Courses

Hi Emmanuel,I saw your post from late September and wanted to follow up hopefully youve already made some progress, but just in case youre still clarifying a few items, heres a detailed breakdown that should help.TREC License RequirementsTo maintain your active license, youll need to complete:Legal Update I & II (Ethics 1 & 2) both are mandatory each renewal cycle (8 total hours).Continuing Education (CE) Hours usually 18 total hours for active licensees. You can confirm what youve completed or still need by logging into your profile at TREC.texas.gov.HAR / NAR Membership RequirementsTo keep your REALTOR membership current with HAR and NAR, make sure youve taken:NAR Code of Ethics required every 3 years; available free on NAR.realtor.Fair Housing and C2EX (Commitment to Excellence) both free and show as completed certifications on your NAR profile once done.At Home With Diversity (AHWD) strongly recommended in Houstons global and multicultural market.New Construction Consultancy FocusYou can absolutely work in new construction consulting without any special license, but additional education helps establish expertise and credibility with both clients and builders. Here are some valuable paths to consider:NAHBs New Home Sales Professional (CSP) offered through the National Association of Home Builders; focuses on builder-client relations, construction timelines, and new home sales psychology.Residential Construction Certified (RCC) covers construction methods, materials, and terminology so you can speak confidently with builders and inspectors.New Home Specialist Certification available through various REALTOR education platforms; ideal for agents representing buyers in builder transactions.Builder Partner Programs: Many developers (Lennar, Perry Homes, Highland Homes, DR Horton, etc.) offer their own Agent Certification Programs. Completing these often gets you listed as a preferred consultant and gives you early access to new inventory and incentives.Local Builder Associations: Join or attend events through the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA) an excellent networking resource for new construction consultants.Pairing these courses and affiliations with your REALTOR education (Fair Housing, C2EX, AHWD) strengthens your professional image and opens opportunities in both new construction and relocation markets.If youve already completed any of these since your original post, itd be great to hear which ones you found most valuable. If not, these are all solid next steps to get you fully compliant, recognized, and specialized.Keep going youre building a strong foundation for a great niche!

Emmanuel! Great questions! Ive included your specific license information in my source below. If youre unable to locate the list of classes, youve already taken and/or the classes still needed, feel free to email TREC directly at  Email.  Regarding new construction: you dont need any specific certifications or licenses or anything, but in any new form of real estate you begin to venture off into or undertake, it is required that either your broker or a mentor assigned by your broker supervises you first three transactions. So, reach out to your broker and see what that is going to look like for you according to them. Also, feel free to reach out to me directly anytime! 346-412-6603  Email. 

It depends if you are a new agent youll will need SAE hours to renew, or an existing agent (CE). Am assuming youre a new agent since asking the Q. First, highly recommend you speak with your Broker who will advise what you need. FYI per TREC: For a first-time Texas real estate license renewal, you must complete a total of 270 qualifying real estate education hours, which includes the 180 hours you initially completed to get your license and an additional 90 hours of Sales Apprentice Education (SAE). These 90 hours must include the 4-hour TREC Legal Update I and 4-hour TREC Legal Update II courses, plus a mandatory 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course (required since October 1, 2023). The remaining hours can be any TREC-approved SAE elective courses. Also, suggest you regularly sign into TREC (link below) to confirm what hours you have, and what you need to take to keep your license, and by when. Good luck!

Hi Emmanuel! To renew your license the first time, as Lia Nguyen mentioned, you need 270 hours of qualifying real estate education hours. However, 180 of those were already completed when you initially got your license. To renew, you really only need an additional 90 SAE hours, which stands for Sales-Agent Apprenticeship Education. That should be made up of TREC Legal 1 and Legal 2, Real Estate Brokerage, and two 30-hour electives. To see what courses you have earned credit for, you can go to the TREC website (just Google TREC license search) and search your name. I looked you up on the TREC website, and it appears that you have taken everything you need to renew your license in April of 2026. Please double check with your broker to make sure! Also, you are required to take the NAR Code of Ethics course once every 3 years, so check on that. I hope this helps!

Good mornin

Hello!If you are renewing for the first time, active or inactive, you must have a total of 270 qualifying real estate course hoursThese hours must include the 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course to renew.4 hours of TREC's Legal Update I, and 4 hours of TREC's Legal Update II posted to your license record prior to submitting your renewal.Go to HAR.com/education to search the HAR course catalog. I highly recommend taking HAR LAUNCH or GRI Graduate REALTOR Institute during your first year in real estate. The ABR, Accredited Buyer's Representative is also good if youd like to focus on buyers. I hope that helps. Feel free to call HAR and ask to talk to member services if you have questions about the classes.Welcome to real estate!

Call HAR or better yet, speak with your broker or Education chair in your brokerage. The TREC site will tell you which classes you need to take in order to maintain your license.