Real estate agents in Texas

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) licenses agents but doesn't regulate what they charge. TREC says it does not regulate the fees paid to any real estate license holder, including buyer's agents, seller's agents and brokers, and that all fees are set by your agreement with each professional. The answer to "real estate commission Texas" has two halves: the Commission is the state regulator, and the commission you pay is whatever you negotiate.

Texas buyer agreements must say the pay is negotiable

Since January 1, 2026, a Texas license holder working for a homebuyer must sign a written agreement with the buyer before showing a home or presenting an offer. The agreement must state the amount or rate the broker will receive and how it's determined, and must disclose in conspicuous language that broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable. Since no law sets a rate, ask each agent for the rate in writing and compare.

Texas home prices for context

These are statewide figures from the research center at Texas A&M; local prices differ, and each city page covers its own market. Commission terms are a contract matter, so read them before you sign.

In Texas, a person must hold a TREC license to act as a real estate broker or sales agent, and a business entity needs its own broker license. A sales agent can't work alone: the agent must act for a licensed broker, and the broker is responsible for all brokerage activity, including the work of the agents under it.

How to get a Texas real estate license as a sales agent

TREC requires a sales agent applicant to complete 180 classroom hours of qualifying courses, including Principles of Real Estate I and II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts and Promulgated Contract Forms. Applicants must also pass a background check and the licensing exam. Once licensed, agents complete 18 hours of continuing education in each two-year license period.

Texas real estate broker license requirements

A broker license requires at least four years of active experience as a licensed sales agent or broker within the 60 months before applying, totaling 720 experience points, plus additional education (TREC references 630 hours of related education, and a bachelor's degree can count for up to 300 of them). Texas has no license reciprocity with any state, so an agent licensed elsewhere still needs a Texas license.

Realtor or real estate agent in Texas

TREC notes that not every license holder is a Realtor. Realtor is a voluntary membership; the TREC license is what the law requires.

TREC's License Holder Lookup is the "TREC license lookup" tool, and it's the first check on any Texas agent. TREC says it shows:

• whether the person holds an active Texas license;
• any disciplinary action against the license holder;
• education taken in connection with the license;
• for a sales agent, the broker who sponsors them.

Search by the agent's name, then check that the brokerage named on their card or website matches the sponsoring broker in TREC's record. TREC's consumer page links to the lookup: TREC consumer information.

What a Texas agent's website must show

TREC Rule 531.20(b) requires each broker and sales agent to link from their homepage to the Information About Brokerage Services form, labeled "Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services," in at least 10 point font. The current form is IABS 1-2, effective January 1, 2026. A missing link is worth asking about.

Texas brokers and sales agents must put their client's interests above all others, including their own. TREC calls this acting as a fiduciary. At a minimum, your agent must tell you material information, answer your questions, present offers and counteroffers, and treat all parties fairly.

The IABS notice and Consumer Protection Notice

At the first substantive conversation about a specific property, a Texas license holder must give you the written Information About Brokerage Services notice. It explains the ways a broker can represent a party, including as an intermediary, the broker's duties, and the names, license numbers and contact details of the agent, supervisor and broker. It isn't required for a residential lease under one year with no sale considered, when meeting a party known to be represented, or at an open house about that property. Every license holder must also provide TREC's Consumer Protection Notice; the current version is CN 1-5, effective September 1, 2023.

Buyer representation and showing-only agreements in Texas

The written buyer agreement required since January 1, 2026 must state the services, the termination date, whether it's exclusive and how the broker is paid. A broker may also show you a home without representing you, under a showing-only agreement that can't be exclusive and can't run more than 14 days. Under that arrangement the broker gives no advice but can confirm size, price and terms.

Read the termination date before you sign. TREC says a buyer representation agreement is a binding contract, and it can't force a broker to release you; if a broker refuses, TREC points you to a private attorney (see the Texas lawyer guide). Confirm the terms with a licensed Texas real estate broker or lawyer.

Texas license holders must use the contract forms adopted by TREC and may add only factual matters or business details to them. For a home sale, that's usually the One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), form 20-19, effective July 1, 2026, which TREC calls its most frequently used form.

The Texas option period and option fee

Under form 20-19, the buyer pays an option fee for an unrestricted right to terminate within a negotiated number of days. If the buyer terminates in time, the option fee isn't refunded but the earnest money is. The buyer must deliver both the earnest money and the option fee to the escrow agent within 3 days after the effective date, and the option fee is credited to the price at closing. Notices must be given by 5:00 p.m. local time on the deadline, so put the date in your calendar.

