This spring has been one of unimaginable changes for the agency, industry, and the world. COVID-19 and all that has come with it continues to make ripples throughout the country. TREC staff have been hard at work to keep things moving at the agency while continuing to provide excellent customer service and timely processing of applications. We have an incredible staff who are hard at work to ensure real estate license holders can keep working.  

Commission Meeting Updates  

Speaking of the effects of COVID-19, the Commission met Monday, May 4, for its quarterly meeting via teleconference. It was a unique experience for us all, but we were able to make it through our packed agenda from across the state and get our job done.  

We heard from Jim Gaines of Real Estate Center at Texas A&M, who gave us an update on the economy. It was tough to hear that hard times might be ahead for some. However, the sky is not falling. His presentation showed us what recovery may look like in the coming months and how our economy can thrive after these uncertain times and how the real estate industry could be key to that success. Based on recommendations from the Broker-Lawyer committee, the Commission proposed significant changes to TREC’s contract forms and will soon seek input from the public on those proposed changes.  Now is the time to review the proposed changes and provide your opinion. The Broker-Lawyer Committee and the Commission will review your comments and decide the next steps accordingly.   

During this meeting, the Commission also adopted new rules that affect many of our license holders, including a new requirement of three hours of sales agent and broker continuing education (CE) be focused on real estate contracts.   

I encourage all license holders and members of the public to take time to read all rule proposals and give the Commission feedback. We want to hear from you. You can provide comments to our General Counsel on all proposed rules during the comment period. You can find all the proposed and recently adopted rules on our website. I thank each of you for taking the time to provide your valuable feedback.  

License Extensions  

In case you missed it, TREC and TALCB have extended the waivers of all renewal and application deadlines until June 30, 2020. Like our previous extension, this means all license applicants and license holders within their renewal period are going to be automatically granted an extension to complete their requirements until June 30, 2020. For all the details, make sure you check our website.  

Planning Tour Update  

In March, the Executive Director and I had planned to embark on a tour to hear from you and get feedback about the future of the agency and identify key issues facing license holders. We still plan to do this introductory tour, but virtually. We are working in coordination with local REALTOR associations to get these sessions scheduled. More to come on this soon.  

The last month and a half have been challenging for us all. I know many of you are making sacrifices, and the future feels uncertain. The Commission and staff are here to help however we can. Please reach out to me if you need anything. And remember, this too shall pass. We will soon meet in person again. Stay safe and healthy.