How To Choose A Registered Agent In Texas

Thinking well-nigh getting a real estate license in Texas?

The Lone Star state is probably the best place to start your new career, as the existent estate markets from Austin to San Antonio, are some of the hottest in the country. This is an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs, offer almost unlimited growth potential. And so whether you are planning to do real estate part-time or are making it your new full-time career, we are going to share everything yous need to know to become a real manor agent in Texas.

We'll cover:

5 Steps to Go a Real Manor License in Texas

Understand How Long it Takes to Get a Texas Real Manor License

Price to Get a Existent Estate License in Texas

Find the Best Real Estate Schools

How to Select a Texas Existent Estate Broker

Is it Easy to Become a Existent Estate Agent in Texas… and Succeed in the 1st Year?

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn how to become a real estate agent in Texas and sell lovely kitchens like this one

Steps to Get a Real Manor License in Texas

The Texas Real Estate Committee (TREC) requires that y'all exist In social club to become a licensed real manor amanuensis in the state of Texas, you must be at least 18 years former, a U.s. denizen or a lawfully admitted alien, and consummate the following steps:

Pace 1: Complete 180 hours of the Texas real manor pre-license grade canonical by TREC

Pace 2: Sign up and pass the Texas state real estate exam with a score of at least 70%

Stride iii: Consummate a background cheque by requesting a Fettle Conclusion Form from TREC

Stride iv: Submit an awarding to the Texas Real Estate Committee
- To submit your application online, just click here and select "Begin Here for Sign-Up" (it'due south hard to run across but it'south located under "New User.") You may also mail in your application merely the online form will relieve yous a bit of coin.

STEP 5: Select a sponsoring brokerage to officially activate your license

Sympathise How Long it Takes to Get a Texas Real Manor License

Once you lot decide to go a real estate agent in Texas, you're probably excited and want to get started immediately. Before you go out your current position, information technology's important to understand how long the licensing procedure can have in Texas. Oft it'southward 4 to 6 months. Here is what an average timeline looks similar:

half-dozen to 16 weeks to consummate your 180 hour pre-licensing course
1 to 2 weeks to get your national and state exam scheduled
two to 3 weeks for TREC to process your license application
ii to 4 weeks to interview and select a real estate brokerage

While this timeline may seem a little daunting, there are a few ways to expedite things. First, taking an online course is the way to go. Instead of attention scheduled in-person classes, two to 4 times weekly, you tin learn at your own pace online. Nosotros would besides recommend interviewing brokerages while yous are waiting for TREC to procedure your awarding, then you are gear up to hang your license with a banker as soon equally the awarding is approved. All in all, it's definitely possible to go a real manor amanuensis in Texas in less than eight weeks.

Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Texas

There are several fees involved when working to become a real estate amanuensis in Texas…

Pre-License Real Estate Course – $450 to $850
Background cheque fee to IDEMIA – $38.25
Fingerprinting fee – Usually less than $forty

TREC Awarding Fee – $185
Real Estate Recovery Fee – $10
Country Exam Fee – $61
Country exam prep courses or materials – $25 to $150 (optional)

** Full Toll to Get Licensed = $735 to $1,240

More Expenses to Expect as a Texas Realtor

Getting licensed is just the beginning! Many aspiring agents don't realize that there are several other expenses to consider when you are condign a real estate agent in Texas. Keep in listen that you are edifice a brand new business and there are always costs associated, whether you are opening a daycare, java shop, or launching your real estate empire.

Hither are some of the nearly common expenses:

98-Hr SAE Post-License Standing Education Fee – $275 to $600
Almanac License Renewal Fee – $110
National and Local Board of Realtors – $450 + each year
- Austin Lath of Realtors (ABOR) – $ane,533 annually
- Houston Surface area Realtors (HAR) – $469 annually + $150 application fee
- San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR) – $463 annually
- Dallas / Ft Worth MetroTEX Lath – $464 annually
Multiple Listing Service (MLS) – about $150 to $175 quarterly
Application fees to join local board or MLS – $0 to $600
Sentrilock or Supra eKey to testify homes – $100 to $150 annually
Business cards and signage – varies
Marketing materials and advertising – varies
Brokerage joining fee – $0 to $500 (average is nigh $250)
Monthly Brokerage fee – ranges from $0 to $350 monthly

If you add upwards the costs to go your license and the costs to officially become an agent, you volition likely demand to spend a total of $ane,850 to $three,700 to launch your new career.

