How to Get Your Real Estate License in Texas - A Step by Step Guide
It doesn’t feel like that long ago that I was working early shifts at my old retail job. My alarm would go off at 3:30 AM and I would rush out the door in 15 minutes just to make my shift... I knew that was not the life I wanted to live. I had such a relaxed morning today — the fact that I had time to stop and pick up coffee before heading to show my client homes in Tomball is a dream come true! Luckily, those early mornings, terrible hours I can’t control, and working in a place I frankly didn't want to be are all in the past since getting my real estate license… Here's how I did it!
First, I confirmed I met the three qualifications to become a licensed real estate agent in the state of Texas:
You must be a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien
You must be 18 years or older
Meet TREC’s qualifications for trustworthy, honesty, and integrity
Next, I had to complete TREC's requirements. First was 180 hours of the required qualifying education. There are lots of different real estate schools to choose from! Since I had already found a team to sponsor me, my team lead suggested I go with Aceable Agent, which thankfully was the more affordable and flexible option. It was self-paced and allowed me to finish the classes and take the tests on my own schedule. Note: the exams are proctored so you do have to actually study! If you're not a self-learner and prefer a classroom environment, our team recommends Champions School of Real Estate (who also has online and self-paced options, just more expensive). Keep in mind the courses are tedious, but don’t let that stop you from being motivated to finish as soon as possible. Either before, during, or after taking classes be on the lookout of any teams you’d like to sponsor you. This is crucial to your future business and success. I was very fortunate to come across such an incredible and supportive team that took me under their wings right as I started my classes. Because of their encouragement and accountability, I was able to complete my courses in 5 months. That said, I know many agents on our team who finished in just one month! It's totally dependent on your schedule and which class route you decide to pursue.
The required courses to get your real estate license in Texas (as of this blog post) are:
Principles of Real Estate I (30 classroom hours)
Principles of Real Estate II (30 classroom hours)
Law of Agency (30 classroom hours)
Law of Contracts (30 classroom hours)
Promulgated Contract Forms (30 classroom hours)
Real Estate Finance (30 classroom hours)
Here's how the different real estate schools compare in pricing:
Aceable Agent: $449 - 593
Champions School of Real Estate: $980 - 1134
360 Training: $356 - 396
Kaplan: $499 - 899
Realtor Academy: $899 - 989
The CE Shop: $360 - 710
RealEstateU: $249 - 377
After completing the courses, I applied for a license through the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). The application process consisted of submitting proof of completion of my classes, fingerprints, and a background check. The application itself was $185 and the fingerprinting and background check were around $40.
Once everything was received and approved, I was able to take the state and federal Real Estate Exams. That's right, it consists of two parts. You are required to pass both the state portion (40 questions in Texas) and national portion (85 questions). To pass the state portion you’ll need to answer at least 21 questions correctly and for the national portion you’ll need to answer at least 56 questions correctly. The first time I took the test I passed the state, but failed the national. Thankfully, I was able to try again 2 days later and only had to retake the one I failed, to which I so happily passed! If you talk to ANY tenured real estate agent they will tell you this: It's okay to fail. A lot of them actually did their first time around. You get THREE tries! If you fail three times, you have to take additional education before retrying the exam. The real estate exam costs $43 per attempt.
Here are a couple of tips that helped me study and pass the exams quickly:
If you’re not taking your courses through Champions School of Real Estate, I highly recommend purchasing their Exam Prep study tools. Both the exam prep booklet and online practice exams were KEY to me passing the actual exams because the questions were worded so similarly. It's $120 and worth every penny.
PREP AGENT! Prep Agent on YouTube was a GAME CHANGER for me. Whether you’re at home at your desk with your pen and paper taking notes, or driving to the grocery store, listening to his exam question seminars were what kept the information fresh in my mind.
Be committed to dedicate the time for studying!
After passing, I waited a couple of days (standard is 5-10 business days) for the official email with my TREC License number! This comes with another fee of $205.
Now, if you haven't already, it's time to find a team or brokerages to sponsor you. Once you’ve connected to a team and/or been accepted by a brokerage, you can start signing up for all necessary accounts needed to run your business like the local MLS, Supra Key and NAR dues.
Keep in mind, these are only the expenses to get licensed. You are then responsible for your MLS dues (our are quarterly and annually), Supra Key fees and brokerage fees - different brokerages have different fees and splits! Not to mention the cost of other things like lockboxes, marketing, ads, headshot photography, signs, e-signing platforms, CRM systems, listing photography, leads, etc.
And there you have it. That's how YOU can get your Real Estate License in Texas. Good Luck! And let me know if you’re looking for a stellar team to support your journey… I know one ;)
I’d love to be your real estate resource! As a Houston transplant (from Florida), I know first hand how to make Houston feel like home and I’d love to help you, too. — Amber Curry, 713-201-4997, amber@ambercurryrealestate.com