If you’ve been considering a career as a real estate agent, the time couldn’t be better if you live in Texas. The Texas Real Estate License Commission (TREC) makes the process of getting a license as easy as one-two-three; well, perhaps not easy since the educational requirements are extensive, but at least convenient. Most of the process can be accomplished right from your home on your home computer.
The Texas Real Estate Commission web site, http://www.trec.state.tx.us/index.asp/ provides detailed and easy to read instructions for every step of the process, from determining eligibility requirements to taking the final licensing exam.
Other than the requirement to submit fingerprints, a rule that went into effect January 1, 2008, you can train, apply for, and get your license without ever leaving the comfort of your home.
Texas requires a total of 240 classroom hours of education in subjects relating to real estate before an individual can apply for a real estate license. TREC lists schools and trade associations in Texas that offer approved residence courses and, in addition, provides an extensive list of on-line schools whose web-based courses are accepted and approved by the commission.
The first step in the process is to determine if you are indeed eligible to be a licensed real estate agent in the State of Texas. All applicants for a license must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, be 18 years of age or older, and be legal residents of the state. Before submitting your application for a license, you must complete the following educational requirements:
Principles of Real Estate (core) – 60 classroom hours
Law of Agency (core) – 30 classroom hours
Law of Contracts (core) – 30 classroom hours
An additional four semesters (60 classroom hours) of core or related courses acceptable to TREC.
Once all educational requirements are met and validated by TREC (a process that can also be accomplished on-line through the TREC web site) and your security check has been completed, you can make an on-line application for your license. After your license has been issued, you will then be required to take a qualifying examination before you are a fully authorized real estate agent.
With the real estate market nationwide on the rebound from the 2008-2009 real estate crisis, the time couldn’t be better to consider real estate as a career, whether you’re just entering the job market, or considering a second career. In the wide open spaces of Texas, the process is as simple as a trip to the local Dairy Queen.