How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Texas (2026 Guide)
Thinking about getting a real estate license in Texas?
The Lone Star state is probably the best place to start your new career, as the real estate markets from Austin to San Antonio, are some of the hottest in the country. This is an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs, offering almost unlimited growth potential. So whether you are planning to do real estate part-time or are making it your new full-time career, we are going to share everything you need to know to become a real estate agent in Texas.
We’ll cover:
Steps to Get a Real Estate License in Texas
The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) requires that, in order to become a licensed real estate agent in the state of Texas, you must be at least 18 years old, a US citizen or a lawfully admitted alien, and complete the following steps:
- STEP 1: Complete 180 hours of the Texas real estate pre-license course approved by TREC
- STEP 2: Sign up and pass the Texas state real estate exam with a score of at least 70%
- STEP 3: Complete a background check by requesting a Fitness Determination Form from TREC
- STEP 4: Submit an application to the Texas Real Estate Commission
- To submit your application online, just click here and select “Begin Here for Sign-Up” (it’s hard to see but it’s located under “New User.”) You may also mail in your application but the online form will save you a bit of money.
- STEP 5: Select a sponsoring brokerage to officially activate your license
Understand How Long it Takes to Get a Texas Real Estate License
Once you decide to become a real estate agent in Texas, you’re probably excited and want to get started immediately. Before you leave your current position, it’s important to understand how long the licensing process can take in Texas. Often it’s 4 to 6 months. Here is what an average timeline looks like:
- 6 to 16 weeks to complete your 180 hour pre-licensing course
- 1 to 2 weeks to get your national and state exam scheduled
- 2 to 3 weeks for TREC to process your license application
- 2 to 4 weeks to interview and select a real estate brokerage
While this timeline may seem a little daunting, there are a few ways to expedite things. First, taking an online course is the way to go. Instead of attending scheduled in-person classes, two to four times weekly, you can learn at your own pace online.
We would also recommend interviewing brokerages while you are waiting for TREC to process your application, so you are ready to hang your license with a broker as soon as the application is approved. All in all, it’s definitely possible to become a real estate agent in Texas in less than eight weeks.
Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Texas
There are several fees involved when working to become a real estate agent in Texas:
| Licensing Expense | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Texas Pre-License Real Estate Course | $450–$850 |
| Background Check and Fingerprinting (IDEMIA) | $37 |
| TREC License Application | $206 |
| Real Estate Recovery Fee | $10 |
| Texas Real Estate Exam | $43 |
| Exam Prep Materials (optional) | $25–$150 |
Total Cost to Get Your Texas License: $746 to $1,146
More Expenses to Expect as a Texas REALTOR®
Getting your Texas real estate license is only the beginning. Because you are starting a new business, you should also prepare for association dues, MLS access, brokerage fees, marketing expenses and other professional costs.
| Additional Expense | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| 98-Hour SAE Post-License Education | $275–$600 |
| License Renewal (every two years) | $110 |
| REALTOR® Association Dues | Approximately $450+ annually |
| Multiple Listing Service (MLS) | Approximately $150–$175 quarterly |
| Local Association or MLS Application Fees | $0–$600 |
| SentriLock or Supra eKey | $100–$150 annually |
| Brokerage Joining Fee | $0–$500 |
| Monthly Brokerage Fee | $0–$350 per month |
| Business Cards and Signage | Varies |
| Marketing and Advertising | Varies |
Examples of REALTOR® association costs in Texas include:
| REALTOR® Association | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Austin Board of REALTORS® | $1,533 annually |
| Houston Association of REALTORS® | $469 annually, plus a $150 application fee |
| San Antonio Board of REALTORS® | $463 annually |
| MetroTex Association of REALTORS® | $464 annually |
If you add together the costs of getting licensed and setting up your new real estate business, you will likely need to budget approximately $1,860–$3,610 to launch your career. Actual expenses will depend on your real estate school, brokerage, local association, MLS and optional business costs.
