If you want to become a real estate broker in Texas and own your own brokerage, you must meet the Texas real estate broker requirements. However, at the end of this article, there’s an alternative method to owning a Texas real estate brokerage, which won’t have the same requirements.
When you want to discover how to become a real estate broker in Texas, you have to start with the basic qualifications, which include being a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien and at least 18 years of age (although you’ll be at least 22 years old to meet the experience requirement outlined below). You will also need to meet the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) qualifications for trustworthiness, integrity, and honesty. This may be done by requesting a Fitness Determination before applying for your broker license.
Texas Real Estate Broker Requirements
Once you’ve met all the above qualifications to become a real estate broker in Texas, you will need to complete the requirements set forth by TREC. These include 900 total classroom hours or a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited university or college.
Classroom hours are split into two categories:
- 270 hours from qualifying real estate courses including Principles of Real Estate, Law of Agency, Law of Contract, Promulgated Contract Forms, Real Estate Finance, and Real Estate Brokerage.
- 630 hours of continuing education courses, such as Real Estate Law, Real Estate Math, Accounting, Architecture, etc.
In addition, you will need to meet the experience requirements, which include:
- Active experience as a licensed real estate agent in Texas for at least four years
- A total of 3,600 experience points on the Qualifying Experience Report for a Broker License
You will also need to pass a background check and get your fingerprints taken. The final step is passing the License exams, which are administered by PearsonVUE. If you happen to fail these exams three times, you will need to go through additional education before attempting to pass the exam again.
The only other requirements left are the fee you must pay and the filing of your applications, which can be done through the mail or online. A full list of requirements for becoming a real estate broker in Texas can be found on the TREC website here.
How to Own a Real Estate Brokerage in Texas: An Alternative Option
If you don’t meet the Texas real estate broker requirements yet, but you still want to own a real estate brokerage in Texas, you can use the Elite Agents LLC Sponsorship program. This program will allow you to own a brokerage, keep the commissions, hire agents, establish your brand, and have listings in your company name without needing a Texas real estate broker license.
When you choose the Elite Agents LLC Sponsorship, your company will receive a broker entity business license and all your listings and commissions will be through your own LLC. In other words, in your company name instead of your broker’s name. You’ll gain the freedom to create your own brand for marketing your new brokerage.
Find out how the Elite Agents LLC Sponsorship program works and how it can benefit you by visiting our LLC Sponsorship page here.
Now you know two different ways to own a real estate brokerage in Texas. You can take the time to meet all the TREC requirements for a real estate broker license or you can join the Elite Agents LLC Sponsorship program.
