Real estate agents in Texas are becoming really rich so It’s not surprising that you want to learn how to become a real estate agent in Texas. The real estate market in Lone Star State is very active. After all, it’s a great job with almost endless room for growth, and it doesn’t cost much to start.
If you’re over 18 and live and work in the United States, you’re ready to start your 180-hour pre-licensing course and get started in Texas real estate. We’ve looked into every process step so you can sell homes in sunny Texas in just a few months.
How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Texas
Let’s take a closer look at each of these steps. Soon, you’ll be helping people buy and sell condos in Dallas, houses in Austin, and ranches throughout the state.
1. Complete a Prelicensing Course & Exam
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Course Cost:
Exam Fee: $54
Time: one to three months
Before taking the licensing test in the state of Texas, you have to take 180 hours of classes. There are six parts to each course:
- How Real Estate Works I (30 hours)
- How Real Estate Works II (30 hours)
- The agency law (30 hours)
- The law of agreements (30 hours)
- released forms for contracts (30 hours)
- Real Estate Finance (30 hours)
Real Estate Express is a good choice if you want to try a self-paced online course because its packages are full of extra features and low prices. Course packages range from $549 to $849, and their three best courses have features like exam preparation, live instructor support, and even a pass guarantee. You can see why it’s a popular choice.
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When your course is over, you’ll have to take a final exam that a teacher watches. With virtual proctoring, you’ll be able to take the final test from the comfort of your home. Just show the proctor that you don’t have any tools to help you study in the room. After the classes, you’ll be ready to help your clients sell their ranch near Amarillo or buy a bungalow in Waco.
2. Apply for a Texas Real Estate License
Time Required: 30–60 minutes. Now is the time for you to apply for your real estate license. Visit the website of the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) and create an account on their online service platform to apply online.
From there, fill out the Inactive Real Estate Sales Agent License application and pay the $185 license fee. You can also download their form, print it out, and send it in.
It should only take a few minutes to fill out the application. Most of the questions on the application are about your background and other licenses you have held. If you need to explain some of the answers you gave on the application, you may have to fill out the Texas Real Estate Commission Background History Form.
The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) will send you a letter with your “TREC ID” once your application has been approved. To move forward with the process, you’ll need that number.
3. Complete A Background Check
Cost: $38.25
The commitment of time: 1 hour
To finish your Texas real estate license application, you must get a fingerprint background check. Once you have your TREC ID number, you can make an appointment at one of the 20 MorphoTrust locations across the state. The service will cost you $38.25.
4. Pass the Texas Real Estate License Exam
You’re getting close! Here’s what you need to know before you take your license test.
What’s on the Exam?
There are both national and state sections on the Texas real estate license test. All the questions are multiple-choice. You will have four hours to finish both sections. You must get 66% of the answers right for the national part of the test. For the state part, you need to get 53% of the answers right.
| Exam | Time Limit | Number of Questions | Requirement to Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Section of the Exam | 150 minutes | 85 multiple-choice questions | At least 21/40 correct answers are required to pass |
| Texas Section of the Exam | 90 minutes | 40 multiple-choice questions | At least 21/40 correct answers required to pass |
How Do I Schedule the Exam?
First, send the Texas Real Estate Commission proof that you finished your pre-licensing course. Next, schedule your license test by going to Pearson VUE’s website or calling (800) 997-1248.
When you schedule your exam, ensure that your name and other personal information match what’s on the ID you’ll use to get in. There are 30 places in the state where you can take a Pearson VUE exam, which costs $54.
Preparing for the Exam
All you have to do now is study for your license test. Make sure to review your course material, and if you want to feel more confident, you could buy tools to help you study for the test. We highly recommend Real Estate Express and its thorough courses that cover everything on the national and state parts of the license exam.
Any Texas Real Estate Express pre-licensing course can be taken for 25% less if you read The Close. At checkout, use the coupon code TheClose25.
Get to the Pearson VUE testing site at least 30 minutes before your scheduled computer-based exam. Don’t forget to bring:
Two kinds of ID are good (one must be a government-issued photo ID with a signature, and the other must have your signature)
A non-programmable, silent calculator (optional)
Don’t bring your purse, wallet, phone, watch, food, or drinks. On page 8 of this Pearson VUE handbook, you can read about the other rules that an examination center must follow. Your score report will appear on the screen as soon as you finish the test.
5. Join a Texas Real Estate Brokerage
Cost: No cost
Time Commitment: 2-4 weeks
You’ve almost made it! If you follow the steps above on becoming a real estate agent in Texas, you’ll get an inactive license first. In Texas, you need a sponsoring broker to oversee your work as a real estate agent before you can get a full license and start working.
Once you’ve found a broker, you can use TREC’s online service to fill out a sponsorship request for a broker. You won’t be able to work as a licensed Texas Real Estate Sales Agent until the BrokerBroker agrees to sponsor you.
Here are the six steps you need to take to get your Texas real estate license.
Requirements
- You must be 18 years old or older.
- Either you have to be a U.S. citizen or a legal foreigner.
- Meet TREC’s requirements for being honest, trustworthy, and honest.
- Before you apply for the license, you might want to ask for a Fitness Determination.
Fast Facts:
- How much does the average real estate agent in TX make? Indeed.com says that the average full-time salary for a real estate agent in Texas is $94,246 per year.
- How long does it take in Texas to get a license to be a real estate agent? Agents-to-be can get their permits in as little as 3–4 weeks if they study for about 20 hours per week.
- The Texas Real Estate Agent License Lookup Tool can be used to find out if an agent has a valid license.
1. Complete 180-hours of approved Pre-Licensing Education
You must take 180 hours of Pre-Licensing education from a school that has been approved and pass them. These 180 hours comprise six 30-hour courses: Principles of Real Estate I, Principles of Real Estate II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms, and Real Estate Finance.
2. Pass the course final exams.
After you finish each course, you have to take a final exam for that course. 70% is the minimum score you need to pass each final.
Each final must be taken before a proctor, and you must make an appointment with a proctor ahead of time. Here is more information about our online proctoring.
3. Complete your license application.
After you pass your final exams, you will use TREC Online Services to fill out an application for a license.
4. Provide fingerprints.
.Next, you’ll give MorphoTrust your fingerprints so they can do a background check.
5. Pass the Texas Real Estate Salesperson Exam.
Once your exam application is approved, you will get instructions on scheduling your licensing exam and a copy of the Candidate Handbook. Pearson VUE runs the Texas Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Exam.
The National part of this test has 85 questions, and you have 150 minutes to answer them. The State part has 40 questions, and you have 90 minutes to answer them. See the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook for more information.
Do you need help passing the real estate exam in Texas? The CE Shop also has a full Texas-specific Exam Prep service. If you have additional questions, visit our Texas real estate exam frequently asked questions page.
6. Select a Sponsoring Broker.
To get a license, you must first be sponsored by a Texas broker who is still in business. It’s essential to find the right BrokerBroker to work with because this person will be your guide as you start your new career in real estate. Here are some things to think about as you search:
- What is their reputation in the area and across the country?
- Who are they looking for as real estate agents?
- Are they up-to-date with the latest technology and systems?
- How do they help their agents learn and get educated?
- What sort of commission plans do they have?
- Do they have any good points?
- Do they give leads and marketing materials to their agents?
- Does the brokerage have room for growth?
Agent Start can help you find the right Sponsoring Broker to work with as you start your real estate career in Texas if you don’t know how. While taking Pre-Licensing courses with The CE Shop, you will have the option to sign up for Agent Start. This program will help connect you with our Broker partners in your state who are looking for new agents.
Click here to find the Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate in the USA(and How to Get Them)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long does it take to become a real estate agent in Texas?
In Texas, getting a real estate agent license takes several months and several steps. The average time to get a real estate license in Texas is between four and six months, but this can vary from person to person. You can finish the requirements in eight weeks, though, if you work hard and study daily.
How difficult is it to become a real estate agent in Texas?
Before taking the Texas Real Estate License Exam, you must take 180 hours of college-level real estate courses that the TREC has approved. Kaplan has four ways to get the required 180 hours of education.
Is it a good job in Texas to sell real estate?
These market trends are just the beginning of many that show Texas is one of the best places to invest in real estate. Texas has a median home value of $211,199 in 2022, which is 3% higher than it was a year ago.
What keeps you from being a Texas real estate agent?
Crimes of moral turpitude include fraud, misrepresentation, forgery, falsifying records, perjury, and giving or taking bribes, kickbacks, or illegal compensation—crimes against another person, their real or personal property, or how the government works.
Why do realtors quit?
Most new real estate agents quit after their first year because “fear of failure” and rejection are so hard on them. No one likes being turned down. Rejection is part of the job, but remember that people are not rejecting you. They say they don’t want to buy or sell at that time.
How good or bad is it to become a real estate agent?
Pros: You can set your hours, which gives you a lot of freedom.
Cons: If you don’t have set hours, you might work more.
Pros: You have unlimited income potential.
Cons: When things are slow, you have nothing to fall back on.
Pros: You can help make people’s dreams come true.
Cons: Clients may find it stressful to buy and sell.
Is there a book on the Texas Real Estate Exam?
Rule 535.65(h) of the TREC says that your real estate exam must be a closed book and given “in the way submitted to and approved by the Commission.” That means you have to take your test in front of a proctor, who ensures you aren’t cheating.
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It is an interesting job, thanks for the advert.in addition, I like to know if foreigners can apply for the job,
Yes