Estimated Total Cost to Become a Real Estate Agent in Texas: $1,860–$3,610
Learn more about other expenses you’ll need to budget for, including marketing materials, leads, marketing and productivity software subscriptions, printing costs, etc:
Find the Best Real Estate Schools in Texas
To get your Texas real estate license, you’ll have to attend a school that’s approved by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). There are quite a few approved real estate schools throughout the state. Most of the real estate courses are offered online, but there are a few that offer a classroom or virtual style setting. Please note that some of the school links below are affiliate links. If you enroll through one of these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Here are a few of the most popular:
- Aceable Agent (online with a mobile friendly app for on-the-go learning)
- Colibri Real Estate (online)
- Kaplan Real Estate Education (online with instructor support)
- RealEstateU (online)
- Champions School of Real Estate (virtual, online and a blended classroom course)
- The CE Shop (online)
See which school is best for your budget, schedule and learning style:
When shopping for the best online real estate schools in Texas, make sure that they offer additional support for exam prep and sample exams for practice. Some offer weekend cram courses or exam prep courses to ensure sure that you pass the real estate broker exam on the first try.
How to Select a TX Real Estate Broker
In Texas, you must affiliate with a real estate brokerage in order actively help home buyers and sellers. This is often referred to as the “sponsoring broker.” Picking the right brokerage to work with can be critical to your success as a newly licensed agent.
We would recommend shopping for the best broker once you’ve completed the pre-licensing course and are waiting to take your state exam or while TREC is processing your application . There are a few ways to do this:
- Ask around. Find out which brokerages your friends and family have worked with in the past and see what they liked most about them. Don’t hesitate to reach out to local agents in your area to see what they like most about their broker.
- Research online. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices to 3 to 5 companies, do some research online. There are always dozens if not hundreds of YouTube testimonials and feedback from real estate agents.
- Check out Facebook/Meta. There are quite a few Facebook groups for aspiring agents and you’ll get lots of (honest) feedback from agents at different brokerages.
- Schedule interviews. We highly recommend meeting (in person, phone or a zoom) with two or three brokerages, because the benefits and commission splits can be dramatically different from one firm to the next.
When researching and meeting with different brokerages, keep in mind that many are independently owned franchises. So one Century 21 or Keller Williams office could be completely different from another that’s just 10 minutes away. The culture, training, support team, and sometimes even the fees and commission splits can vary from franchise to franchise.
Also, don’t discount the brokerages that don’t have a physical office in your area. Many of them (like eXp Realty) offer an extensive list of agent benefits and good commission splits.
Focus on What’s Most Important: Support!
While many newly licensed agents are looking for the best commission splits when shopping for brokers, we would highly recommend that you make that #2 or #3 on your list. The most important thing you should look for in a brokerage is how they support brand new real estate agents. Do they have a formal training program? Will you have at least 3 people you can reach out to if you have questions? Are they available outside traditional business hours? Do they have mentors – and what exactly will the mentors do to assist you?
Is it Easy to Become a Real Estate Agent in Texas… and Succeed in the 1st Year?
You made it through 180 hours of classes, passed the state exam and selected a great broker — congrats! The next step is getting you mentally prepared to build a successful, thriving new business in the Lone Star state!
Your Texas pre-licensing class is primarily focused on learning the common terms, ethics, and laws when practicing real estate. The courses don’t usually go into much detail (if any) on writing contracts, researching market statistics, or marketing your new business to find home buyers and sellers.
As a new real estate agent, you need to have a fire in your belly! Your motivation and desire to learn everything you can will be critical to your success – especially in your first year in real estate. Many of you may be used to working for someone and being told what to do at work each day, but that isn’t the case in real estate.
You are officially a business owner, so it’s key that you start focusing on:
- Building your personal network. Being a successful real estate professional means having a large network of people that like and trust you. If you don’t already have a network or sphere of influence, you’ll need to regularly get out, socialize, network and meet new people. Once you’ve built up a substantial network, you have to find ways to stay top of mind with your network. This could include things like sending out a monthly newsletter, birthday cards, and connecting on social media.
- Becoming a neighborhood expert. If you want to be the go-to REALTOR in your area, you need to know your local market. This could include touring homes in the area, researching new developments, studying the real estate sales statistics, and letting as many people as possible know that you are here to serve them.
- Marketing and promoting yourself online. From blogging on your website to running Facebook ads, posting on social media and networking in local online groups
- Understanding how to talk to potential clients. It’s so important that you learn how to connect and communicate with people about real estate and how to overcome objections.
