About

This Texas property management course will help licensees who work as property managers, or are considering becoming property managers, develop a comprehensive understanding of the field. It begins with an introduction to the factors, economics, law, responsibilities, and operation of professional property management. Learners will explore marketing principles and activities, opening and running a property management office, and managing relationships with owners and tenants.

Next, we discuss analyzing and managing residential and commercial properties, the nature and types of leases, risk management, and applicable state and federal law. The course concludes with sections detailing the managers maintenance and safety and security responsibilities.

Topics Covered

• Lesson 1: Overview of Property Management
• Lesson 2: Federal, State and Local Laws
• Lesson 3: Management Operations
• Lesson 4: Marketing and Analysis
• Lesson 5: Tenant Relations
• Lesson 6: Single Family Residential Leases
• Lesson 7: Commercial Leasing
• Lesson 8: Maintenance and Construction
• Lesson 9: Managing Safety and Risk

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Recall the different types of property managers in real property management.
• Identify the impact that the condition of the real estate economy can have on how properties are managed.
• List the benefits of professional property management.
• Explain the nature of the manager-owner relationship.
• Establish a complete and effective management plan for a property.
• Recognize appropriate agreements and reports for the property.
• Describe marketing principles and activities as they relate to marketing rental properties.
• Discuss how to develop an advertising campaign strategy and how to gauge its effectiveness.
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of various advertising methods.
• Summarize the importance of the promotional efforts by management and the value of the personal selling efforts of the manager.
• Describe the necessary elements and staffing requirements for a management office.
• Explain factors necessary to determine management fees.
• Summarize the information required to complete financial reports.
• Identify information and documentation required for determining tax liability.
• Recognize three methods for determining profitability.
• Demonstrate how to effectively manage tenant relationships.
• Explain how security deposits and rent collection should be handled.
• Describe how and why property managers evict tenants.
• Discuss residential property and fair housing laws.
• Contrast the differences among three different property management relationships.
• Describe the elements of a management agreement.
• Explain takeover procedures.
• Summarize how to build and maintain satisfactory relationships with owners.
• Describe different types of residential property and how valuation is affected.
• Summarize how marketing is influenced by the type of property.
• Discuss methods of managing tenant relations.
• Identify the roles of various building staff and their roles in maintaining the apartment building.
• Explain residential operating reports.
• Distinguish the differences when managing cooperatives, condominiums, and Planned Unit Developments (PUDs).
• Describe the importance of accurate budget projections when determining management fees.
• Summarize the issues involved when managing subsidized housing.
• Explain the similarities and differences of managing manufactured home parks and housing for the elderly.
• Classify retail properties by market area, patterns, owner, and merchandising products.
• Describe different marketing strategies for retail properties.
• Discuss retail leases and their specific clauses.
• Explain how maintenance varies depending on the size of the property and the obligations of the tenant.
• Identify administrative responsibilities and financial reports required by retail centers.
• Describe classifications of industrial real estate.
• Summarize required market information and industrial development incentives that are necessary for successfully marketing industrial space.
• Identify specific issues for qualifying and negotiating with industrial tenants.
• Explain the needs of ministorage center management.
• Explain the general nature of leasing real property.
• Describe the lease as a real estate transaction.
• Explain how leasing is vital component to real estate practice.
• Describe the differences in the types of leasehold estates.
• Explain the general provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act.
• Explain the differences in the types of leases.
• Identify four methods of risk management and the implications of each.
• Describe insurance policies that the owner, the manager, and the tenant should carry, and discuss the need for and coverage of each.
• List environmental laws and give a simple explanation of each.
• Name environmental hazards and describe ways that the property manager can minimize their effects.
• Plan employee information and training for dealing with hazardous substances.
• State the reason for antitrust laws, and give an example of what not to discuss with competitors.
• Describe the purpose of the federal fair housing laws and the protections that they offer.
• Discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Megan's Law.
• Explain the protections offered by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) as well as the Uniform Electronic Transmissions Act (UETA) and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
• List the requirements of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (LBPHRA).
• Summarize the provisions suggested by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
• Identify the requirements of getting a real estate license.
• State the required educational materials.
• Understand what the laws require regarding relationships with clients and customers.
• Answer questions regarding the real estate recovery fund.
• List kinds of maintenance operations and give an example for each.
• Explain the duties and responsibilities of various maintenance personnel.
• Discuss the components of a cost-effective maintenance program.
• Describe the issues concerning construction activities.
• Summarize steps to increase and manage energy efficiency.
• Design a life safety program utilizing personnel, equipment, and procedures to prevent an emergency, detect a breach, and contain and counteract the damage.
• Describe the role of personnel in life safety situations.
• Identify preparations for various emergency situations.
• Explain how to prevent criminal activity on the property.

About

This Texas property management course will help licensees who work as property managers, or are considering becoming property managers, develop a comprehensive understanding of the field. It begins with an introduction to the factors, economics, law, responsibilities, and operation of professional property management. Learners will explore marketing principles and activities, opening and running a property management office, and managing relationships with owners and tenants.

Next, we discuss analyzing and managing residential and commercial properties, the nature and types of leases, risk management, and applicable state and federal law. The course concludes with sections detailing the managers maintenance and safety and security responsibilities.

Topics Covered

• Lesson 1: Overview of Property Management
• Lesson 2: Federal, State and Local Laws
• Lesson 3: Management Operations
• Lesson 4: Marketing and Analysis
• Lesson 5: Tenant Relations
• Lesson 6: Single Family Residential Leases
• Lesson 7: Commercial Leasing
• Lesson 8: Maintenance and Construction
• Lesson 9: Managing Safety and Risk

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Recall the different types of property managers in real property management.
• Identify the impact that the condition of the real estate economy can have on how properties are managed.
• List the benefits of professional property management.
• Explain the nature of the manager-owner relationship.
• Establish a complete and effective management plan for a property.
• Recognize appropriate agreements and reports for the property.
• Describe marketing principles and activities as they relate to marketing rental properties.
• Discuss how to develop an advertising campaign strategy and how to gauge its effectiveness.
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of various advertising methods.
• Summarize the importance of the promotional efforts by management and the value of the personal selling efforts of the manager.
• Describe the necessary elements and staffing requirements for a management office.
• Explain factors necessary to determine management fees.
• Summarize the information required to complete financial reports.
• Identify information and documentation required for determining tax liability.
• Recognize three methods for determining profitability.
• Demonstrate how to effectively manage tenant relationships.
• Explain how security deposits and rent collection should be handled.
• Describe how and why property managers evict tenants.
• Discuss residential property and fair housing laws.
• Contrast the differences among three different property management relationships.
• Describe the elements of a management agreement.
• Explain takeover procedures.
• Summarize how to build and maintain satisfactory relationships with owners.
• Describe different types of residential property and how valuation is affected.
• Summarize how marketing is influenced by the type of property.
• Discuss methods of managing tenant relations.
• Identify the roles of various building staff and their roles in maintaining the apartment building.
• Explain residential operating reports.
• Distinguish the differences when managing cooperatives, condominiums, and Planned Unit Developments (PUDs).
• Describe the importance of accurate budget projections when determining management fees.
• Summarize the issues involved when managing subsidized housing.
• Explain the similarities and differences of managing manufactured home parks and housing for the elderly.
• Classify retail properties by market area, patterns, owner, and merchandising products.
• Describe different marketing strategies for retail properties.
• Discuss retail leases and their specific clauses.
• Explain how maintenance varies depending on the size of the property and the obligations of the tenant.
• Identify administrative responsibilities and financial reports required by retail centers.
• Describe classifications of industrial real estate.
• Summarize required market information and industrial development incentives that are necessary for successfully marketing industrial space.
• Identify specific issues for qualifying and negotiating with industrial tenants.
• Explain the needs of ministorage center management.
• Explain the general nature of leasing real property.
• Describe the lease as a real estate transaction.
• Explain how leasing is vital component to real estate practice.
• Describe the differences in the types of leasehold estates.
• Explain the general provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act.
• Explain the differences in the types of leases.
• Identify four methods of risk management and the implications of each.
• Describe insurance policies that the owner, the manager, and the tenant should carry, and discuss the need for and coverage of each.
• List environmental laws and give a simple explanation of each.
• Name environmental hazards and describe ways that the property manager can minimize their effects.
• Plan employee information and training for dealing with hazardous substances.
• State the reason for antitrust laws, and give an example of what not to discuss with competitors.
• Describe the purpose of the federal fair housing laws and the protections that they offer.
• Discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Megan's Law.
• Explain the protections offered by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) as well as the Uniform Electronic Transmissions Act (UETA) and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
• List the requirements of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (LBPHRA).
• Summarize the provisions suggested by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
• Identify the requirements of getting a real estate license.
• State the required educational materials.
• Understand what the laws require regarding relationships with clients and customers.
• Answer questions regarding the real estate recovery fund.
• List kinds of maintenance operations and give an example for each.
• Explain the duties and responsibilities of various maintenance personnel.
• Discuss the components of a cost-effective maintenance program.
• Describe the issues concerning construction activities.
• Summarize steps to increase and manage energy efficiency.
• Design a life safety program utilizing personnel, equipment, and procedures to prevent an emergency, detect a breach, and contain and counteract the damage.
• Describe the role of personnel in life safety situations.
• Identify preparations for various emergency situations.
• Explain how to prevent criminal activity on the property.

