Many rules were adopted at TREC’s November 19, 2019 meeting, including rule changes to implement Sunset Advisory Commission recommendations and mandates, changes to implement other legislation, and fee changes.   Additionally, TREC considered recommendations by the Broker-Lawyer Committee related to promulgated forms. 

It’s been a busy fall for TREC and the Inspector Committee. We continue to implement the Sunset recommendations and statutory changes, most of which will be considered for adoption at the November 19th Commission meeting, including the amendments to the inspector qualifying education rules. If adopted by the Commission at the November meeting, these new requirements will take effect on May 1, 2020.

October marks six months since I began with the Commission.  I am grateful for the warm welcome and generosity shown to me by our staff team, our policymakers and our license holders.

In April of 2018, the Executive Director of the Agency reached out to our stakeholders and to the public to acknowledge that the customer service the Agency was providing was unacceptable, and that we were working diligently to find sustainable solutions to resolve these issues. Since that time, the Agency has made great strides to improve the level of service by employing a holistic approach, including a combination of technological improvements, additional staff, and enhanced process efficiencies.

Recently, the Commission was mentioned in a news story about a former license holder whose license was revoked by the agency. Although this kind of fraudulent behavior is not typical for TREC license holders, this serves as an important reminder that Texans should always investigate any real estate service providers they engage or work with. 

Before wiring money for an escrow deposit or to close on a home purchase, License Holders should make sure to talk with their clients to ensure they are sending funds to the correct recipient and account.  Consumers should not rely on instructions sent by email without contacting their broker or sales agent to verify the instructions are correct, since emails may be hijacked by potential scammers. Check out this article for more information on what to look out for and avoid.

The 2019 Legislative Session concluded on May 27. With over 7,000 bills filed by legislators, this session was a busy one.  While the Agency’s primary focus this session was on our Sunset legislation, we did keep our eye on the progress of several bills that could have impacted the Agency in one way or another.

Below is a list the bills that passed and a brief summary of their impact the regulatory authority of the Agency. In case you missed it, we hosted a Facebook LIVE discussing these bills and more. Check out the video below: 

The future of the Plumbing Board has been on the minds of many inspectors since the end of the legislative session. As a result of action taken by Governor Abbott, the Plumbing Board will continue until 2021; please be sure to see our article on this to get all the information you need.

UPDATE: