Becoming a Texas real estate broker

General Real Estate Investing
1

Based on what I can tell from reading the TREC website, just about anyone can become a Texas real estate broker if they get an LLC or corporate broker license.

Is this correct? Or incorrect?

Here is what I gathered from http://www.trec.state.tx.us/licenses/default.asp - you need 210 classroom hours of training to become an agent (working for a sponsoring broker), 900 hours of classroom training & 2 years experience to become an individual broker OR no educational requirement - just the proper documentation to become a corporate/LLC broker.

Also - if I become an agent - can I work for (aka I would be sponsored by) my own corporate/LLC broker if I’m an officer of that corporation/LLC?

I’m ultimately looking to become a licensed broker as an extension to what I do - specifically I would like to build a business system that is similar to Century 21 Judge Fite (I like to think big, LOL) and make that a division of my real estate business. I want an investment side of the business, and a seperate brokerage side to maximize revenue.

I do NOT want to go back to school/college for 2 years to become a broker. Ugh.

Any feedback from TX agents/brokers would be appreciated. Please no comments like “the 900 hours of training would be good for you anyway…” LOL

Thanks!

2

From what I have read, for an LLC to get broker license, its manager must be an active broker. So seems like you still have to become an agent for 2 years then apply for your broker license.

3

Only Texas can have so much regulation & cr*p to become a broker. LOL. You could have an MBA — six years of college — and it would be basically 100% useless. You’d still have to go back to school full time for 2 years … and to me that’s just not worth it. I can do a lot in two years. Hell, I’ve done so much in the last 4 months with my business it’s insane - I’ve literally doubled my business income.

I couldn’t find what you said below on their website (maybe I am blind), so I sent an email to TREC for clarification, and if 900+ hours of —additional classroom hours— are required to be a corporate/LLC broker, I’m going to say forget that idea. I’d rather just hire a broker to work for me and pay him a large base + commission! I bet a lot of those guys in this down market would jump on a $50k-75k base + large commission, not to mention a flashy office, company car & other benefits. They could easily clear $100k +/- working for me. That’s down the road a few years anyway…I’m just planning in advance. :wink:

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4

Much much much easier to just hire a broker to work for you.

The money you make later on as a broker will not compensate the amount of money you would be losing with all the time spent in the classroom.

I once attempted to get my license while growing my real estate business in the beginning. I had to skip class for closings!!!

2 weeks later I dropped out.

You can’t be an entrepreneur and go to school full time…

And plus, when they get to the part about calculating commissions (which is essentially the entire math curriculum)… you’ll want to kill yourself.

5

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Who said you need 2 years of schooling to become a broker? You need to be an active agent for 2 years then you qualify to apply for broker license. I believe you will need 210 class room hours (not semester hours) for agent license which you can do in few months max depending on class schedules. After being active for 2 years, you will need 600 class room hours to become a broker.

6

An agent is just 210 hours, yes. But to be a broker you need the 2 years plus (see http://www.trec.state.tx.us/licenses/brokerapp.asp ) 270 classroom hours of core real estate courses. You also have to take an additional 630 classroom hours in related courses. I’m sure the original 210 hours count toward that 900. Anyway - that’s 900 classroom hours, which is equal to about 60 semester hours of college. So in essence it’s like 2 years of schooling. But you can take more than 15 hours per semester if you’re a college student…but that’s if you have time. I make too much money per hour with my business to give up that kind of time. =) Oh well

Who said you need 2 years of schooling to become a broker? You need to be an active agent for 2 years then you qualify to apply for broker license. I believe you will need 210 class room hours (not semester hours) for agent license which you can do in few months max depending on class schedules. After being active for 2 years, you will need 600 class room hours to become a broker.
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7

Also - I did formally hear back from TREC (an email response) and they did say if you have a corporation or LLC, you still need a broker working for that corporation to buy/sell real estate for other people.