About

Our daily lives can involve a variety of agency relationships. When you ask your physician to communicate information to the pharmacy to fill in a prescription, you are authorizing the physician to act as an agent of sorts to fulfill a specific task for you. If you hire a professional real estate person to market your home, or find you a new home, or find you a new office space, or you retain an auto broker to locate a replacement car or truck, or contract with an art dealer to find works by a specific artist, or employ a private detective to track down a long-lost relative, or you deliver some inherited furniture to an antique dealer for sale on consignment at a specific minimum price, you are participating in an agency relationship. All of these examples involve a contract, either verbal or written. It is that contract that creates the agency relationship.

No matter what the rules, statutes or practices that may become involved, at its core, an agency relationship is a contract between two parties:

1. the person that is delegating authority (the Principal) and
2. the person that is being given the authority (the Agent).
   
   

The more substantial the proposed relationship and/or contemplated transactions become, the more complex the principal–agent relationship and the rules surrounding it can become. New laws, court cases, experiences in day-to-day business and new ways of doing business can complicate and add new layers of responsibilities and duties to the relationship. Nevertheless, at the core, an agency relationship is still that contract between the Principal and the Agent.

The purpose of this course is to better acquaint the leaner with the various types of agency relationships that can exist, and to build an understanding of the scope and the limits of agency in general and of the rules as they relate to the practice of the real estate profession.

This course contains numerous opportunities for interaction. You will be expected to complete each exercise, quiz, reading assignment, and exam in this course.

The exception to the foregoing rule regarding common law is the Napoleonic Code. The Code was the first organized and codified as the law in France, and grew out of ancient Roman law. In its updated form, it is still the basis of most law in France, and is the basis for much of the law in the state of Louisiana.

The following are specific categories or classifications of agency with specific legal consequences. These categories are not a type of agency such as a real estate agent, insurance agent, secret agent, etc.

Notice that the definition and the examples all emphasize that fiduciary is obligated to act in your best interests; she is obligated to put your interests above hers, to be candid, to act in good faith and to be loyal.

The foregoing concepts should be familiar. They are yet another way of stating the rules of the law of agency in general, and of the Texas Real Estate Commission in particular, when considering the obligations of agent to principal.

