Happy New Year!  As we return recharged from the holidays and gear up for the season, there are some key items to keep us busy in the very near future.  So let’s dive right in…  

On January 8th, the 86th Session of the Texas Legislature began. As the session progresses, we will, of course, be closely following the progress of our Sunset bill. In addition, as with any legislative session, there will likely be lots of other bills files related to the professions and trades that we regulate. Certainly, some bills are expected related to floods and other disasters impacting real estate.  We have a great team who will be working hard to track these bills and ensure our policymakers and agency staff are adequately informed on anything that could impact the agency.  We promise to keep you informed.

One of the items that the Sunset Commission asked us to look more closely at is the use and reporting of “measures”. A well-known maxim of effective management is “…if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”  So all of us - Commissioners, Board Members, directors and  staff will be reconsidering the “measures” we currently  use (contained in our Strategic Plan posted on the Reports page of our website), and will be making recommendations to modify, add or eliminate these data elements to better reflect the key processes and deliverables we are committed to routinely produce. We welcome input aimed to simplify and focus more appropriately on key results.       

Our Commissioners, Board Members and staff have all become more keenly attuned to many of the details regarding issues that our committees are working on. Committees are where much of the frontline work is done to listen to stakeholders, debate alternatives and shape recommendations. To improve our communications with all of our stakeholders, we will be regularly updating everyone before and after all meetings with links to agenda, materials, and minutes.  Always check our meetings page for the schedules, agendas, materials and minutes.

We will also provide more routine progress reports on customer service issues, official reports to leadership, and key technology and enforcement related progress and developments. This is our commitment to ensuring appropriate monitoring and input from our policymakers and other stakeholders.  Please check the reports page on our website for the most current postings.      

Stephen Rapp has assumed a leadership role as the agency’s Director of Information & Technology Services as of January 14.  We are excited to have him join the team to keep our infrastructure sound and our technology projects moving along rapidly. In addition, we are also pleased to announce that Robert Hood, Jr. will start as the agency’s Director of Reception & Communication Services on January 17.  We are always seeking qualified candidates to fill our team’s open positions, so please suggest an opening to someone you think would be a great addition to our team in 2019.  

Key customer service issues such as average wait times for calls and new application processing times continue to trend favorably overall, with a slight decline as expected over the holidays, with fewer days scheduled to be open and fewer staff in attendance.  The free online TREC license history certificate has been well received and has added some efficiency in the Licensing Department.  We are committed to more continued improvements and expect to roll out additional innovations in the next two months.  Stay tuned and involved as we seek new ways to accomplish our mission more effectively. Aim high!