonVUE, a testing provider company, the exam can even also be scheduled by clicking right here: Texas Exact Property Exam. It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also additionally agenda by calling (800) 997-1248 at least 24 hours sooner than your most well-preferred exam date. Whereas you presumably can even agenda your exam up to 1 calendar day sooner than the day you esteem to take a look at, right here’s discipline to availability, so it’s a official thought to agenda the exam at least a couple of days sooner than the date you dangle gotten in suggestions.

Where to take the exam: Testing centers

PearsonVUE administers the accurate estate licensing exam at the next take a look at centers in Texas:[15]

  • Abilene role
  • Yellow role
  • Austin role (3 websites)
  • Bellaire
  • Bryan
  • Corpus Christi role
  • Dallas role
  • El Paso role
  • Harlingen role
  • Houston role (5 websites)
  • Hurst
  • Lubbock role
  • McAllen
  • Midland role
  • San Antonio role (3 websites)
  • Sugar Land
  • Tyler role
  • Waco role


Considerations for energetic license holders

Whereas it be well-known to cross every the snarl and national parts of the Texas accurate estate exam, the national a part of the exam will seemingly be waived while you currently aid an energetic license in a single other snarl and handed the national a part of an ARELLO-licensed exam.

get your official Texas accurate estate license

When you cross the accurate estate licensing examination, the rankings are sent to the snarl accurate estate commission. After affirmation, you ought to peaceful gather your Texas sales agent license document from TREC by email, on the total within five to 10 industry days. [16]

retake the Texas accurate estate exam

If you fail the examination the major time, your ranking document will snort a numeric ranking bearing on to the failed a part of the exam. If you retake your exam, you’ll most effective must retake the failed part, but it be well-known to attain so within one 365 days from the date that the applying used to be filed with TREC.

Be aware that you just presumably can even’t agenda your re-examination at the take a look at center. You’ll must aid up to seven industry days for processing and re-authorization to be submitted to Pearson VUE sooner than you presumably can even reschedule the exam.

If you fail the exam three cases, you’ll must total an additional 30 college room hours of qualifying accurate estate education for every failed a part of the exam sooner than you presumably can even register for re-examination.

Step 5: Procure a Sponsoring Brokerage

You’ve handed your exam, met the total snarl requirements, and likewise you’re inflamed to beginning conducting industry as an licensed accurate estate agent in Texas! It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also attain honest that, as rapidly as you’re  backed by an energetic Texas licensed broker. Until then, your license will seemingly be sluggish.

It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also total a sponsorship quiz the utilization of TREC’s online companies and products. As soon as the broker has authorised your quiz, your energetic license will seemingly be issued, and likewise you presumably can even work as a Texas accurate estate agent.

FAQs to aid jumpstart your Texas accurate estate profession

If you’re a doable or new accurate estate agent in Texas, it doesn’t pain to dangle some additional files when deciding if a profession in accurate estate is nice for you. Right here, we present solutions to essentially the most frequently asked questions about getting licensed and practising accurate estate in Texas.

  • How onerous is it to cross the Texas accurate estate exam?

    As of July 3, 2023, there had been 42,857 sales agent tests taken in Texas. Of these, 24,881 other folks handed the accurate estate licensing exam on the major are attempting, per TREC. That’s an common cross price of 58% for exam takers. [5]

  • What ought to peaceful I ask on exam day?

    When it comes time to take the Texas accurate estate exam, guarantee to strategy half-hour sooner than the exam and label in with the take a look at center administrator. To be admitted, you are going to be photographed for the ranking document.

    Sooner than you enter the exam room, you are going to be asked to pat yourself real down to snort that there is nothing hidden on your body, and empty your pockets so as that the take a look at administrators (TAs) can take a look at that there is nothing in them.

  • What forms of identification ought to peaceful I bring?

    On exam day, you’ll be asked point to 2 forms of most up-to-date signature identification. [15]

    The following are essentially the most exciting forms of major photo identification authorised:

    • A contemporary government-issued driver’s license
    • U.S. Department of State driver’s license
    • U.S. learner’s enable (plastic card most effective with photo and signature)
    • Nationwide, snarl, or country identification card
    • Passport card
    • Defense force identification card, or military ID for spouses and dependents
    • Alien registration card (green card, eternal resident Visa)

    To your 2d get of identification with a reliable signature, you presumably can even bring any get of ID on the major ID list above or a contemporary debit (ATM) card, credit card, or U.S. Social Security Card.

  • What can I bring or now not bring to the Texas accurate estate exam?

    There’ll seemingly be a locker or valid role for you to store your interior most items. Don’t put out of your mind to expose off any electronic devices sooner than storing them in.

    The following items are strictly prohibited at some stage within the exam:

    • Learning within the testing center
    • Having company, web site visitors, or kinfolk within the testing center
    • Possessing dictionaries, books, papers, scratch paper, or other reference affords
    • Ingesting, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, or making noise that disturbs others
    • The utilization of books, notes, or other aids
    • Giving or receiving aid at some stage within the exam

    Violation of any of these insurance policies are now not authorised, and can result in being pushed other than the take a look at center and forfeiting the exam.

    The TA will come up with affords to take notes at some stage within the exam and some other items specified by the exam sponsor. You will NOT be given a calculator, so it’s speedy that you just bring your bear. Acceptable calculators include battery, handheld, or solar-powered financial calculators with no alpha characters (ABC, DEF). Calculators with mathematical symbols (Cos or Sin) are acceptable.

  • How lengthy does it take to get a accurate estate license in Texas?

    If you dangle in mind that the education requirement alone is 180 hours of courseworkthat will take you four to five weeks ought to peaceful you to focus on to handle it esteem a 40-hour work week. The Texas accurate estate licensing exam is famous for being hard, so the extra time you exhaust studying for the exam, the upper your probabilities of scoring 70% or increased the major time around.

    When you take into consideration the time it takes for relaxing your education requirement, filling out the applying, taking the exam, and finding a sponsoring broker, you’re taking a scrutinize at between three to six months to radically change an licensed accurate estate sales agent in Texas.

  • How grand does it price to get a accurate estate license in Texas?

    When it comes to reaching your Texas accurate estate license, you’ll must put money into your education up front. Pondering the doors this will beginning for you down the boulevard, it’s price the associated price. How grand precisely? Right here’s what you dangle gotten to budget for: [6]

    • Sales agent application price=$185
    • Fingerprinting at a MorphoTrust role=$38.25
    • Pre-licensing exam coursework=$500 to $1,600
    • Sales agent examination price=$43
    • License renewal price after 2 years=$110
    • Other miscellaneous costs=about $100

    Estimated total =  Between $800 and $2000 [7]

    Miscellaneous costs can even honest include programs you take as a supplement to the critical coursework, equivalent to an exam prep class. Another funding that is optionally accessible but very critical is a Fitness Option that is extinct to gain out while you satisfy the requirements for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity critical to be a Texas accurate estate agent. [8]

  • Does Texas dangle accurate estate license reciprocity with some other snarl?

    No, Texas would now not dangle reciprocity with some other states. Whereas residency is now not a requirement for changing into an licensed accurate estate agent in Texas, you are going to must satisfy all most up-to-date snarl licensing requirements to legally apply accurate estate right here.

  • Can I apply for a Texas accurate estate license online?

    To avoid wasting time and money, you presumably can even and can apply for your Texas sales agent license online. No longer most effective will an web application course of sooner than the paper application, but it’s extra valid than snail mail and is more inexpensive (incidentally, TREC costs a $20 processing price while you post a paper document for a transaction that is additionally accessible online). To apply online, post your sales agent application and price the utilization of TREC’s online licensing provider.

  • What’s the Texas accurate estate license renewal course of?