Topics Covered

This course focuses on the following topics:

• Lesson 1: Agency Concepts
• Lesson 2: Basic Agency Relationship, Disclosure and Duties to the Client
• Lesson 3: Duties and Disclosures to Third Parties
• Lesson 4: Seller Agency
• Lesson 5: Buyer Agency
• Lesson 6: Representing More than One Party in a Transaction: Intermediary Broker
• Lesson 7: Creation and Termination of Agency
• Lesson 8: Clarifying Agency Relationships
• Lesson 9: Employment Issues
• Lesson 10: Agency, Ethics, and the Law
• Lesson 11: Deceptive Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act
• Lesson 12: Implementation and Presentation

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Enumerate basic agency relationships, including disclosure and duties to clients.
• Identify the relevant section of the Texas property code as it relates to an agent's duties and disclosures to third parties.
• Describe the concept of seller agency and the benefits of such a relationship.
• Enumerate the details of buyer agency, how it is created and the benefits of such an arrangement.
• Comprehend the intricacies of representing more than one party in a transaction (including what is known as intermediary brokerage);
• Describe how an agency is created and terminated.
• Navigate disclosure policies and navigate a company's policies in this area.
• Discover various employment law issues involving agencies, including independent contract agreements and employment issues with brokers, principals and personal assistants and agents.
• Explain the interaction between agency, ethics, law and morals, including codes of ethics, minimum ethical standards and the rules of TREC and TRELA
• Recognize the various aspects of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act as they impact the purchase and sale of real property.
• Discover some practical aspects of agency, including working with sellers and buyers.
• Relate a practical guide to everyday practice; and
• Comprehend risk management issues as well as other considerations that impact a daily practice.

About

Our daily lives can involve a variety of agency relationships. When you ask your physician to communicate information to the pharmacy to fill a prescription, you are authorizing the physician to act as an agent of sorts to fulfill a specific task for you. If you hire a professional real estate person to market your home, or find you a new home, or find you a new office space, or you retain an auto broker to locate a replacement car or truck, or contract with an art dealer to find works by a specific artist, or employ a private detective to track down a long-lost relative, or you deliver some inherited furniture to an antique dealer for sale on consignment at a specific minimum price, you are participating in an agency relationship. All of these examples involve a contract, either verbal or written. It is that contract that creates the agency relationship.

No matter what the rules, statutes or practices that may become involved, at its core, an agency relationship is a contract between two parties:

1. the person that is delegating authority (the Principal) and
2. the person that is being given the authority (the Agent).
   
   

The more substantial the proposed relationship and/or contemplated transactions become, the more complex the principal–agent relationship and the rules surrounding it can become. New laws, court cases, experiences in day-to-day business and new ways of doing business can complicate and add new layers of responsibilities and duties to the relationship. Nevertheless, at the core, an agency relationship is still that contract between the Principal and the Agent.

The purpose of this course is to better acquaint the leaner with the various types of agency relationships that can exist, and to build an understanding of the scope and the limits of agency in general and of the rules as they relate to the practice of the real estate profession.

This course contains numerous opportunities for interaction. You will be expected to complete each exercise, quiz, reading assignment, and exam in this course.

Topics Covered

This course focuses on the following topics:

• Lesson 1: Agency Concepts
• Lesson 2: Basic Agency Relationship, Disclosure and Duties to the Client
• Lesson 3: Duties and Disclosures to Third Parties
• Lesson 4: Seller Agency
• Lesson 5: Buyer Agency
• Lesson 6: Representing More than One Party in a Transaction: Intermediary Broker
• Lesson 7: Creation and Termination of Agency
• Lesson 8: Clarifying Agency Relationships
• Lesson 9: Employment Issues
• Lesson 10: Agency, Ethics, and the Law
• Lesson 11: Deceptive Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act
• Lesson 12: Implementation and Presentation

