Privacy & Security Policy

When you visit our website, this is how we handle the information we learn about you.  The information we receive depends on what you do when you visit our website.

What do you do when you visit our website?

Read or Download Information, such as Applications or Forms

We use cookie technology to collect and store the following information about you:

1. The name of the domain from which you access the Internet (for example, Comcast.net if you are connecting from a Comcast account, or texas.gov if you are connecting from the state of Texas  domain);
2. The Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our website; and
3. The date and time you accessed our website.

We use this information to measure the number of visitors to the different sections or pages of our website and to help us improve our website for visitors.  We do not disclose this information to third parties.

Send us an e-mail

When sending an email to us, you may also send us personal-identifying information.This information is kept to allow us to respond to your inquiry, but is not disseminated beyond the Texas Real Estate Commission.This information is subject to an open records request as permitted by the Texas Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552). However, an email address of a member of the public that is provided to the Board for electronic communication is confidential under the Act and may not be disclosed unless the member of the public consents to disclosure.

Linking Policy

Links to the Commission’s Website

You do not need advance permission to link to our website. When linking your website to the Commission’s website, please use the base URL www.trec.texas.gov, or other URL used by the Commission.  Also, please use a link that passes the client browser to the Commission website unencumbered.  The “Back” button should return the visitor to the original site if the visitor wishes to exit our website.

Organizations or individuals who link to the Commission’s website shall not capture Commission pages within frames, present content on the Commission’s website as your own, or otherwise misrepresent the Commission’s website content.  And you may not misinform users about the origin or ownership of Commission website content.  Certain information, such as the Commission logo, may be trademarked, service-marked, or otherwise protected as intellectual property.  You must follow and comply with state and federal laws when using protected intellectual property. If use is permitted, you must reflect the proper ownership of the intellectual property.

Please be aware that we may change our website or the information on our website at any time, so you must routinely verify links to our website or subpages.

Links from the Commission’s Website

The Commission reserves the right to link to external websites that may provide a service or otherwise provide value to members of the public and our license holders. 

Acceptance Criteria

The Commission links to federal, state and local government websites that provide information and services that are consistent with the business goals and mission of the Commission and benefit Texas citizens.  At its discretion, the Commission will consider linking requests to non-governmental websites that contain information and/or services that further the mission and purpose of the Commission, including sites of Commission-contracted vendors and industry-related associations or publications.

The Commission’s website is not a forum for public communication or debate.  Every link request must be reviewed to determine the public purpose for establishing the link.  The Commission approves links based on the following criteria:

1. Does the external website correspond to the business goals and mission of the Commission?
2. Is the content of the external website consistent with the business goals and mission of the Commission?

The Commission will not approve a link to an external website if the site:

• Exhibits hate, bias, discrimination, pornography, libelous or otherwise defamatory content;
• Advocates or promotes the use of alcohol or tobacco;
• Belongs to or supports a political affiliation; or
• Furthers the agenda of a political organization or candidate running for office.

The Commission reserves the right to deny linking requests if the Commision determines that a website contains misleading or unsubstantiated claims, conflicts with the business goals or mission of the Commission, or does not meet the criteria set forth in the above-numbered sections or set forth below in the section entitled “Conditions for Link Maintenance on the Commission’s website.”

Review Process

1. Please e-mail your linking request to information@trec.texas.gov, indicating “Linking Request” in the subject line.  Each linking request should describe how the site to be linked meets the above criteria.
2. Each linking request will be reviewed against the above Acceptance Criteria.  The decision of the Commission’s General Counsel is final as to whether the linking request will be granted.
3. If a linking request is granted, the approved site owners must comply with the following conditions for link maintenance and may be required to enter into a written linking agreement with the Commission. 