    In Texas, it be well-known to renew your accurate estate license every two years. Don’t terror, you are going to be sent a renewal behold about 90 days sooner than your expiration date. Until you gather this behold of renewal, you presumably can now not renew your license. It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably also, nonetheless, renew your license up to six months after the expiration date. As phase of the renewal course of, be ready to total definite persevering with teaching programs.

    If it’s been between six months to 2 years since your license expired, you presumably can even continuously apply for reinstatement of your license. Don’t let too grand time cross, though. If it’s been over two years since the expiration date, you dangle to reapply for your license … and retake the exam! [17]

  • What are the persevering with education requirements for a Texas accurate estate agent renewing for the major time?

    To will allow you to present great accurate estate companies and products to your customers, the snarl requires that you just total a whole of 270 qualifying accurate estate programs within the major two years of acquiring your Texas accurate estate license. [18]

    If you already submitted 180 hours of qualifying programs to get your accurate estate license, it be well-known to peaceful total the next persevering with education (CE) programs to renew your Texas salespers ons license the major time:

    • 90 hours of Salesperson Apprentice Training (SAE) programs
      • This involves 30 hours of Exact Property Brokerages
    • 4 hours of TREC Apt Replace 1 course
    • 4 hours of TREC Apt Replace 2 course

    The 2 Apt Replace and Brokerage programs are critical. After that, you are going to must opt two additional SAE programs to total the hours wished for your first Texas accurate estate license renewal. [19]

    It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance gain the list of qualifying accurate estate programs right here: Qualifying Exact Property Path List

  • Where and how can I take persevering with education classes?

    You’ll must total your persevering with education at least 10 days sooner than your license expiration date, and your put up-license CE programs ought to peaceful be by a TREC-licensed provider. Happily, there is a lengthy list of licensed CE companies and the programs they provide, which probabilities are you’ll presumably per chance well presumably gain right here: Accepted Exact Property CE Courses

    TREC-licensed accurate estate colleges and education course companies on the total provide diverse Texas SAE programs and programs to fulfill your required 98 hours of qualifying (SAE) put up-licensing education. Reckoning on the CE provider, there are several transport systems accessible, from in-person college room studying to online studying and virtual classes.

    When you total your CE requirements, you dangle gotten to:

    • Submit proof completion 10 days sooner than renewing your license. E mail proof to TREC at [email protected]
    • Submit your license renewal application by the TREC online portal. Be definite to aid copies of your renewal affirmation for your data. [20]
  • What are my alternate recommendations if my license is expired but I haven’t accomplished my CE requirements?

    If TREC’s data attain now not replicate completion of CE requirements at the time you post your renewal application, you dangle to pay a $200 CE deferral price or renew on sluggish space. By paying the CE deferral price sooner than the expiration date, you presumably can even remain energetic for an additional 60 days from your expiration date while you total your CE requirements.

  • How attain I post my license renewal?

    To resume your license and pay the renewal price online, you presumably can even refer to TREC’s Online Companies page. It’s likely you’ll presumably per chance well presumably must register if right here’s your first time renewing online.

    To resume your license by mail, print out the Renewal Assemble for Exact Property Sales Agents and Brokers and mail it to the handle on the get, alongside with $110 for the renewal price. All costs ought to be within the get of a single cashiers take a look at, interior most take a look at, or money pronounce payable to TREC.[21]

  • How grand money does a Texas accurate estate salesperson get?

    In response to ZipRecruiter, a accurate estate agent working in Texas earns $78,719 per 365 days on common, as of October 13, 2023. Right here is a similar of $37.85 per hour, $1,513 per week, or $6,559 month-to-month. [2]

    Whereas ZipRecruiter is seeing brokers’ salaries as tiny as $25,684, they are able to even also be as excessive as $132,089. And the broad majority of accurate estate brokers’ salaries is currently between $59,600 and $91,700, with high earners making $114,661 yearly in Texas. Take snort of that this wage common can fluctuate basically based fully fully on your employment atmosphere, diploma of education, years of skills, and the property market.

