Supervising Broker Renewal

This broker responsibility curriculum was developed by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) and the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University (the Center) with the assistance of a content writing group using information from publications, presentations, and general research.

The 2025-2026 TREC Broker Responsibility course allows you to delve into numerous key topics beneath the umbrella of broker responsibility. In Chapter 1, you will review the key elements of the supervision and structure of a Texas real estate brokerage, including coaching, working with unlicensed assistants, assigning mentors, and more. In Chapter 2, you’ll focus on the importance of keeping updated policies and procedures for your brokerage, including requirements for recordkeeping and dealing with trust accounts. In Chapter 3, you’ll review the required competencies for all Texas license holders—geographic competency, subject matter competency, and TREC contract form competency—and how you can ensure that your sponsored sales agents achieve these competencies. In Chapter 4, you’ll focus on your daily business as a Texas broker, and keep up to date on best practices regarding advertising, social media, and using artificial intelligence (AI). You’ll also review the differences between BPOs, CMAs, and appraisals, along with TREC’s continuing education requirements. Chapter 5 is all about TREC enforcement, spanning everything from the top TREC complaint categories and common enforcement violations to TREC’s new Advertising Compliance Program and numerous case studies regarding licensee violations. This chapter’s real-world case studies will help drive home what happens when a license holder does not follow Texas laws and TREC rules, and the consequences for sales agents and their sponsoring brokers.  

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

• Describe the layers of supervision that exist within a brokerage and the education required to serve in those posit

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) requires real estate license holders take two legal update courses as part of their continuing education requirements for the current license period. This first course, 2024-2025 Texas Legal Update I, delves into TREC rules, updates, and legislative changes and updated promulgated contract forms and addenda in the first two chapters. Chapters 3 and 4 review fair housing laws in the country and in Texas, discuss protected classes under U.S. and Texas law, and explain about the different types of biases. This four-hour course was developed by TREC and includes several YouTube videos that explain the topics in an easy-to-understand manner.  

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

• Describe TREC’s advisory committees that examine different areas of the real estate industry.
• Explain how an idea becomes a TREC rule.
• Describe why TREC’s quadrennial rule review is important to license holders and consumers.
• Identify recent TREC rule changes that affect license holders.
• Understand legislation passed by the 88th Texas Legislature relating to the practice of real estate.
• Summarize the purpose and practice of the Broker-Lawyer Committee.
• Explain why TREC contract forms change.
• Identify recent changes to the One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale) and other contract forms.
• Analyze possible consequences of loan assumptions and the importance of a license holder’s familiarity with the Loan Assumption Addendum form.
• Distinguish between mandatory and voluntary use of TREC contract forms.
• Understand the impact of discrimination in real estate given the history of civil rights laws, current investigations, and trends.
• Identify federal, state, and local fair housing laws.
• Distinguish between the protected classes found in the Fair Housing Act, Texas Real Estate Commission’s Canons of Professional Ethics and Conduct, TREC Rule Se

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) requires real estate license holders take two legal update courses, which TREC developed, as part of their continuing education requirements for the current license period. This second four-hour course, 2024-2025 Texas Legal Update II, begins with a review of agency relationships and how to avoid violating antitrust laws in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 delves into TREC disclosures and when a license holder convicted of a crime must notify TREC. Chapters 3 explains the VA loan program, dispels some common myths about VA loans, and discusses the Texas Veteran Land Board loan program. Chapter 4 focuses on real-world topics, including TREC enforcement, TREC’s advertising compliance program, and several case studies.  

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

• Define the three Canons of Professional Ethics and Canons under Chapter 531 of the TREC rules.
• Explain how types of agency relationships are created in Texas.
• Summarize how license holder-to-license holder communications about commissions can be a violation of antitrust laws.
• Understand the specific information contained in each section of the IABS.
• Explain the mechanisms for acceptable delivery and posting of the Consumer Protection Notice.
• Given a criminal incident, assess if or when a license holder must disclose it as part of their criminal history.
• Recall the name of the program TREC uses during the license renewal process to check criminal related activity.
• Understand the requirements of the VA loan program.
• Describe how VA loans are different than conventional home loans. 
• Identify differences between the VA loan program and the Texas Veteran Land Board loan program.
• Paraphrase the TREC complaint process.
• Identify the top five TREC complaint categories.
• Recall best practices for brokers to prevent complaints against license holders.
• Describe TREC’s advertising c

Gain valuable insights on the least understood – and most-used document in real estate: the contract. 

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Take a unique look at contracts including their history, evolution and definitions 
• Learn how to create a valid contract and the proper format
• Gain insights on contract types and Statute of Frauds 
• Learn how to recognize a breach of contract