How To Become a Realtor in Texas

Prerequisites To Get a Real Estate License

  • You must be at least 18 years old to get started.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien
  • Meet TREC’s qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrit

Register and complete 180 hours of required education

  • 2-6 months to complete 180 hours of pre-licensing courses.
  • 2-3 weeks for TREC to process your application.
  • 30-60 days to establish a relationship with a broker.

180-hours of pre-licensing courses from a TREC-approved education provider

  • Principles of Real Estate I (30 credit hours)
  • Principles of Real Estate II (30 credit hours)
  • Real Estate Finance (30 credit hours)
  • Law of Contracts (30 credit hours)
  • Law of Agency (30 credit hours)
  • Promulgated Contract Forms (30 credit hours)

Pass the Pre-License Course Final Exam

When you have completed each of the 6 courses in the 180-Hour Licensing Package, you must pass a course final exam that will help prepare you to pass the licensing exam.

Pass a Background Check

Meet TREC's qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity by getting fingerprinted and passing a background check. Applicants can request a Fitness Determination before applying for a license. 

Apply for a License

Apply for a real estate license with the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) using TREC'S ONLINE LICENSING SERVICE.

Take the State Licensing Exam

Once TREC approves your application, you will need to schedule your exam and obtain a CANDIDATE HANDBOOK. The Texas Real Estate Exam is administered by PEARSON VUE.

How Many Questions Are on the Exam?

  • National Portion: 85 questions with a 150-minute time allowance
  • State Portion: 40 questions and a 90-minute time allowance

What Score Do You Need to Pass the Texas Real Estate Exam?

In order to pass your test, you will need to get a score of 70% or higher. This means you will need to answer 56 out of the 80 questions correctly.

Find a Sponsor

After meeting the above requirements, you will be issued an inactive license. You need to be sponsored by an active Texas licensed broker to work. You can complete a sponsorship request using TRECs online services. Once the broker has accepted your request, your active license will be issued, and you can work as a Agent!