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:
- Register for the state exam: file through TREC's REALM portal.
- Complete your application and pay fees: the application fee is $206.
- Get fingerprinted: schedule through IdentoGO by IDEMIA. Booking online takes about 5 minutes; the fee is $38.25.
- Find a sponsoring broker: your license can't go active without one. Brokerages across Texas, including RE/MAX, Compass, Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and eXp, reach out to us weekly asking for School Estate graduates. 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?
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.
Once you're sponsored, see what onboarding into your broker's back office actually looks like.
Setting up your business once you're licensed
A handful of practical steps come up right after placement, most agents handle these in their first few weeks:
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.
Need help finding a sponsoring broker?
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