The Texas Real Estate Commission announced on Apr. 10 that existing license and registration holders will receive an email when they can begin the renewal process in the Real Estate and Appraiser License Management (REALM) Portal.
This update is important for all real estate professionals as it provides guidance on how to maintain their licenses or registrations, ensuring continued compliance with state regulations.
According to the commission, license holders are able to renew beginning at least 90 days before their expiration date or when they receive a notification email stating it is time to renew. The renewal option will only appear in the REALM Portal once the renewal window opens. All users must create a new REALM Portal account, as previous login information will not work with this system. Additionally, each user should ensure their license is linked to their account using the State ID and PIN Lookup tool provided by TREC.
To submit a renewal, users should log into the portal, confirm that their licenses are linked to their accounts, then submit a renewal application and pay any required fees. The commission advises against starting a new application during this process and notes that payment can be made even if all continuing education requirements have not yet been reported by education providers.
Sales agents renewing for the first time must complete Sales Agent Apprentice Education requirements including 270 qualifying course hours—among them a 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course—and eight hours of TREC Legal Update courses I and II. Delegated supervisors are also required to complete a six-hour Broker Responsibility Course before renewing. These educational requirements cannot be deferred regardless of whether agents seek active or inactive status; an inactive license does not permit engagement in brokerage activities.
For sales agents seeking active status during renewal, completion of 18 hours of approved continuing education—including specific legal updates, contract coursework, electives, and broker responsibility training—is mandatory prior to expiration or else incur a $200 Continuing Education Deferral Fee. This fee allows up to an additional 60 days post-expiration for completing CE requirements while remaining active.
Those wishing to renew as inactive may do so without completing continuing education but remain unable to conduct brokerage activity until reactivated.
