In a career in real estate endeavors, you have great control over your personal growth, especially once you become a Real Estate agent in Texas. A real estate agent cannot work individually and must always sign up with a licensed mortgage brokerage to jumpstart their career. With an ever-growing real estate market in Texas, creating your brokerage is naturally an attractive proposition. And why not? When you have the required experience and will to take charge of your career as well as the desire to benefit others establish theirs. You must strongly consider taking the next step in your real estate agent career.
How much money can real estate agents make in Texas?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas ranks fifth in real estate agent pay, with a mean annual salary of approx. $96,630. That is over 27% higher than the national average agent salary of $75,910, and nearly double the average salary for all jobs in the US. In certain cities and regions of Texas, real estate agents Texas can make a good deal of money. In the Greater Houston area, for instance, real estate agents earn an average salary of $103,950. Compared to most states, Texas real estate agents make up a smaller proportion of the overall workforce.
Pre-requisites to get a Texas Real Estate Agent License
To qualify for a Real Estate Agents Texas license exam, you must fulfill the following requirements such as –
- Be a citizen of the US or a lawfully admitted alien
- Must have attained an age of atleast 18 years of age or more
- Be a Texas resident
- Must meet the Texas Real Estate Commission’s (TREC) requirements of honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity
How long does it take to become a Real Agent in Texas?
How long it will take to earn your Texas agent license depends on how much experience you have in real estate, to begin with. If for instance, you are already an experienced Real Estate Agents Texas, you may be able to get your agent license in as little as one year. However, if you are new to the real estate industry, it may take as many as five years to meet the Texas real estate agent requirements.
5 Steps to become a Texas Real Estate Agent
Getting your Texas real estate license can seem daunting, but we’re here to guide you step by step. Read here to learn about the 5 steps you’ll need to complete before starting your career in Texas real estate.
Step 1 – Satisfy the experience requirements
To become a real estate agent in Texas, you must have at least four years of active experience as a licensed agent in Texas in the last five years before your application. In addition to this general requirement, Texas also uses a points system to determine real estate agent eligibility based on what you have accomplished during your time as an agent. For precedent, each closed sale is worth 300 points, while a buyer representation agreement is worth 10 points. In total, you must accumulate at least 3600 points to qualify for an agent’s license in Texas.
Step 2 – Complete qualifying education requirements
Texas has among the strictest education requirements for a real estate agent in the country, requiring 900 total hours of coursework. If you are already a real estate agent in Texas, you have likely completed at least 180 of those hours. Mandatory courses for real estate qualification include –
- Principles of Real Estate I
- Principles of Real Estate II
- Law of agency
- Law of contracts
- Promulgated contract forms
- Real estate finance
In addition to the above courses, Real Estate Agents Texas applicants must complete an additional 630 classroom hours in any of the following fields such as –
- Real estate agent appraisal
- Real estate law
- Property management
- Real estate marketing and investments
- Real estate agent math
If you are completing your educational requirements through a college or university, you may also receive course credit for classes in the following subjects such as –
- Accounting
- Advertising
- Business or Management
- Construction
- Investments
- Marketing
A bachelor’s degree or higher in real estate satisfies all of the related education requirements for a Texas agent license.
Step 3 – Submit TREC application to become an agent in Texas
Once you have met the experience and education requirements above, you can fill out and submit a Texas agent application form to TREC, along with the relevant application fees. Once you have filled your application, you can submit it online, or by mail.
Step 4 – Pass screening checks
According to Texas law, you must have fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to perform the required background check. Any fingerprints you have provided to other Texas agencies will not be accepted. Once you have passed your background check, you can proceed with the last step in qualifying for your Texas agent license.
Step 5 – Pass the Texas real estate agent exam
Finally, to complete your qualifications for a Texas real estate agent license, you must pass the state broker exam. Once you have passed your background check, you will receive a notice with instructions for scheduling your exam. The Texas real estate agent exam consists of 145 multiple-choice questions, divided into two sections on national (85 questions) and state (60 questions) laws and practices. Examinees have a total of 4 hours to complete this exam.
Pearson Vue, which creates and administers the Texas agent exam, endeavor a Candidate Handbook with a full overview for examinees. This handbook includes procedures for scheduling and taking the exam. Apart from this it includes topics, sample questions, and suggested study materials.
To pass this exam, you need to answer 60 questions on the national section and 38 questions correctly on the state section. If you fail the exam three times, you will need to complete additional education requirements before taking it again.
Conclusion
The process we outlined above for Real Estate Agents in Texas may feel overwhelming. But you can do it by tackling one step at a time and arming yourself with the right tools.
Real Estate Diary has a long track record as a TREC-approved and trusted online course provider. You will have everything you need at your fingertips, including self-paced coursework and the exclusive opportunity for on-demand online proctoring.
Let us put you on the path to a real estate career in Texas!
FAQ’s
Pearson Vue is a real estate agency that creates and administers the Texas real estate agent exam.
To get a Texas real estate license online, one needs to complete six courses for a total of 180 credit hours from a state-approved school. Next, you need to apply online using TREC’s online application service. Finally, you need to pass the exam with a score of 70% or higher.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean income of real estate agents in Texas is around $72,830.
One can get a real estate agent license in Texas in 4-6 months. However, one can complete the requirements in eight weeks if you are committed to an intense study schedule.
