Texas Real Estate Post-License SAE Courses

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

Establishing your career as a real estate brokerage requires extensive knowledge of the real estate industry. Brokers are required to stay updated with real estate trends and outlooks. They are also required to have the necessary qualifications and experience to run their own business. If you're looking forward to starting your own brokerage business, then you need to arm yourself with crucial information on how a brokerage business works.

This course will attempt to help learners understand the process of establishing their own brokerage business starting from understanding the pros and cons of starting a business, to choosing a business type, to managing financials, operations, administration, marketing and finally maintaining sustainability. The course caters to learners trying to establish their brokerage business in Texas and so TREC rules about brokers, ethical practices, marketing, hiring and business management is provided in the course for the learner to know and understand.

Topics Covered

• Lesson 1: Introduction
• Lesson 2: Starting a Brokerage Business
• Lesson 3: Ethical & Legal Business Practices
• Lesson 4: Analyzing the Market & the Competition
• Lesson 5: Managing Risk
• Lesson 6: Marketing Best Practices
• Lesson 7: Management Style & Structure
• Lesson 8: Recruiting & Hiring
• Lesson 9: Professional Brokerage Competency & License Holder Productivity
• Lesson 10: Practical Business Considerations
• Lesson 11: Looking into the Future
• Lesson 12: Broker/Sales Agent Roles & Responsibilities

Learning Objectives

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

• Understanding the Real Estate Industry.
• Knowing the basics of starting a brokerage business.
• Be aware of the ethical & legal business practices.
• Know the methods of analyzing the market & the competition.
• Understand the basics of managing risk.
• Learn how to finance your business.
• Know how to negotiate a commercial lease.
• Know how to draft the marketing plan.
• Be aware of various management Style & Structure
• Understand the process of recruitment & hiring for real estate.
• Know about professional brokerage competency & Associate License Holder productivity.
• Learn about the necessary steps in evaluating the business.
• Knowing how to be sustainable and find growth Opportunities.

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 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.