What is required to get a license in Texas?

For sales agents:

  • Proof of age 18 and above.
  • You must be a Texas resident.
  • You must meet the Texas Real Estate Commission’s qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity. If you are doubting your eligibility regarding this, you can complete the Moral Character Determination form and ask the Commission to determine your eligibility.
  • Complete 180 hours of pre-license education.
  • Submit your application online or in paper (filing a paper application costs $ 20 extra).
  • You will go through a background check which costs $27 and fingerprinting for $37.
  • You will be issued an inactive sales agent license. You need to be sponsored by an active Texas licensed broker to work, find a sponsor and request the inactive to active change online.
  • You must take and pass the real estate exam.
  • Fees: Examination Fees (sales agent: $54). License (sales agent: $205).

For brokers:

  • Proof of age 18 and above.
  • You must be a Texas resident unless you are licensed as a broker in another state or you were licensed as a broker or sales agent in Texas within the last 2 years.
  • You must meet the Texas Real Estate Commission´s qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity. If you are doubting your eligibility regarding this, you can complete the Moral Character Determination form and ask the Commission to determine your eligibility.
  • Complete 270 hours of pre-license education.
  • You must have 4 years experience as an active licensed real estate sales agent or broker within the last 60 months. You can document your experience in the Qualifying Experience Report for a Broker License form.
  • Submit your application online or in paper (filing a paper application costs $ 20 extra).
  • You will go through a background check which costs $27 and fingerprinting for $37.
  • You must take and pass the real estate exam.
  • Fees: Examination Fees (Broker: $54). License (Broker: $305).

What score do I need to pass?

The sales agent exam consists of 85 national questions and 40 state specific questions. To pass, you must correctly answer 56 national questions and 21 state specific questions.

The broker exam consists of 85 national questions and 50 state specific questions. To pass, you must correctly answer 60 national questions and 30 state specific questions.

You will receive your score immediately after you complete your exam.

How much time do I have to complete the exam?

For the sales agent exam you are allowed 4 hours to answer.

For the broker exam you are allowed 4 hours to answer.

What should I bring with me for the exam?

  • 2 Forms of identification with matching names, non-expired and containing a valid signature, one of them must be government issued and photo bearing (Driver’s license, passport, green card, U.S. social security card, debit or credit card with signature).
  • Basic, silent, non-scientific calculator.

What is the format of the exam?

The exam is given on a computer and is multiple choice.

What is on the exam?

The national portion of the exam consists of the following topics:

  • Real property characteristics, legal descriptions, and property use
  • Forms of ownership, transfer, and recording of title
  • Property value and appraisal
  • Real estate contracts and agency
  • Real estate practice
  • Property disclosures and environmental issues
  • Financing and settlement
  • Real estate math calculations

The broker exam consists of the following sections:

  • Commission duties and powers
  • Licensing
  • Standards of conduct
  • Agency/brokerage
  • Contracts
  • Special topics

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