No. In Texas, a real estate sales agent license covers commercial property as well as residential, as long as you work under a sponsoring broker. What changes when you move into commercial is the knowledge, standards and support you need, not the license.
What Texas law says
The Texas Real Estate License Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 1101) defines real estate broadly, as an interest in real property, without limiting it to homes. A licensed sales agent may carry out brokerage activity on behalf of the sponsoring broker, whether the property is a house, a retail center or a parcel of land.
How to become a commercial real estate agent in Texas
Commercial agents get the same license as residential agents. TREC's steps:
- Complete 180 hours of qualifying education, six 30-hour courses: Principles of Real Estate I and II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms and Real Estate Finance.
- Apply to TREC through its online portal once your education is complete.
- Get fingerprinted for the required background check.
- Pass the state and national exams.
- Find a sponsoring broker. Your license becomes active once a broker sponsors you, and that broker's standards shape how you learn commercial work.
What your brokerage may require
A brokerage can set its own standards for commercial work, and the good ones do. At KW Commercial Texas, commercial work is reserved for professionals who meet the broker's standards, and agents taking on a new property type work under a formal mentoring agreement with an experienced commercial professional. Experienced commercial agents may qualify for an exemption.
Optional credentials
No extra license is required, but some commercial professionals pursue designations that show commercial expertise, such as CCIM, the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation, and TACS, the Texas Accredited Commercial Specialist certification offered through Texas REALTORS. KW Commercial partners with CCIM Institute, with member discounts on CCIM education.
How agents usually start
Agents moving from residential into commercial here begin with KW Commercial's training, including Applied Foundations of Commercial Real Estate, and learn their first deals alongside a mentor. How the move from residential to commercial works
Key takeaways
- A Texas sales agent license covers commercial property; there is no separate commercial license.
- You must work under a sponsoring broker, who may set extra standards for commercial work.
- At KW Commercial Texas, new property types are handled under a formal mentoring agreement.