** Total Price to Get a Real Manor Agent in Texas = $1,850 to $three,700

Acquire more nigh costs to become a existent estate agent in Texas:

Notice the Best Existent Estate Schools

To get your Texas real estate license, y'all'll have to nourish a schoolhouse that'southward approved by the Texas Existent Estate Commission (TREC). In that location are quite a few approved real estate schools throughout the land. Some are online, others in person, and a few do a combination of the two.

Here are a few of the most popular:

Real Manor Express
The CE Store
McKissock Learning
Aceable Agent

When shopping for the best online real manor schools in Texas, brand sure that they offer additional support for exam prep and sample exams for practice. Some offer weekend cram courses or exam prep courses to ensure sure that you pass the real estate broker exam on the first try.

How Select a Real Manor Broker

In Texas, you must chapter with a real estate brokerage in club actively aid home buyers and sellers. This is often referred to as the "sponsoring broker." Picking the right brokerage to work with tin be critical to your success as a newly licensed agent.

We would recommend shopping for the all-time broker once you've completed the pre-licensing class and are waiting to take your land exam or while TREC is processing your application . At that place are a few means to do this:

Ask around. Observe out which brokerages your friends and family have worked with in the past and see what they liked well-nigh near them. Don't hesitate to reach out to local agents in your area to see what they like nearly about their banker.

Research online. Once y'all've narrowed down your choices to 3 to 5 companies, exercise some enquiry online. At that place are ever dozens if non hundreds of YouTube testimonials and feedback from existent estate agents.

Bank check out Facebook/Meta. There are quite a few Facebook groups for aspiring agents and you'll get lots of (honest) feedback from agents at unlike brokerages.

Schedule interviews. We highly recommend meeting (in person, telephone or a zoom) with two or three brokerages, considering the benefits and committee splits can be dramatically different from ane business firm to the adjacent.

When researching and meeting with dissimilar brokerages, keep in heed that many are independently endemic franchises. Then i Century 21 or Keller Williams role could be completely unlike from some other that's simply x minutes abroad. The civilisation, training, support team, and sometimes fifty-fifty the fees and commission splits tin can vary from franchise to franchise.

Focus on What's Most Important: Support

While many newly licensed agents are looking for the all-time commission splits when shopping for brokers, we would highly recommend that you make that #2 or #iii on your list. The most important thing you should look for in a brokerage is how they support brand new real estate agents. Do they have a formal training program? Will you have at least 3 people yous tin can reach out to if yous have questions? Are they available outside traditional business hours? Do they have mentors – and what exactly volition the mentors practice to assist you?

Don't miss our latest article…

Is information technology Easy to Become a Real Estate Agent in Texas… and Succeed in the 1st Year?

You made it through 180 hours of classes, passed the state test and selected a great broker — congrats! The next pace is getting y'all mentally prepared to build a successful, thriving new business in the Lone Star state!

Your Texas pre-licensing form is primarily focused on learning the common terms, ethics, and laws when practicing real estate. The courses don't normally become into much detail (if whatsoever) on writing contracts, researching marketplace statistics, or marketing your new business organisation to observe dwelling house buyers and sellers.

As a new real estate agent, yous need to accept a fire in your belly! Your motivation and desire to larn everything you tin volition be critical to your success – especially in your first year in real estate. Many of you may be used to working for someone and being told what to practise at work each solar day, but that isn't the case in existent estate.

You lot are officially a business possessor, so it's cardinal that yous start focusing on:

Building your personal network. Beingness a successful real estate professional means having a large network of people that like and trust you lot. If you don't already have a network or sphere of influence, you'll demand to regularly go out, socialize, network and meet new people. One time yous've congenital upwards a substantial network, you have to observe means to stay elevation of mind with your network. This could include things like sending out a monthly newsletter, birthday cards, and connecting on social media.

Becoming a neighborhood proficient. If y'all want to be the go-to REALTOR in your area, you demand to know your local market. This could include touring homes in the area, researching new developments, studying the existent estate sales statistics, and letting as many people equally possible know that y'all are here to serve them.

