How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Texas [The Guide for 2024]

Texas is an ideal state to establish your career in the real estate business. You may think that securing a real estate license in any state is difficult—let alone becoming a real estate agent in Texas—but in reality, it’s straightforward. In this guide, we take you through key steps of how to become a real estate agent in Texas.

Requirements of Becoming a Real Estate Agent in Texas

If you’d like to become a real estate agent and acquire a texas real estate license, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien (not a US citizen but hold a Green Card or have permanent residency in the US).
• Pass the Fitness Determination requirement outlined by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) on honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity.

One of the many interesting facts about how to become a realtor in Texas is how quickly you can get started. The educational requirements to become an agent only take several weeks to complete and can be done online.

Steps to Become a Real Estate Agent in Texas

We have listed five steps in how to get a real estate license in Texas:

Complete and Submit License Application Through TREC

• One of the first steps in how to get into real estate in Texas is to register on the official TREC website to get a user ID. Simply fill in your full name and email address, and a temporary password will be issued for you.
• Submit all six completion certificates (with purchase receipt) for TREC, showing the completion of your 180 hours training. (The fee is $205.00).
• Your background information form needs to be submitted with any other application forms, including your Fitness Determination form.
• TREC recently introduced a new tool (application tracker) to track the status of the applicant’s progress in the application process.

Provide Fingerprints With MorphoTrust

Anyone desiring to enter the real estate business is required by law to have fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) from TREC to satisfy the demands necessary for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity:

Why Should You Have Fingerprints Taken?

Fingerprinting is a must-have Texas real estate license requirement. The fingerprinting process is connected to a background check. They confirm that the candidate doesn’t have a criminal record. A real estate license will not be issued until fingerprints have been submitted.

Documents Required

You need to provide a Primary ID (state driver’s license, identification card) or passport.

How to Schedule an Appointment

The best way to schedule an appointment is through Bioaplicant—just click on the link, and you’ll be redirected to the official site of the fingerprint background check.

Fee

A fee of $99.00 is charged to each candidate who has scheduled an appointment. The fee should be payable to MorphoTrust USA with your fingerprinting process.

Locations in Texas

MorphoTrust provides 20 locations in Texas. (For a clear presentation, click on the link.)

NOTE: If fingerprints are unreadable (for a second time), TREC is required to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to search for your profile.

Real Estate Education

When it comes to education, here’s what you should know:

The 180 Hours of Education

Completing the required hours enables you to complete the steps in obtaining a Texas real estate license.

Learn and Grow in One of the Best Schools

A school that is approved by TREC in the completion of your 180 hours training includes the Van Education Center (VanED), where you can take classes at your own pace. Another avenue in achieving your 180 hours is to sign up with the CE Shop (an online real estate education platform). They offer updated courses that will help you optimize your study.

What Do These Schools Offer?

Both education centers offer digital flashcards, a real estate glossary, and a study schedule. VanEd, however, provides students (via online services), a personal academic advisor, and life instruction support.

The CE Shop believes that becoming a real estate agent in Texas requires real-world scenarios, not traditional classrooms. CE Shop’s 180-hours are divided among six 30-hour courses: Principles of Real Estate I, Principles of Real Estate II, Real Estate Finance, Law of Contracts, Law of Agency, and Promulgated Contract Forms.

How Much Does It Cost?

Depending on the package, the fees of both centers vary from $495.00 to $799.00 but can be less expensive with promo codes and special offers.

Key Takeaways

Schedule Your Texas Real Estate Exam

• Make an appointment at least 24 hours in advance and schedule the exam through PearsonVue.com. Apply for the Texas Real Estate Salesperson Exam.
• When taking the Texas real estate exam, it is not permitted to talk or communicate with other candidates; otherwise, you’ll be banned from the grounds and will need to retake the state exam.
• The applicant needs to pay a fee of $43.00 for a salesperson exam—payable by credit card, debit card, or voucher. (The applicant cannot pay in person.)
• The exam can be taken in the 17 locations of Texas, including Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Bellaire, Bryan, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Hurst, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland, San Antonio, Sugar Land, Tyler, and Waco.
• The minimum passing score on the national portion of the exam is 65% and on the state portion 52%.

Find Sponsoring Broker for Active License

You’ve finally passed the real estate exam, but this is not the end of your journey. As a licensed real estate agent, you’ll need to find a sponsoring broker. You’ll be issued an inactive license after the exam. But to get an active license, you’ll need to work as a real estate salesperson for some time. You’ll then need to find a sponsoring broker. The easiest way to find one is through an online search by googling ‘sponsoring broker’ and choosing from the various brokers available.

With the help of your broker, you can then apply for a sponsorship request on the TREC page and look forward to being a legitimate Texas real estate agent.

Tips for Texas Real Estate Exam

To be fully prepared for the exam, we’ve provided some tips to guide you in how to become a real estate agent in Texas:

The Exam

The 240-minute exam is on paper and composes two sections, with 85 national questions and 40 state-specific questions. To pass with a minimum score, you need to correctly answer 56 national questions (or 65%) and 21 state-specific questions (or 52%).

Exam Day

You need to arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes before the exam begins. Bring two forms of ID—a primary ID (including a photo and signature) or a secondary ID (including, for example, a Social Security Card). Calculators are not required but are recommended since they are viewed as a helping tool. Dictionaries, books, papers, or any kind of learning material is strictly prohibited.

Failing Score

If by any chance you fail the exam, there’s no need to panic. You’ll be given a report that includes a numeric score and diagnostic information on the failed portion of the exam. You can retake the exam, as long as it’s within one year from the application date. And you retake only the failed part. But you need to wait 24 hours before rescheduling. The fee is $43.00.

You are given three times to pass both portions of the exam. If you somehow manage to fail the test three times, there is still hope to get your Texas realtor license. But you’ll need to complete some additional courses—30 hours for those who fail one part of the test and 60 for those who fail both parts.

How to Select Sponsoring Brokers

A sponsoring broker is a key factor in how to become a real estate agent in Texas. In your search for a broker, first, consider the broker’s reputation—a broker who has good standing with the community is always the better option. Ask yourself some key questions that will help you select a sponsoring broker:

• What kind of a real estate salesperson are they looking for?
• What kind of commission structure do they offer?
• Are there any additional benefits in working with a broker?
• Do they help with leads, as well as directions on how to learn and grow?

You need a sponsoring broker from whom you can learn and prosper. And you need to grasp the commission structure before you start working.

The right real estate lead generation ideas can make a great difference in the real estate business. Agents can advertise a certain property through a combination of websites and social media. And there are many real estate lead generation companies to help you find as many good leads as possible. There are various platforms where you can post listings, but Craiglist remains one of the most popular platforms for real estate leads.

Conclusion

The process of getting a real estate license can be demanding, but it’s worth it. There are quite a few Texas real estate license requirements to be met, but if you follow the guidelines provided here, you’ll be better prepared to face the challenge.