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You must be at least 18 years of age and a citizen of the United States or a legally admitted alien residing in Texas. You must also meet conditions and licensing requirements set forth by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), the governing body that regulates the sale of real estate in Texas.
According to Judon Fambrough, Senior Lecturer and Attorney at Law for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, TREC mandates six requirements for real estate salesperson licensure:
•Complete educational courses
•Be of high moral character
•Have your fingerprints on file with Department of Public Service
•Pass the real estate exam
•Obtain an inactive real estate license
•Obtain an active license and broker sponsorship - Not everyone who applies for a license is accepted. TREC requires that you have at least a high school diploma and no felony convictions. Before signing up for real estate classes, you must file an application with TREC, along with a copy of your diploma and any transcripts of any post-secondary education. At TREC's discretion, college credit may be applied to reduce the total number of courses needed. Once approved, you may register for classes. There is a fee for the evaluation.
- You must complete a total of 270 core classroom hours (nine courses) designated by TREC, and obtain a passing grade on each course exam. After you have submitted proof of your scores to TREC, you will be allowed to take the real estate licensing exam. A list of TREC-approved schools can be found on the TREC website under the education and exams tab at http://www.trec.state.tx.us/.
- All applicants must have their fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Safety. Obtain a Fast Pass form, available for download at the TREC website, and follow the directions to set up an appointment for fingerprinting.
- The cost of real estate courses is not a regulated fee; costs are based on current tuition or fees at local schools and are usually more with online schools. Many schools offer discounts for early registration. At colleges and universities, regular semester fees can be applied toward real estate courses. Other fees include application fee, state recovery account fee, and exam fee.
- Psychological Services, Inc. (PSI) is the testing service authorized by TREC to administer the licensing exam. Once you have filed proof of passing grades on the educational exams, PSI will give you a copy of the Candidate Information Brochure, which contains exam study material and instructs you how to make a reservation for taking the test. There are more than 70 exam locations within Texas.
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After you have passed the salesperson licensing exam, you will be given an inactive license. You may not engage in any real estate transaction until you have received an active license, which requires a sponsoring broker to fill out a sponsorship form and send it back to TREC for approval. All sales transactions in Texas are taken under the license of a broker. Upon approval of your sponsorship, TREC will send your active license.
Finally you can become a realtor once you have a real estate license. Fill out the forms to join the National Association of Realtors and pay the professional association fee, sign the NAR Code of Ethics, and you will then be a realtor in Texas.
