The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) held its regular meeting on August 11, 2025, marking the first session chaired by newly appointed Chair Mark Woodroof of Houston. Broker Members Kristi Davis of Carrollton and J.B. Goodwin of Austin also began their terms.
During the meeting, Commissioner Ben Peña was nominated as vice chair and joined Chair Woodroof and Secretary Chance Brown on the TREC Executive Committee. Chair Woodroof announced appointments to several committees, including Enforcement, Budget, and the Joint Audit Committee with the Texas Appraiser Licensing & Certification Board (TALCB). Various liaisons to advisory committees were also named.
Ron Walker was reappointed to the Texas Real Estate Broker-Lawyer Committee (BLC), while Kandi Luensmann and Marcus Phipps were named as broker member and alternate, respectively. Outgoing BLC members SJ Swanson, Leigh York, and Aimee Slusher were recognized for their 12 years of service.
Executive Director Chelsea Buchholtz provided an update on the upcoming Real Estate and Appraiser License Management (REALM) Portal. The portal is designed to move all licensing processes online, eliminating paper forms and checks. License holders are advised to consider renewing early in the current system ahead of its launch. Updates about this project are available at https://www.trec.texas.gov/lms or through subscription to TREC Advisor at https://www.trec.texas.gov/newsletters.
Several rule changes were adopted during the meeting. Many result from preparations for the new license management system or from a required quadrennial review under state law that mandates periodic evaluation of rules for relevance and necessity.
Among these changes are amendments clarifying that when making online payments, a fee required by the Texas Department of Information Resources may be collected regardless of payment type.
Changes recommended by advisory committees allow student identity verification through various technologies and remove proctoring requirements for certain qualifying course exams, although proctoring remains an option if preferred. Proctoring requirements have also been removed for inspector non-elective continuing education distance courses.
The Commission presented several proposed rule changes open for public comment until at least November 2025. These include adjustments to broker education and experience requirements such as permitting up to 300 hours of real estate education to substitute for additional experience points beyond minimum licensing requirements; doubling required experience points from 360 to 720; capping bachelor’s degree credit at 300 hours; changing property management calculations; and revising brokerage management point models.
Proposed updates to contract forms reflect legislative actions from recent sessions. Changes include updates prompted by Senate Bill 1968—effective January 1, 2026—which adds a non-representation status under The Real Estate License Act (TRELA) and removes references to subagency in related forms.
Temporary lease agreements have been revised following Senate Bill 2349’s exemption of short-term leases from flood notice obligations effective September 1, 2025.
The BLC has drafted a new disclosure form regarding groundwater and surface water rights after recommendations by the Sunset Advisory Commission. Proposed revisions also address disclosures about conservation easements, insurance coverage types, storage tanks, among other items in seller’s disclosure notices.
Additional contract form proposals clarify definitions such as “Legal Holiday,” revise terminology like “Seller’s Broker” versus “Buyer’s Broker,” remove outdated terms such as “subagent,” reorganize broker information pages for clarity, add references to new water rights notices, adjust compensation disclosure practices between brokers, and align language across related documents.
Senate Bill 1968 will introduce further changes effective January 1, 2026: real estate professionals must provide business contact details for public display on TREC’s website—either office addresses or P.O. boxes may be used—and all brokers seeking renewal must complete a Broker Responsibility Course regardless of sponsorship status. Associated brokers will be responsible for updating affiliation details with TREC themselves; this information will appear publicly in license profiles online.
Additionally, brokers will receive notification if complaints are filed against associated brokers but not detailed information unless sought directly from those individuals involved.
Meeting materials—including agendas and recordings—are available online. The next scheduled TREC meeting is set for November 3, 2025.