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Enumerate basic agency relationships, including disclosure and duties to clients;
• Identify the relevant section of the Texas property code as it relates to an agent's duties and disclosures to third parties;
• Describe the concept of seller agency and the benefits of such a relationship;
• Enumerate the details of buyer agency, how it is created and the benefits of such an arrangement;
• Comprehend the intricacies of representing more than one party in a transaction (including what is known as intermediary brokerage);
• Describe how agency is created and terminated;
• Navigate disclosure policies and navigate a company's policies in this area;
• Discover various employment law issues involving agency, including independent contract agreements and employment issues with brokers, principals and personal assistants and agents;
• Explain the interaction among agency, ethics, law and morals, including codes of ethics, minimum ethical standards and the rules of TREC and TRELA
• Recognize the various aspects of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act as they impact the purchase and sale of real property;
• Discover some practical aspects of agency, including working with sellers and buyers;
• Relate a practical guide to everyday practice; and
• Comprehend risk management issues as well as other considerations that impact a daily practice.

About

The purpose of Legal Update I is to support Texas license holder competence through the review of recent legislative and TREC rule changes, including changes to TREC promulgated contract forms. The courses include topics relevant to the current practice of real estate in Texas.

Topics Covered

• Legislative Changes & TREC Rule Updates
• Promulgated Contract Forms & Addenda
• Fair Housing, Diversity, & Inclusion in Real Estate
• Landlord-Tenant Issues & Property Management

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe TREC’s advisory committees that examine different areas of the real estate industry.
• Explain how an idea becomes a TREC rule.
• Describe why TREC’s quadrennial rule review is important to license holders and consumers.
• Identify recent TREC rule changes that affect license holders.
• Understand legislation passed by the 88th Texas Legislature relating to the practice of real estate.
• Summarize the purpose and practice of the Broker-Lawyer Committee (BLC).
• Explain why TREC contract forms change
• Identify recent changes to the One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale) and other contract forms.
• Analyze possible consequences of loan assumptions and the importance of a license holder’s familiarity with the Loan Assumption Addendum form.
• Distinguish between mandatory and voluntary use of TREC contract forms.
• Understand the impact of discrimination in real estate given the history of civil rights laws, current investigations, and trends.
• Identify federal, state, and local fair housing laws.
• Distinguish between the protected classes found in the Fair Housing Act, Texas Real Estate Commission’s Canons of Professional Ethics and Conduct, TREC Rule Section 531.19, and the NAR Code of Ethics. 
• Recognize and define different forms of bias.
• Describe steering and strategies to avoid it.
• Explain appraisal bias, including federal and state initiatives to reduce it.
• Describe best practices for advertising and marketing related to fair housing.
• Recall resources for fair housing information and assistance.
• Understand the rights of tenants with disabilities under the Fair Housing Act.
• Understand the differences between reasonable accommodations and modifications.

About

The purpose of Legal Update II is to support Texas license holder competence through the review of recent legislative and TREC rule changes, including changes to TREC promulgated contract forms. The courses include topics relevant to the current practice of real estate in Texas.

Topics Covered

• Agency – Fiduciary Duties & Ethical Behavior of License Holders
• Water & Mineral Rights
• Ad Valorem Taxes & Valuation

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Define the three Canons of Professional Ethics and Canons under Chapter 531 of the TREC rules.
• Explain how types of agency relationships are created in Texas.
• Summarize how license holder-to license holder communications about commissions can be a violation of antitrust laws.
• Understand the specific information contained in each section of the of the IABS.
• Explain the mechanisms for acceptable delivery and posting of the Consumer Protection Notice.
• Given a criminal incident, assess if or when a license holder must disclose it as part of their criminal history.
• Recall the name of the program TREC uses during the license renewal process to check criminal related activity.
• Understand the requirements of the VA loan program.
• Describe the pros and cons of VA loans for borrowers and sellers.
• Examine common real estate myths about VA loans.
• Identify differences between the VA loan program and the Texas Veteran Land Board loan program.
• Paraphrase the TREC complaint process.
• Identify the top five TREC complaint categories.
• Recall best practices for brokers to prevent complaints against license holders.
• Describe TREC’s advertising compliance program.