Kerry Lucasse and the Building Better Agents team talk with hundreds of newly licensed real estate agents each year. Most have no idea how challenging the first year or two can be and how much you need to learn to be successful. This business is not as easy as it looks on TV! Real estate can be a rewarding and profitable business if you are a self-starter who is 110% committed to being successful and you have the support of a great mentor and brokerage.
Texas Real Estate License: Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, you can complete all 180 hours online through a TREC-approved real estate school. The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) mandates six specific 30-hour courses:
– Principles of Real Estate I (30 hours)
– Principles of Real Estate II (30 hours)
– Law of Agency (30 hours)
– Law of Contracts (30 hours)
– Promulgated Contract Forms (30 hours)
– Real Estate Finance (30 hours)
You can take these self-paced online or via live webinars. Every course ends with a mandatory proctored final exam. Once you pass all six, your school issues completion certificates that you upload directly to TREC.
Most agents will describe the real estate licensing exam as “not easy.” First-time pass rates run around 56%, so don’t be discouraged if you’re not feeling fully confident. There are 125 multiple choice questions for both the state and national portions of the exam and you must answer at least 70% of them correctly.
One item to note: The National and Texas real estate exams are graded independently of one another, so you need to get 70% or more on each of the sections. If you’re still not feeling confident, sign up for an exam-cram or exam prep course.
The Texas exam has 40 questions and the National exam has 85 questions. You’ll have 90 minutes for the Texas exam and another 150 minutes to complete the National exam.
It’s not uncommon for people not to pass the exam on the first try. They make it fairly simple for you to retake the exam, you just need to reschedule with Pearson VUE and pay the exam fee of $43 again. A few items to note:
– If you fail one section of the exam (i.e. state or national), you are only required to retake the portion you didn’t pass the first time.
– If you fail one section of the exam 3 times, TREC requires that you take an additional 30 hours of real estate education from a TREC-approved school.
If you aren’t ready to join a brokerage and officially activate your license, you may keep your Texas real estate license inactive for up to one year after you’ve completed your educational requirements. If you want to renew your license, you will have to take the Texas State Exam again.
It is a hard 1-year expiration clock. Once you submit your application to TREC, you have exactly 1 year from the application filing date to clear your background check and pass both portions of your Pearson VUE exam.
If you pass the exam within your 1-year window, you can immediately affiliate with a Sponsoring Broker to issue an Active License. If you fail to pass the exam or complete requirements within 12 months, your application lapses, requiring you to submit a new application and repay state fees.
You must apply to TREC and receive eligibility approval BEFORE you can schedule your exam. The required application sequence is:
– Complete all 180 hours of qualifying education and gather your certificates.
– Submit your Sales Agent Application via the online TREC Provider/Applicant Portal along with the application fee.
– Submit your digital fingerprints for a background check through IdentoGO.
– Wait for TREC to process your file and issue your Exam Eligibility Letter.
– Use your TREC ID number to register with Pearson VUE and schedule your test date.
TREC requires that newly licensed agents take 98 hours of SAE post-licensing courses. Every two years thereafter, real estate agents are required to complete 18 hours of Continuing Education (CE).
In order to become a real estate broker in Texas, you have to have at least four years of active experience as a licensed real estate sales agent during the 60-month period preceding the filing of the application. You will also have to complete the Qualifying Experience Report wiith a total of 360 points as well as a list of transactions.
If you are a licensed agent in Florida or Michigan, for example, and would like to get your license in another state, many US states have a “reciprocity agreement” with one another. This means that you don’t have to attend any additional classes, you just have to pass the state portion of the exam to hold an active real estate license in that state.
In Texas, they do not have reciprocity with any other states in the US. If you’d like to become a real estate agent in Texas, you will have to take the pre-licensing course and pass the state exam.
One small silver lining… if you’re moving from another state: even without full reciprocity, TREC may grant a partial waiver of some education hours if you’re already licensed elsewhere, based on your prior coursework. You’ll still need to pass the Texas-specific portion of the exam regardless. Contact TREC directly to find out what, if anything, you might be able to waive.
Other Articles + Resources for New Agents:
- Real Estate Agent Expenses | What to Expect as a New Agent
- 20 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Brokerage
- What You Can Do BEFORE You’re Officially Licensed (free guide)
- Should New Agents Join a Real Estate Team?
- Texas Real Estate Schools: A Comparison Guide
- New Agent Checklist (Free PDF)
- Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) – Official website
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