TREC’s Houston Meeting Recap

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) traveled to Houston for its May 4, 2026, meeting, continuing its initiative to host meetings across the state to increase transparency and accessibility for license holders and the public. This marks the Commission's second visit to Houston since 2023.

REALM Portal Progress Update

A major focus of the meeting was the continued rollout of the Real Estate and Appraiser License Management (REALM) Portal.

Since its launch in December, TREC staff reported significant progress:

• Over 10,000 licenses issued.
• More than 9,000 exam authorizations granted.
• 145,000 user accounts created.
• Nearly 52,000 online payments processed.
• 99 critical system issues resolved.
• Over 60,000 calls answered, with hold times reduced by more than 20 minutes.

Application processing timelines have improved substantially, with most sales agent applications now completed within two to three weeks.

TREC leadership acknowledged ongoing challenges-particularly call volume and email response times-but noted the system is transitioning from implementation to a maintenance and improvement phase. Future efforts will focus on enhancing usability and increasing efficiency.

Inspector Standards of Practice-Proposed Rule Changes

The Commission approved proposing amendments to multiple rules under 22 TAC Chapter 535, Subchapter R, related to inspector standards of practice. These proposals will now move to public comment.

Key updates include:

• Record retention: Inspectors must retain inspection reports for at least four years, aligning with complaint investigation timelines.
• Roof inspections: Inspectors are encouraged to walk the roof when safe, addressing increased reliance on drones or other equipment. If not feasible, inspectors must document the reason.
• Safety updates: Requirements to report deficiencies such as emergency exits requiring keys or special effort.
• Electrical system updates: Modernized standards, including accessibility requirements and carbon monoxide alarm reporting.
• HVAC and ventilation: Reorganization of rules to group ventilation-related components more consistently.
• Plumbing and sewage systems: Clarified terminology and added guidance, including new provisions for sewer line camera inspections.
• Inspection report form updates: Minor corrections and alignment with rule changes.

For a full description of the proposed changes, see the TREC meeting materials.

Contract Form Updates-Adopted Rules

The Commission adopted amendments to multiple standard contract forms under 22 TAC Chapter 537, as well as two new forms, following recommendations from the Broker-Lawyer Committee.

Notable updates:

• New definition of "Legal Holiday".
• Terminology standardization across forms.
• Creation of a new Water Disclosure addressing groundwater and surface water rights (per Sunset Advisory Commission direction).
• Expanded Seller's Disclosure Notice, including:
  • Insurance status.
  • Private road maintenance responsibilities.
  • Above ground storage tanks.
  • Conservation easements.
• Revisions to Paragraph 12 and broker compensation language.
• Improved notice delivery clarity in Paragraph 21.
• Reorganization of addenda into clearer categories in Paragraph 22.
• Introduction of a new form: Seller's Notice to Buyer of Removal of Contingency Under Addendum for "Back-Up" Contract.

Forms adopted for voluntary use (like the Seller's Disclosure Notice, the Lead-Based Paint Addendum, and the new Seller's Notice to Buyer of Removal of Contingency) may be used once posted on the agency's website. The remaining forms will also be available for voluntary use once posted, until July 1, 2026, when their use becomes mandatory.

Proposed Changes to Committee Membership

The Commission approved proposing amendments to Rule 535.46, Broker Responsibility Advisory Committee, to ensure compliance with state law requiring balanced representation on advisory committees.

The proposal:

• Replaces two broker positions with public members.
• Aligns committee composition with statutory requirements for industry and consumer representation.

This item will proceed to public comment.

Education Rules-Proposed Updates

Amendments were also proposed to rules governing qualifying and continuing education providers and courses, driven by the capabilities of the REALM Portal.

Highlights include:

• Renaming "course completion certificates" to "course completion records".
• Requiring inclusion of a license or application number to enable automation.
• Streamlining reporting processes and reducing manual workload.
• Aligning terminology across related rules.

Meeting Materials

Visit trec.texas.gov for the Agenda, Meeting Materials, and Meeting Video of the May 2026 TREC meeting.

Looking Ahead

The Commission's upcoming meeting dates:

• August 10, 2026-Austin
• November 9, 2026-Austin