Conditions for Link Maintenance on the Commission’s Website

To provide superior customer service to Texas citizens and businesses accessing information and services through the Commission’s website, the Commission requires external websites linked from the Commission’s website to meet the following conditions for link maintenance:

1. The linked site must provide users with access to an email address and/or a customer service telephone number, so users may contact the site if there are problems with format, accuracy, timeliness, or payment processing.
2. Linked sites should not excessively burden the Commission’s customer support system. If the site excessively burdens the Commission’s customer support system, the Commission may in its sole discretion remove the linked site from the Commission’s website.
3. When a user clicks on the external website link, he/she must have easy access back to the Commission’s website.  This may be accomplished through:
   • Providing a link to the Commission’s website on the external website’s main page; or
   • Ensuring that the "Back" button returns the user to the Commission’s website.
4. Linked sites must have a privacy and security policy accessible from their home page telling users what information is collected, how it is collected, and how it is used. The Commission also encourages linked sites to comply with industry-accepted accessibility standards to ensure that persons with disabilities may access these sites.
5. Site owners of linked sites must notify the Commission by sending an email to information@trec.texas.gov if the external site link becomes inaccurate or inactive.

Removal Process

The Commission reserves the right to remove links if it determines that a website contains misleading or unsubstantiated claims, conflicts with the business goals or mission of the Commission, or does not meet: one or more of the Acceptance Criteria; or the Conditions for Link Maintenance on the Commission’s website.

Links from the Commission’s website will be reviewed regularly and may be removed for the following reasons:

• The link no longer points to the original information or resource to which it was intended to point;
• The website pointed to by the link contains inaccurate or misleading information or has changed such that it is no longer in compliance with the Acceptance Criteria;
• The website pointed to by the link violates the conditions for link maintenance;
• Access to the information has become difficult due to non-standard formatting, lengthy download times, or intrusive advertising;
• The link is permanently unreachable or remains unavailable for a lengthy period; or
• The external website fails to comply with the written linking agreement, if any.

The decision of the Commission’s General Counsel is final as to whether a link is to be removed from the Commission’s website.Once a link has been removed, the site owner will have to submit a new Link Request to re-establish a link from the Commission’s website.

Contact Information

For questions or concerns about this linking policy, please send an e-mail us.

Copying and Use of Information from the Commission’s Website

Information may be copied from the Commission’s website and posted on a third-party website, so long as the information is not presented in a misleading way and does not imply that the third-party website is endorsed by the state of Texas or the Commission.  If information from the Commission’s website is copied and posted on a third-party website, that website must identify the Commission as the source of the information and include the Internet address from which the information was copied and the date the information was copied from the Commission’s website.

As noted in the Commission’s Linking Policy, you must follow and comply with all state and federal laws regarding protected intellectual property when copying and posting information from the Commission’s website.

Website Accessibility Policy

It is the Commission’s policy that all information posted on the Commission’s Internet website be accessible to all users and complies with the standards set forth in Texas Administrative Code, Title 1, Part 10, Chapter 206.

Accessibility Coordinator

The Commission has designated a staff member to act as the Accessibility Coordinator.  The Accessibility Coordinator will monitor the Commission’s compliance with this policy.  To contact the Accessibility Coordinator, send an email to accessibility@trec.texas.gov or write the Accessibility Coordinator at Texas Real Estate Commission, 1700 N. Congress Avenue, Suite 400, Austin, Texas 78701.

Testing and Validation of Web Pages

The Accessibility Coordinator will test the Commission’s website for compliance with accessibility requirements using tools and resources available from the Department of Information Resources.

Request for Accommodation

The Commission will take reasonable steps to accommodate users of standards-compliant web browsers and assistive technology, including enabling software or assistive devices.  A user who is unable to access information on the Commission’s website may contact the Accessibility Coordinator to request that the Commission provide an alternate format or method to access the information.  When making a request for accommodation, please describe the nature of your accessibility problem, the format in which you would like to receive the material, the Web address of the requested material and your contact information.

Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities

Website Disclaimer

Although the Commission takes reasonable steps to ensure that the information provided on the Commission’s website is complete, accurate, and timely in all respects, the Commission assumes no liability for the use of the information provided.

The Commission specifically disclaims any and all liability for any claims or damages that may result from providing the website or the information it contains, including websites maintained by third parties and linked to the Commission’s website.  The Commission exerts no editorial control over information or content found on pages outside of the trec.texas.gov domain.