What’s Changed for Texas Brokers in 2026

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) implemented updates aimed at improving transparency, strengthening broker qualifications, and modernizing license management processes. These changes-some from Senate Bill 1968-took effect January 1, 2026, and are now actively shaping how brokers qualify, operate, and maintain compliance.

Mandatory Broker Responsibility Course

As part of SB 1968, all brokers and broker applicants are required to complete the Broker Responsibility Course, regardless of whether they supervise sales agents. This requirement ensures brokers are consistently educated on:

• Legal and ethical obligations.
• Supervisory responsibilities.
• Risk management practices.
• Compliance expectations.

Enhanced Transparency and Accountability

Additional updates from SB 1968 improve oversight and public visibility:

• Updates for associated brokers: Associated brokers must identify which brokerages they associate with so it can be publicly displayed on TREC's website. Brokers will have to accept the association request in the Real Estate and Appraiser License (REALM) Management Portal.
• Complaint notifications about associated brokers: TREC will notify brokers when complaints are filed against their associated brokers.
• Updated contact requirements: All license holders must provide TREC with their business addresses and phone numbers for public display on TREC's online license holder search.

Higher Experience Threshold for Broker Licensing

The TREC Broker Responsibility Advisory Committee (BRAC) recommended changes for broker licensing to increase accountability and to ensure license holders have sufficient experience and training before taking on supervisory roles.

One change is the increase in experience requirements for broker licensure under TREC Rule 535.56:

• The minimum required experience points increased from 360 to 720 points.
• A bachelor's degree is now capped at 300 hours toward education requirements (previously up to 630 hours).
• Applicants may substitute additional qualifying experience for education, with up to 300 experience points applied toward education hours.

These changes place greater emphasis on hands-on transaction experience rather than academic substitution alone.

REALM Portal and Experience Tracking

The REALM Portal is used for managing licensing records and applications. However, it does not track experience points automatically.

Applicants must still submit experience documentation using Supplement A (PDF), which:

• Requires certification from the sponsoring broker.
• Documents qualifying transactions and experience.
• Is reviewed by TREC staff before points are awarded.

After review, experience points are calculated and may be applied toward both:

• The 720-point minimum requirement.
• Additional education hour substitutions (based on BRAC's formula of experience-to-education conversion).

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I submitted my application before 2026 to be reviewed under the old rules? Applications are evaluated based on the requirements in effect at the time of submission. This means applications submitted before January 1, 2026, were reviewed under prior rules. Applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026, are subject to the updated requirements now in effect.
Can experience older than five years be used toward education substitution? No. Both minimum qualification experience and education-substitution experience must fall within the five-year window.
How far back can experience be counted? Experience must generally be within the preceding five years to qualify-whether it is used to meet the minimum broker requirements or applied toward education substitution.
Can the REALM Portal track my experience automatically? No. Experience is not automatically tracked in the REALM Portal. Applicants must submit experience manually through Supplement A, certified by their sponsoring broker.
I don't have a bachelor's degree. How does that affect my requirements? Without a degree, the education requirement is higher (up to 900 hours). However, you may offset part of this requirement with experience-up to 300 hours can be substituted using qualifying experience points.
If I exceed 720 experience points, does that reduce my education requirement? Yes. Experience beyond the minimum can be applied toward education requirements. Up to 300 experience points may be substituted for real estate education hours.