The Education Standards Advisory Committee (ESAC) convened on October 6, 2025, to address several key developments in real estate licensing and education in Texas. The meeting included the introduction of a new committee member, updates on the forthcoming Real Estate and Appraiser License Management (REALM) Portal, and a discussion of legislative changes affecting the Texas Real Estate Commission’s (TREC) authority over education requirements.
Jean Mitchell was welcomed as the newest member of ESAC, filling the seat vacated by Kandi Luensmann, who has transitioned to TREC’s Broker-Lawyer Committee.
A significant portion of the meeting focused on the REALM Portal, TREC’s upcoming licensing system. The portal is designed to improve efficiency for both application submissions and internal processes. With its implementation, education providers will move from paper-based to fully online applications. Renewals for continuing and qualifying education courses will allow course numbers to remain consistent across approval terms, and document submissions will shift to an upload system rather than mail.
Key transition dates were announced: TREC’s current online licensing services will be unavailable from December 2, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT through December 9, 2025. The REALM Portal is scheduled to launch on December 10, 2025. As part of this rollout, all currently approved course numbers will change, and providers will receive new numbers via email in early December. These new numbers will be necessary for submitting course completion information in the Posting System.
Legislative updates were also discussed. Senate Bill 1968, effective January 1, 2026, will shift the authority for setting initial sales agent education requirements from state statute to Commission rulemaking. Currently, these requirements are specified in the Texas Occupations Code, which can make adapting to industry changes challenging.
The committee explored options for making pre-licensing education more adaptable, especially for applicants moving from other states. “Current statute lays out some basic education topics that each qualifying course must cover, including Texas-specific components,” TREC Education and Examinations Director Jennifer Wheeler noted. “That makes it difficult when, for example, a broker with an out-of-state license wants to come here and obtain a Texas license.”
ESAC is considering the creation of a standalone Texas-specific course. This could allow greater flexibility in accepting equivalent coursework from other states while ensuring all licensees receive essential Texas-specific instruction.
Additionally, TREC’s licensing exam vendor is set to conduct a job task analysis for Texas in the coming year. The review will involve subject matter experts and psychometricians to identify the most relevant knowledge and skills for today’s real estate profession. “A job task analysis like this hasn’t been performed in at least 15 years,” Director Wheeler said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to understand what’s current in the industry and ensure our education aligns with it.” After the analysis is completed, ESAC plans to review the structure and content of pre-licensing courses.
Meeting materials, including the agenda and video recording, are available for download. The next ESAC meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. CT.