The Texas Seller's Disclosure Notice

Under the Property Code, a seller of a single-dwelling home must give the buyer a written Seller's Disclosure Notice, completed to the seller's knowledge, on or before the contract's effective date. The notice says it is not a substitute for any inspections or warranties. If the seller signs a contract without providing it, the buyer may terminate for any reason within seven days after receiving the notice. Some sales are exempt, including foreclosure and court-ordered sales. Confirm deadlines on your own contract with your broker or a Texas real estate lawyer.

The Comptroller says Texas has no state property tax: local governments set rates and collect the tax, and county appraisal districts value property as of January 1 each year. Bills generally go out around October 1 and are due by January 31 of the following year, with penalty and interest from February 1. The Texas Constitution also prohibits a state tax on individuals' net incomes.

Texas homestead exemptions after you buy

School districts must give a $140,000 residence homestead exemption under the Tax Code as amended by S.B. 4, effective November 4, 2025; the Comptroller's example is a $300,000 home taxed for school purposes as if worth $160,000. Homeowners 65 or older or disabled get an additional $60,000 school exemption, under amendments effective the same date. You apply at your county appraisal district, generally before May 1, and the district can confirm which exemptions and amounts apply to your home. A buyer who acquires a home after January 1 may get the exemption for part of the year if the previous owner didn't receive it.

Protesting a Texas appraisal

A protest generally must be filed with the appraisal review board by May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal notice, whichever is later.

Sale prices and transfer taxes in Texas real estate

Bastrop Central Appraisal District describes Texas as a non-sales disclosure state. It says sales transactions aren't given to the appraisal district. Fort Bend's appraisal district says the Property Tax Code bars it from disclosing sales information gathered from a private source, and that owners who protest are entitled only to a list of the sales used to value their property. Ask your agent for recent comparable sales before you price or bid.

On transfer taxes, the Texas Constitution bars any law enacted after January 1, 2016 that imposes a transfer tax on a sale conveying fee simple title to real property. Tax rules change and have exceptions, so confirm your situation with a licensed tax adviser or Texas real estate lawyer.

Complaints about a Texas license holder go to TREC in writing through its REALM Portal. You have four years from the incident to file, TREC can't take a complaint by phone, and it can't accept an anonymous one. TREC can also open complaints alleging discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin or ancestry.

The Texas Real Estate Recovery Trust Account

If you win a civil court judgment against a TREC license holder who can't pay it, the Real Estate Recovery Trust Account can pay up to $125,000 per transaction and $250,000 per license holder, under limits effective January 1, 2024. You need the court judgment first; you don't need to have filed a TREC complaint. A Texas lawyer can tell you whether a claim is worth bringing.

1. Run the agent through TREC's License Holder Lookup and check for disciplinary action.
2. Confirm that the sponsoring broker on TREC matches the brokerage the agent names.
3. Look for the IABS link on the agent's homepage and expect the IABS notice at your first substantive conversation about a property.
4. Get the commission rate in writing, and remember the law says it is fully negotiable.
5. Read the buyer or listing agreement's termination date and whether it's exclusive.
6. Ask how many days of option period the agent suggests, and why.
7. As a buyer, ask for the Seller's Disclosure Notice before you sign.
8. Ask the agent for recent comparable sales, since appraisal districts such as Fort Bend's say they can't disclose privately gathered sales data.
9. Treat any promise about your sale price or savings as a warning sign.

The checklist helps you compare agents; confirm legal and tax questions with a licensed Texas professional.

Each city page lists local real estate agents ranked on public review data (see our terms of service) and points back to the TREC checks above. If you're planning the move itself, see the Texas movers guide. Browse agents by region.

Real estate agents in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas, Preston Hollow, Irving, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Fort Worth, Arlington, Southlake, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, Denton, Flower Mound, Rockwall, Weatherford, Burleson. Region guide: Dallas-Fort Worth.

Real estate agents in North Texas and Texoma

Sherman, Wichita Falls. Region guide: North Texas and Texoma.

Real estate agents in Houston and the Gulf Coast

Houston, Cypress, Katy, Sugar Land, Conroe, The Woodlands, Pearland, League City, Galveston, Santa Fe. Region guide: Houston and the Gulf Coast.

Real estate agents in Southeast Texas

Beaumont. Region guide: Southeast Texas.

Real estate agents in East Texas

Tyler, Longview. Region guide: East Texas.

Real estate agents in Austin and the Hill Country corridor

Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, Kyle, San Marcos, Dripping Springs. Region guide: Austin and the Hill Country corridor.

Real estate agents in Central Texas

Killeen, Waco. Region guide: Central Texas.

Real estate agents in San Antonio and the Hill Country

San Antonio, New Braunfels, Boerne. Region guide: San Antonio and the Hill Country.

Real estate agents in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley

Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen. Region guide: South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.

Real estate agents in West Texas

El Paso, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, San Angelo. Region guide: West Texas.

Real estate agents in Panhandle and South Plains

Lubbock, Amarillo. Region guide: Panhandle and South Plains.