Shortening the Time It Takes to Get Your Texas Real Estate License
Now that you’ve seen the journey that full- and part-time students can take to complete their education and get their Texas real estate license, let’s talk about a few short-cuts you’ll want to know about.
Applying for a Texas Real Estate License
It may seem counterintuitive, but every hopeful salesperson should apply for their Texas real estate license before taking the licensing exam. Filing and processing can take time, especially if you apply by mail rather than applying online. TREC typically processes applications within 5 business days once received, but you can check current processing times on the TREC site.
You have 12 months to pass the state license exam after the application is filed, which should be ample time to study.
Studying for the Real Estate License Exam
Preparation is the key to passing the Texas real estate license exam on your first attempt. Every time you take the licensing exam, you must pay a $43 nonrefundable fee. That’s just one of the career startup costs you’ll want to prepare for. Having to retake the exam will also delay getting a real estate license.
Real estate exam study guides and practice tests like the ones included in the Aceable pre-license package are an excellent way to prepare. As far as the time it takes, you’ll want to give yourself at least a few weeks to study. If it’s been several months since you completed your real estate courses, you may want to give yourself more time to prep. While you wait on the application to process, it’s the perfect time to start studying for the licensing exam.
Taking the Real Estate Exam
A final exam must be taken before you can get a Texas real estate license. Technically, the real estate licensing examination takes a maximum of four hours. But you have to plan ahead and schedule the real estate exam first.
Schedule your exam so that you have enough time to study, but there’s still an opportunity to take the exam again if needed. Pearson VUE, the Texas real estate exam administrator, notes that it typically takes 5-7 days of processing before the exam can be scheduled again.
Finding a Broker
In order to get an active real estate license, you need to have a broker act as your sponsor. You can have a license without the backing of a real estate broker, but your license will be inactive.
Finding the right real estate broker can take time. It’s something you’ll want to start thinking about before you even begin taking the mandatory real estate courses. Square away enough time to interview several brokers over the course of a few weeks to make sure your goals align.
Once you’ve selected a broker, you’ll need to submit a broker sponsorship form. There’s no fee to submit the broker sponsorship form. As soon as TREC verifies the broker sponsorship and other requirements have been met, your official real estate license will be emailed, and you can start your career as a real estate professional.
When all is said and done, in as little as 2-6 months, you can go from being one of the students taking real estate courses to a licensed Texas real estate agent that’s helping people buy and sell homes.
Start your journey to a career in real estate with Aceable today!
