What do I do after I finish my Texas real estate course?

Once you've passed all six pre-licensing courses, here's what's next:

1. Apply to TREC: submit your sales agent license application through TREC's REALM Portal. The application fee is $206.
2. Get fingerprinted: schedule through IdentoGO by IDEMIA. Booking online takes about 5 minutes; the fee is $37.
3. Take the licensing exam: once TREC approves your completed license application, schedule the state exam with Pearson VUE ($43). You need a passing score on both the National and State portions.
4. Find a sponsoring broker: TREC issues your license as inactive, and it can't go active until a broker sponsors you. Texas real estate brokers actively seek out our graduates, and we make sure every one of our graduates gets connected.

Get your real estate license courses with School Estate here.

See more common questions on our full FAQ page.

How does fingerprinting actually work?

You'll need the TREC ID number from your exam eligibility letter to book. Same-day fingerprinting without an appointment isn't available, so schedule at least 24 hours ahead through IdentoGO. At your appointment, you're photographed as part of the background check, and your fingerprints are transmitted electronically to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI — you won't get a printed fingerprint card, just a receipt confirming you were fingerprinted (keep it).

Your license won't issue until TREC receives your criminal history report back from DPS and the FBI and clears your background check — this can happen in parallel with finding a sponsoring broker, so don't wait on one to start the other.

See the full fingerprinting-to-clearance workflow for a step-by-step breakdown.

What if I don't already know a sponsoring broker?

In Texas, the licensed real estate broker who supervises you is your sponsoring broker; other states call the same role an employing broker, managing broker, or broker in charge. You don't need one lined up before you enroll or even before you finish your courses. School Estate guarantees it will connect every graduating student with a sponsoring broker — in 20+ years, no graduate who's asked has ever gone unplaced. That guarantee covers placement itself; it's not a promise of income, commissions, or a specific employer, since what you build from there is up to you.

Choosing the right brokerage shapes your first year, so interview more than one. Ask how the commission split and any monthly or desk fees work, what training and mentoring new agents get, which association and MLS their agents use, and whether they welcome part-time agents or expect full-time commitment.

Once you're sponsored, see what onboarding into your broker's back office actually looks like.

You passed the real estate exam. Now what?

Passing the licensing exam is the finish line for pre-licensing education and the starting line for your new career. Here's what to do after passing the real estate exam in Texas, roughly in order.

1. Watch for your license and activate it

Pearson VUE's candidate handbook says candidates who pass and have cleared their background check receive a license document from TREC by email within 5 to 10 business days. TREC's processing-times page currently warns of delays from REALM Portal integration issues, so allow extra time. Your license is issued inactive; you or your sponsoring broker complete the broker sponsorship request in REALM, and once it's approved you can legally practice real estate as a licensed real estate agent. Don't start selling property or advertising your services until then.

2. Join a REALTOR association and your local multiple listing service

A TREC license doesn't make you a REALTOR. Joining a local association (which includes the Texas and National Association of REALTORS®) does, and it's the usual route to MLS access. New members complete a Code of Ethics orientation of at least 2 hours and 30 minutes. See how to get MLS access in Texas for the step-by-step.

3. Learn your local Texas market and write a 90-day business plan

After passing your Texas real estate exam, analyze your local market data and build a 90-day business plan to launch your lead generation. Treating your license as a small business from day one builds steady habits and long-term momentum.

• Analyze local market metrics: Study active listings, median home prices, and days on market in your primary Texas cities or neighborhood niches.
• Establish your 12-month operating budget: Calculate fixed monthly expenses, including local REALTOR® association dues, MLS subscription fees, marketing costs, and CRM software.
• Design a 90-day lead generation routine: Schedule daily time blocks for prospecting, whether through open houses, direct outreach, or networking, before you need your first client.
• Select your niche market: Focus initial marketing efforts on a specific neighborhood, buyer profile (like first-time homebuyers), or property type to stand out in a competitive market.

4. Build your local real estate network through industry events

Connecting with local real estate professionals, lenders, and past contacts right after getting licensed builds a reliable pipeline for client referrals. Many new Texas agents find their first transactions through their existing sphere of influence.

• Notify your primary network: Tell family, friends, past colleagues, and personal contacts that you're now an active, licensed Texas real estate professional.
• Attend local brokerage and REALTOR® events: Participate in local association mixers, brokerage team meetings, and regional industry trade shows to meet prospective mentors and co-agents.
• Partner with local title officers and lenders: Build relationships with Texas title companies, mortgage brokers, and home inspectors who can refer clients.
• Commit to consistent prospecting: Keep up weekly coffee check-ins, follow-up calls, and local community involvement to stay top of mind across your Texas market.

5. Set up your tools and professional brand

A CRM keeps your contacts database and follow-ups in one place, a professional email address looks credible, a Google Business Profile and a professional website help people find you, and a consistent business social media presence shows you're active. Check with your sponsoring broker about E&O coverage and any brand or advertising guidelines before you publish anything. Our step-by-step guides cover setting up your first CRM, understanding your E&O insurance coverage, and setting up a Google Business Profile.

6. Keep learning: SAE and continuing education

Before your first renewal at two years, TREC requires 98 hours of Sales Agent Apprentice Education. After that, you complete 18 hours of continuing education courses every two years, including updates on real estate law. Ongoing education beyond the minimum, such as a mentor, a real estate coach, or your brokerage's training, is where new agents build long-term success and a successful career.

What you can do while you're waiting on your license

• Interview brokerages and choose your sponsoring broker.
• Draft your budget and 90-day business plan.
• Build your contact list and plan how you'll tell people about your new career.
• Study market data for the neighborhoods you want to work in.
• Reserve your business social media handles and plan your professional brand.

Common questions from new real estate agents

What comes after you're licensed and placed?

Your first license renewal, at the two-year mark, requires completing Sales Agent Apprentice Education (SAE). And once you've got experience under your belt, some agents go on to meet TREC's broker eligibility requirements and earn a Texas Broker license to lead their own firm. See every Texas real estate licensing path — sales agent, broker, CE, SAE, exam prep, and single courses — in one place.