    ZipRecruiter scanned a database of hundreds and hundreds of energetic jobs published locally all the plot by the nation to gain out that Texas is ranked number 25 out of fifty states for accurate estate agent salaries. ZipRecruiter additionally experiences that the tip 5 role/cities where the conventional wage for a accurate estate agent is above common in Texas are:

    • #5 Wichita Falls, $82,180 annual wage
    • #4 Amarillo, $82,614 annual wage
    • #3 McKinney, $86,888 annual wage
    • #2 Beaumont, $87,258 annual wage
    • #1 Corpus Christi, $89,264 annual wage

    Exact estate brokers in TX: By the numbers
    154,113 licensed and energetic accurate estate brokers in Texas [22]

  • What’s the accurate estate agent commission price in Texas?

    In response to several most up-to-date surveys, the typical accurate estate agent commission price in Texas is between 5.59% and 6%. This common displays the total for every the listing agent and the client’s agent, and is on the total split between the listing agent (2.71% and up) and buyer’s agent (2.88% and up). [23] [24]

    Texas housing costs: By the numbers
    $300,090
    the associated price of the typical Texas home [25]

    22 days
    the typical time it takes for a Texas home to radically change pending

Pointers for finding a accurate estate brokerage

Woman agent with a male and feminine client; seated in an put of job lounge overlooking varieties

As a new accurate estate agent, you’ll opt a managing broker that you just presumably can even rely on for employment, mentorship, and strengthen. To make a preference essentially the most exciting brokerage for you, listed below are 4 issues to dangle in mind:

1. Size & Tradition

As you survey for a managing broker, you dangle gotten to examine their listings to your interior most preferences and expert targets. Is your plan to hitch an even bigger brokerage with an mountainous network or attain you desire a boutique brokerage with a neighborhood vibe? Enact it’s essential promote excessive-price homes as phase of a luxury firm or aid first-time homebuyers get their dream of ownership advance staunch? These are the questions you dangle gotten to ask yourself as you decide out on a managing broker.

2. Toughen & Training

Choosing a broker that provides the total strengthen you’ll need as a new agent is integral, so survey for a brokerage that provides comprehensive new agent training and mentorship programs. You’ll additionally opt a sponsoring accurate estate broker that provides administrative strengthen, including inputting MLS files, serving to with contract apply-up, and handling other put of job projects.

3. Lead Gen

Whereas skilled brokers will seemingly be ready to generate industry by referrals or previous customers, new brokers are inclined to decide on aid with lead skills to get going, especially while you intend to use your license to signify patrons or listings. Your most effective wager is to gain a brokerage that uses a system to generate results within the put of job. You’ll additionally must gain out who will get the leads and how they’re assigned.

4. Marketing

As a new agent, get it a priority to decide on a brokerage that is devoted to serving to you with marketing and publicity. When brooding a couple of brokerage, gain out if it will advertise your beginning homes and new listings. You’ll must ask how the brokerage promotes brokers’ listings too. Enact they use lawn signs and postcards? What about optimized blogs, email marketing, Google Pay-Per-Click, social media, radio, or TV adverts? Take snort of the brokerage’s files superhighway and social media presence as successfully. This involves their amount of social media followers and client testimonials.


Lead gen instruments, slicing-edge skills, marketing assistance, and training are key to succeeding as a Texas accurate estate agent, so survey for a brokerage that provides the sources and agent companies and products you dangle gotten to maximize attain for your customers.


The bottom line

Now that you just’ve realized how one can radically change a accurate estate agent in Texas, you’re ready to beginning a rewarding profession in accurate estate. Beginning a new profession in accurate estate ought to be thrilling, now not overwhelming! That’s why HousingWire will come up with the housing market traits, instruments, files, and data it is advisable like for every step of your accurate estate trip.

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