About

This Real Estate Marketing course focuses on professionalism and ethics, the characteristics of a successful sales agent, time management, the psychology of marketing, and listing procedures. You will learn how advertising is governed by certain rules and regulations as well as various techniques for advertising (including technology and online marketing, social media marketing, marketing research and data analysis and pricing). In this course, you will review some of the principles of understanding clients/personality types. You will discover some of the basics of negotiating and closing transactions, identify how financing is a part of the marketing process, and, finally, identify the impact of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protections Act (DTPA) on marketing.

It is important as you proceed through the course to remember the phrase, as those topics impact marketing. Each topic has been the subject of an endless number of articles, seminars, books, continuing education courses, studies, surveys and so on.

One could spend a lifetime studying just one of these topics as new information, rules and regulations continually emerge. Dedicated professionals will find far more information on each topic. Therefore, the scope of this course is, insofar as possible, limited to how each area impacts marketing.

Topics Covered

This course focuses on the following topics:

• Lesson 1: Real Estate Marketing
• Lesson 2: The Marketing Concept
• Lesson 3: Prospecting and Target Marketing
• Lesson 4: Technology and Online Marketing
• Lesson 5: Social Media Marketing
• Lesson 6: Marketing Research and Data Analysis
• Lesson 7: Product and Pricing Strategies
• Lesson 8: Pricing Your Services
• Lesson 9: Successful Marketing Strategies
• Lesson 10: Understanding Clients
• Lesson 11: Marketing with Consumer Education
• Lesson 12: Interplay Between Marketing & Finance
• Lesson 13: State and Federal laws
• Lesson 14: Ethics and Real Estate Professionalism

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Discover the characteristics of the successful salesperson.
• Define some aspects of the psychology of marketing.
• Identify how financing is a part of the marketing process.
• Explain how advertising is governed by certain rules and regulations as well as various techniques for advertising.
• Recite required listing procedures.
• Discover some of the basics of negotiating and closing transactions.
• Define the impact of the DTPA on marketing.
• Recognize suitable time management practices.
• Identify rules relating to professionalism and ethics.

About

A discounted package for students needing only the elective SAE courses , but NOT the mandatory Legal Update and Brokerage courses. Pick any 2 SAE courses to complete hours needed for your first Texas real estate license renewal. Additionally, you will receive access to our Recorded Proctoring Service (RPS), which allows you to complete your proctored exams from home or anywhere you have access to a camera, microphone, and internet access.

About

A package for students who only need the 90 hours of elective SAE courses, but NOT the mandatory Legal Update courses or the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course required if you have been made a supervisor by your broker. Pick any 2 SAE courses to complete the hours needed for your first Texas real estate license renewal.

About

Choose from any of our elective SAE courses to fulfill the required 98 hours of Qualifying (SAE) post-licensing education. The two Legal Update and Brokerage courses are mandatory, then you may pick 2 additional SAE courses to complete the hours needed for your first Texas real estate license renewal. Additionally, you will receive access to our Recorded Proctoring Service (RPS), which allows you to complete your proctored exams from home or anywhere you have access to a camera, microphone, and internet access. *Effective 10/1/23 you must take the 30-hour Real Estate Brokerage course as part of your SAE.

About

Choose from any of our elective SAE courses to fulfill the required 98 hours of Qualifying (SAE) post - licensing education. The two Legal Update and Brokerage courses are mandatory, then you may pick 2 additional SAE courses to complete the hours needed for your first Texas real estate license renewal. If you have been made a supervisor by your broker, you must also complete the 6-hour Broker Responsibility Course, which is not provided in this package.