The Education Standards Advisory Committee (ESAC) convened on October 6, 2025, to discuss upcoming technological and legislative changes affecting real estate education in Texas. The meeting included the introduction of Jean Mitchell as a new member, replacing Kandi Luensmann, who has joined the Broker-Lawyer Committee.
A central topic was the planned launch of the Real Estate and Appraiser License Management (REALM) Portal, which is set to modernize the licensing process. The new system will transition all education provider applications from paper to a fully online format. Approved continuing education (CE) and qualifying education (QE) courses will retain the same course numbers across approval terms, and supporting documents can be uploaded directly through the portal.
Key dates were highlighted for education providers: TREC’s current online licensing services will be unavailable from December 2, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT through December 9, 2025, to allow for the transition. The REALM Portal is scheduled to launch on December 10, 2025. With this change, all approved course numbers will be updated and sent to providers in early December, which will be required for course completion submissions in the Posting System.
Legislative updates were also discussed, particularly Senate Bill 1968, which becomes effective January 1, 2026. The bill shifts authority over initial sales agent education requirements from state law to Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) rulemaking. Currently, these requirements are set in the Texas Occupations Code, making updates slow and dependent on legislative action. The change is expected to make it easier to adapt education requirements as industry needs evolve.
The committee considered ways to make pre-licensing education more adaptable, especially for applicants 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 introduction of a standalone Texas-specific course, which could help accept equivalent coursework from other states while ensuring that all licensees receive necessary state-specific content.
The meeting also addressed an upcoming job task analysis to be conducted by TREC’s licensing exam vendor within the next year. The analysis aims to identify current knowledge and skills required in the real estate profession in Texas. “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.” Following this analysis, ESAC plans to review and possibly update pre-licensing course structures and content.
Meeting materials and a video recording are available online. The next ESAC meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. CT.
