Q: What is the procedure to become a licensed real estate agent?

A: You must complete 210 classroom hours of education. 150 hours must include the following classes:
Principles of Real Estate – 60 hours
Law of Agency- 30 hours
Law of Contracts – 30 hours
Plus one elective - 30 hours
The remaining 60 hours of the education requirement may be satisfied by either:

1. Additional approved real estate ‘core’ classes, including subjects such as real estate marketing, real estate finance, real estate law, real estate math and others.
2. 4 semester hours of academic college classes acceptable to the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC).

Q: Once the classes have been taken, what is the next step?

A: You will need to submit your Certificates of Completion and college transcripts (if applicable) to TREC for evaluation. There is a $30 fee. You can obtain the Request For Evaluation of Education Documents form from the TREC web site at www.trec.state.tx.us. This step must be completed before filing an application for a Salesperson’s license. TREC will issue a letter indicating that your education requirements have been met, or if additional education will be required.

Q: After I receive approval of my education documents, what do I do next?

A: The next step is to submit an Application for Inactive Salesperson License, also available from the TREC web site at www.trec.state.tx.us. There are two fees required with this application: $94.50 application processing fee and $10 recovery fund fee. You should read this form carefully before taking your classes to be sure you can comply with the requirements for age, citizenship, honesty and integrity.

Once TREC has accepted your application you will receive a Candidate Information Brochure, which gives complete information on the location, cost and scheduling procedure for the license exam.

Psychological Services, Inc. (PSI) is TREC's provider of licensing examinations. The exam registration fee, payable to PSI, is $59. The Candidate Information Brochure (CIB) will provide the information you will need to register to take the examination. You may access a copy of the PSI CIB at: http://www.psiexams.com. PSI has a testing center here in Lubbock.

Q: How do I find a place to work?

A: Real estate salespersons must work for a licensed real estate broker. You can (and should) interview with several brokers before, during or after taking your real estate classes. Once you have found a broker who will sponsor you, the broker will submit a Request to Sponsor Salesperson Applicant form to TREC. (The $20 fee is waived for the first sponsorship, but is charged if you change sponsors later.) This form is available at the TREC website at www.trec.state.tx.us. Once TREC has processed this application your active license will be forwarded to the broker.

Applicants for a salesperson license can apply without a sponsoring broker and, upon meeting all qualifications, will be issued an "inactive" license. To begin the practice of real estate, a new licensee will then obtain a sponsoring broker and pay the fee ($20) for issuance of an active license.

Q: Do the courses have to be taken in a classroom setting?

A: No. Approved classes may also be taken by correspondence or online. We offer all our courses by correspondence. Many people prefer this format because it gives you more control of the pace of learning and can be completed at home at your convenience, rather than allocating many hours of classroom time on weekends.

Q: What does it cost to take the education courses?

A: $199 for 30 hour Accelerated courses (Law of Agency, Law of Contracts) $398 for 60 hour Accelerated courses (Principles of Real Estate I and II Accelerated courses include 2 days of intensive instructor-led seminars for each 30 hours of credit. Accelerated courses have proved to be the most effective way to learn what you need to pass the license examination.

Our correspondence course fees are: $165 including sales tax for 30 hour courses (with the exception of RE Finance II) $265 including sales tax for 60 hour courses

We accept checks, cash, Visa and Mastercard.

Q: What is included with each course?

A: Each course includes a textbook and a student guide. The student guide gives instructions for completion of the chapter quizzes and other activities, as well as instructions and the forms needed to take the final exam.

Q: Where do I take the final exam?

A: For students in the Lubbock area, the final exam may be taken at our office. Students from other areas may have their exam proctored by a Certified Librarian, or at a college, university or testing center. The student is responsible for any fees involved.

Q: What is the final exam like?

A: The final exam for each course is an open-book, open-notes multiple choice exam. To pass the final exam you must score 70% or above.

Q: How do I get started taking the courses?

A: You simply complete the enrollment form and pay the course fees. Students in the Lubbock area may pick up their course materials at our office; we will ship the course materials to students who live outside the Lubbock area. You can print the enrollment form from this web site or we can fax the enrollment form to you; when we receive your completed enrollment form and payment we will ship the course materials or have them available for pick-up at our office.

Q: What do I do if I have questions about the subject matter or procedure?

A: We are available by phone during regular business hours to answer any questions you may have. Our business hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM M-F.