How Long Does it Take to Become a Broker in Texas?
How long it will take to earn your Texas broker license depends on how much experience you have in real estate to begin with. If, for instance, you’re already an experienced real estate agent in Texas, you may be able to get your broker license in as little as one year.
However, if you’re new to the real estate industry, it may take as many as five years to meet the Texas real estate broker requirements.
Step #1. Satisfy The Experience Requirements
To become a real estate broker in Texas, you must have at least four years of active experience as a licensed agent or broker (in Texas or elsewhere) in the last five years before your application.
In addition to this general requirement, Texas also uses a points system to determine broker eligibility based on what you’ve accomplished during your time as an agent. For instance, 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 a broker’s license in Texas.
Step #2. Complete Qualifying Education Requirements
Texas has among the strictest education requirements for real estate brokers in the country, requiring 900 total hours of coursework. That said, if you’re already a real estate agent in Texas, you’ve likely completed at least 180 of those hours.
Mandatory courses for real estate broker qualification include:
- Principles of Real Estate I
- Principles of Real Estate II
- Law of Agency
- Law of Contracts
- Promulgated Contract Forms
- Real Estate Finance
- Real Estate Brokerage (completed not more than two years before applying)
In addition to the above courses, Texas broker applicants must complete an additional 630 classroom hours in any of the following topics:
- Real Estate Appraisal
- Real Estate Law
- Real Estate Marketing
- Real Estate Math
- Property Management
- Real Estate Investments
- Residential Inspections for Real Estate Agents
If you’re completing your educational requirements through a college or university, you may also receive course credit for classes in the following subjects:
- Accounting
- Advertising
- Architecture
- Business or Management
- Construction
- Finance
- Investments
- Law
- Marketing
- Real Estate
A bachelor’s degree or higher in real estate satisfies all of the related education requirements for a Texas broker license.
Step #3. Submit TREC Application to Become a Broker in Texas
Once you’ve met the experience and education requirements above, you can fill out and submit a Texas broker application form to TREC, along with the relevant application fees. Your application can be submitted 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) in order to perform the required background check. Any fingerprints you’ve 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 broker license.
Step #5. Pass the Texas Real Estate Broker Exam
Finally, in order to complete your qualifications for a Texas real estate broker license, you must pass the state broker exam.
Once you’ve passed your background check, you will receive a notice with instructions for scheduling the exam.
The Texas real estate broker exam consists of 145 multiple-choice questions, divided into sections on national (85 questions) and state (60 questions) laws and practices. Examinees have a total of 4 hours to complete the exam.
PearsonVue, which creates and administers the Texas broker exam, offers a Candidate Handbook with a full overview for examinees. The handbook includes procedures for scheduling and taking the exam, as well as a range of included topics, sample questions, and suggested study materials.
To pass the Texas real estate broker exam, you must answer 60 questions correctly on the national section and 38 questions correctly on the state section. If you fail the exam three times, you’ll need to complete additional education requirements before taking it again.