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Advisory committees push education changes: ESAC withdraws proctoring tweak, BRAC proposes experience‑credit path to broker license
Summary
The Education Standards Advisory Committee recommended withdrawing a proposed rule change that would remove closed‑book course final exam language, while the Broker Responsibility Advisory Committee proposed allowing high transaction experience to count for up to 300 broker education hours.
The Texas Real Estate Commission's advisory committees reported proposals that could change prelicensing, continuing education and broker licensing pathways.
Jennifer Wheeler, director of education and examinations, told the commission that the Education Standards Advisory Committee (ESAC) recommended withdrawing proposed rule language that would have struck a requirement that certain qualifying course final exams be closed‑book. ESAC said staff will draft new language for ESAC's April meeting and that the committee plans to return a possible new recommendation to the commission in May.
"ESAC recommended withdrawing the current rules as proposed, and staff will be drafting language for ESAC's review at its April meeting with the possibility of a new recommendation coming to you all in May," Wheeler said.
Separately, the Broker Responsibility Advisory Committee (BRAC) proposed a voluntary pathway allowing license holders with extensive transaction experience to exchange that experience for continuing education credit toward a broker license. BRAC's concept, presented at the commission meeting, would allow agents with transactions above the licensing minimum — and supervisors who are documented as supervising transactions — to count that experience for up to 300 broker continuing education hours. BRAC members said the approach would not reduce overall standards but would make the broker path more achievable for experienced practitioners.
The BRAC chair said the committee will collect public comments, including outreach to rural license holders, and will review responses at an April meeting before finalizing a proposal.
The commission also received a report from the Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee, which flagged three recurring concerns: appropriate use of specialized inspection equipment such as thermal cameras and laser tools, advertising practices for multi‑inspector firms offering ancillary services, and difficulty for applicants finding practicum instructors. The inspector committee said staff will examine ways to make practicum instructors more discoverable within rules that restrict posting licensee contact information.
