news-articles

TREC and TALCB Warn Licensees of Phone Spoofing Scams Impersonating Agency

The Texas Real Estate Commission and Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board issued an alert warning license holders of ongoing phone spoofing scams in which fraudsters impersonate agency phone numbers to send fake texts and make fraudulent calls. Scammers have been contacting licensees claiming they are charged with "safety" violations, attempting to extract personal information including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card information. The agency clarified it will never initiate contact via text message and uses email exclusively for enforcement complaint notices, and will never request full Social Security numbers or credit card information during enforcement contacts. The alert also warned of fake Facebook profiles impersonating the agencies and advised recipients to report suspicious messages as spam rather than responding.

Guide for Brokers and Agents on Sponsorship Changes

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) has published guidance for real estate brokers and agents on how to request and accept sponsorship changes through the REALM Portal. According to the guide, sponsorship changes are considered effective once they appear correctly in the REALM Portal, even if the License Holder Search on the TREC website has not yet updated. Once effective, license holders may update their IABS, list the new sponsoring broker in contracts, and advertise under the new broker.

Create Texas Real Estate Business Entity Registration via REALM Portal

TREC provides step-by-step instructions for submitting a business entity registration application through the REALM Portal. Applicants must log in, create a new application, and select the Real Estate – Business Entity Registration Application under TREC – Licenses. The guide advises users to have all required documentation ready before beginning the application and notes that application status can be tracked online after submission.