Marketing and promoting yourself online. From blogging on your website to running Facebook ads, posting on social media and networking in local online groups

Understanding how to talk to potential clients. Information technology'due south then important that y'all acquire how to connect and communicate with people about real manor and how to overcome objections.

Kerry Lucasse and the Building Amend Agents team talk with hundreds of newly licensed real estate agents each twelvemonth. About have no idea how challenging the beginning yr or two can exist and how much you need to acquire to exist successful. This business concern is not as easy as it looks on TV! Existent estate can exist a rewarding and profitable concern if you lot are a self-starter who is 110% committed to existence successful and yous have the support of a bang-up mentor and brokerage.

Frequently ask questions about how to become a real estate agent in Texas.

Commonly Asked Questions

How difficult is the Texas real estate test?
How many questions are on the exam?
What if I don't laissez passer the Texas real estate exam?
How long tin can I keep my license inactive in Texas?
How do I go a real manor broker in Texas?
I take a real estate license in another state. Does Texas offering reciprosity?
What are the requirements for SAE and Continuing Education?
Is Getting a Texas Real Estate License Worth It?

Texas Real Estate Exam: How difficult is it?

Most agents will describe the real manor licensing exam as "not easy." There are 125 multiple choice questions for both the land and national portions of the examination and you lot must answer at least seventy% of them correctly.

One item to note: The National and Texas real estate exams are graded independently of one some other, so you demand to go 70% or more on each of the sections. If yous're still not feeling confident, sign upward for an examination-cram or exam prep grade.

How many questions are on the exam?

The Texas examination has 40 questions and the National exam has 85 questions. You'll take xc minutes for the Texas exam and another 150 minutes to consummate the National test.

What if I fail the Texas real estate exam?

It's not uncommon for people not to pass the test on the showtime try. They make information technology fairly simple for you to retake the exam, you merely need to reschedule with Pearson VUE and pay the exam fee of $55 again. A few items to note:

If yous neglect one section of the exam (i.e. state or national), you are only required to retake the portion y'all didn't laissez passer the kickoff time.
If you neglect one section of the exam 3 times, TREC requires that you accept an boosted xxx hours of real estate didactics from a TREC-approved school.

How long tin I keep my Texas existent manor license inactive?

If you aren't prepare to join a brokerage and officially activate your license, you may proceed your Texas real manor license inactive for up to one twelvemonth after you've completed your educational requirements. If you desire to renew your license, y'all will have to take the Texas Country Exam once more.

How do I go a existent estate banker in Texas?

In order to become a real estate broker in Texas, y'all have to have at to the lowest degree 4 years of active experience as a licensed real estate sales amanuensis during the threescore-month menses preceding the filing of the application. You volition likewise have to consummate the Qualifying Experience Report wiith a full of 360 points likewise every bit a list of transactions.

I have a real estate license in some other state. Does Texas offer reciprosity?

If y'all are a licensed agent in Florida or Michigan, for example, and would like to get your license in some other state, many United states states have a "reciprosity understanding" with one another. This means that you lot don't accept to attend any additional classes, yous just have to laissez passer the country portion of the exam to agree an active real manor license in that state.

In Texas, they do not take reciprosity with any other states in the Us. If y'all'd like to go a real estate agent in Texas, you will take to take the pre-licensing course and laissez passer the country exam.

What are the requirements for SAE and Continuing Education?

TREC requires that newly licensed agents take 98 hours of SAE post-licensing courses. Every two years thereafter, real estate agents are required to complete 18 hours of Standing Teaching (CE).

Is Getting a Texas Real Estate License Worth It?

Honestly, it depends on what your goals are. If you lot simply want to sell a few homes each year to friends and family, you lot'll take to crunch the numbers to see if the cost of getting and maintaining your Texas existent estate license is worth it.

If you lot program to leap in and make a career in real estate, so absolutely! The Texas real manor marketplace is booming. It tin can be a challenge moving from a salaried position to a commission-based business organization, and so it'south of import to have at least vi months of savings in the bank. If you don't have that however, and then you may want to keep your current job for a brusk period of time until you lay the foundation for your new real manor business.