Last weekend we celebrated our country's 244th birthday. I hope each of you found a way to celebrate. Even in these uncertain times, this is a unique day of patriotic celebration and I hope you enjoyed it. The year 2020 has brought unprecedented changes to the market and industry, some of which we are only just beginning to see.  The Commission is working hard to support license holders and consumers through this unprecedented time. 

Public Comment Period 

As Chair of the Commission, I have made it my mission to increase participation in the rulemaking process.  After Commission meetings, proposed rules are published on our website and published for public comment in the Texas Register. I encourage each of you to review these rules and to take the time to make public comments.  One easy way to find our proposed rules, and give us your feedback, is to head to our homepage. There, we have added comment period dates on the website, links to the proposed rules, and contact information for you to send your comments directly to us.  

We, as a Commission, need to hear from the license holders to help ensure the agency is heading in the right direction. Please take some time to give us your feedback. We want to hear from you.  

TREC Virtual Tour Update  

Last month, Executive Director, Chelsea Buchholtz and I met with a few local associations and their members to talk about the future of the agency. The sessions were hosted in coordination with MetroTex, Odessa, and the Houston Association of REALTORS. We talked about the agency’s response to COVID, renewal and application extensions, education changes, emerging business models, and potential changes to rules and law.  

We are still planning a few more sessions, so if you have not yet attended, be sure to check the upcoming sessions on our website.  

License Application and Renewal Extensions  

We announced early in June that we have extended license applications and renewals through July 31. This means if your license needed to be renewed in March, April, May, June, or July, you will have until July 31 to complete all the requirements for your renewal. If you have a pending application for an initial license that would have expired any time from March 11 to July 31, you will also have until July 31 to complete your application requirements without penalty.  

As of now, the agency does not plan to extend license renewals or applications beyond July 31. Please be sure to reach out to us if you need any assistance in getting your requirements completed. Our fantastic staff is ready to help.  

Upcoming Meetings  

We have a lot going on this month at the agency, and I want to encourage you all to take a moment to review our calendar. The newly appointed Broker Responsibility Working Group (July 8), ESAC (July 13), and Broker Lawyer Committee (July 17) will be meeting to name just a few upcoming meetings happening. These committees do essential work for the Commission, and if you want to effect change, give your thoughts, or share your expertise, these meetings are the best place to start. All of the upcoming meetings are on our agency calendar on our website.