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TREC committee backs major changes to broker licensing — commission votes to propose rules
Summary
The commission voted to propose rule changes that would increase broker experience requirements to 720 points, cap bachelor’s‑degree credit to 300 education hours, allow limited substitution of experience for education, and change how property‑management and delegated‑supervision experience are counted.
The Texas Real Estate Commission moved on Thursday to propose rule changes that would substantially alter the education and experience pathway to a broker license.
The Broker Responsibility Advisory Committee and staff presented a package of recommended changes to commissioners that would: increase minimum experience points required for a broker license from 360 to 720; cap the real‑estate‑related education credit for a bachelor’s degree at 300 of the 630 required hours; allow an applicant to substitute experience for education hours above the new minimum (up to 300 hours); change property‑management experience calculations to a per‑property‑per‑year basis; and shift delegated‑supervision credit to a points‑per‑transaction model.
Why it matters: If adopted after public notice and comment, the changes would raise the amount of verifiable field experience required to become a broker in Texas while limiting how much non‑real‑estate coursework can be counted in lieu of experience. The changes were framed by staff as an attempt to align licensing with current brokerage practices and to reduce reliance on substitutable academic credits.
What the commission did General counsel and staff explained the proposed text and said it reflects recommendations vetted by the Broker Responsibility Advisory Committee. After discussion the commission voted to authorize staff to submit those proposed amendments for publication and public comment. The rule text proposed would change 22 TAC §535.56 (education and experience requirements for a broker license) and related provisions.
Details from committee presentations Denise Sample, director of licensing, summarized the BRAC recommendations and the draft rule language, describing the points‑per‑transaction approach to delegated supervision and the revision to the property‑management calculation. She noted that the changes would permit up to 300 hours of substituted experience above the 720 minimum, and that the bachelor’s‑degree credit would no longer satisfy the full 630 hours.
The Education Standards Advisory Committee (ESAC) and BRAC said the proposed changes emerged after reviewing the post‑legislative housekeeping bill (Senate Bill 1968), which also gives TREC new flexibility around some qualifying education rules. ESAC members noted related discussions about whether to move the 30‑hour brokerage course into prelicensure now that the commission has rulemaking flexibility.
Next steps The commission’s vote simply authorizes publication of the proposed changes in the Texas Register and starts the formal public‑comment period; final adoption would require a later vote after staff reviews comments and prepares a response. Staff said commissioners would see the full adoption package, with public comments, at a future meeting.
Ending Commissioners said the changes are intended to tie broker licensure more tightly to verifiable experience, and the commission asked staff to follow the normal notice‑and‑comment process before any final adoption.
