Real estate transactions are complex, so many brokers and sales agents engage the help of assistants to handle the administrative details. Regardless of an assistant’s professional title—unlicensed assistant, administrative assistant, office manager, and transaction coordinator are popular—the real estate license status determines what type of activities they can legally perform in Texas.

The changes listed below, recommended by the Broker-Lawyer Committee, were adopted by the Texas Real Estate Commission during its November 4 meeting. These apply to all contract forms unless specified otherwise.

The Real Estate License Act (TRELA) says a licensed sales agent may not engage in real estate brokerage activity unless that sales agent is sponsored by a licensed broker and is acting for that broker.

In Texas, transaction coordinators and showing agents are frequently used by brokerages as part of their business model, but sometimes these models entail working for other brokerages. Here is what “acting for” your broker means in these situations.

During the August TREC Meeting, the Commission adopted new rule 535.124, Death of a Designated Broker, to detail agency practice and provide better guidance in the event the designated broker of a licensed business entity which sponsors sales agents dies.

The Texas Broker-Lawyer Committee (BLC) met twice in July to discuss its routine work of reviewing TREC’s forms, but also to discuss potential changes to the TREC contract forms as a result of the proposed NAR settlement related to compensation.

During its July 18 meeting, the Broker Responsibility Advisory Committee (BRAC) reviewed the over 42 pages of public comments it received regarding education and experience required to become a broker. This has been a topic of discussion throughout multiple iterations of the former Broker Responsibility Working Group. BRAC began its initial discussion of this topic at its last meeting.

During the May 2024 TREC Meeting, the Commission proposed a new rule to address broker succession when the designated broker for a business entity passes away.

Record-breaking attendance made the TREC Meeting in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) a standout and marks the Commission's second out-of-Austin meeting. Branching out of the Texas Capitol Complex in Austin—where TREC is headquartered—is an initiative that began last year in an effort to connect with more license holders and Texans. Houston was the first stop in 2023 with roughly 80 attendees.

They are still happening: Real estate leasing scams continue to pose a threat to property owners in Texas, especially in the greater Houston area, prompting the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) to issue warnings such as this press release sent to more than a dozen news outlets—most of them based in the southeastern part of the state—including The Houston Chronicle,