Just licensed in Texas? Your first steps as a new sales agent
Congratulations on passing. Here is what Texas expects from you next, checked against the state's own rules.
In Texas your entry-level license is called a sales agent license, issued by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). These are the deadlines and rules that matter in your first months.
Last verified 17 October 2026 against the official sources listed below. Rules change, so confirm anything critical with the agency and your broker.
Your first steps in Texas
Get active under a broker
Your license is issued inactive. You need an active Texas broker to sponsor you before you can practice.
Put your post-licensing deadline in your calendar today
98 hours before your first renewal: 90 hours of Sales Agent Apprentice Education (including the 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course) plus 8 hours of TREC Legal Update I and II. If you miss it, your license expires. TREC says these hours cannot be deferred.
Plan your first renewal
Two years after you are licensed. The 98 post-licensing hours are what you owe for that first renewal.
Sort out insurance, MLS and association membership
E&O insurance: Not required by the state rules we checked. Many brokerages require it or include it in their fees, so ask yours before you sign. Joining the local Realtor association and MLS is usually through your brokerage and comes with its own fees, so budget for them before your first deal.
Set up your brand before your first client calls
Clients will look you up. A professional bio, a simple website and a Google Business Profile go a long way. Our free agent bio generator and first-year cost calculator can help you plan it.
The one new agents most often miss: The post-licensing hours cannot be deferred or extended. If they are not done by your first renewal, the license expires, and that applies even if you renew as inactive.
Official sources
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