What Are Texas Real Estate SAE Courses?

Are you renewing your Texas real estate license for the first time? The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) requires all agents to complete real estate SAE courses as part of the renewal process. We’ll cover everything you need to know, from required course hours to exam details. Then, you can breeze through your renewal and focus on growing your real estate career.

What Are SAE Courses?

SAE stands for Sales Agent Apprentice Education. Agents renewing their TREC license for the first time must complete SAE courses. The purpose of SAE courses is to provide further professional development and ensure agents are informed enough to provide high-quality real estate services to their clients. They offer in-depth instruction on how to apply the concepts learned in pre-licensing to real-life scenarios.

Who Needs to Take Real Estate SAE Courses?

Texas real estate agents are required to take TREC-approved courses as part of their license renewal every two years. The first time an agent renews their license, they must have 270 hours of qualifying real estate courses, which includes 180 hours from the Pre-Licensing courses they completed to obtain their license. The remaining 90 hours will come from three 30-hour Sales Agent Apprentice Education (SAE) courses.

In addition to these requirements, all agents must also complete 4 hours of Legal Update I and 4 hours of Legal Update II courses. Agents designated as a supervisor by their broker must also take a 6-hour Broker Responsibility course as part of their total hours.

SAE only needs to be completed for the first renewal; after that, agents must complete Continuing Education (CE) courses every two years.

What Will I Learn in SAE Courses?

SAE courses cover a variety of real estate-related topics, building upon the foundational education from pre-licensing courses. There are three 30-hour courses in SAE, plus 4 hours each of Legal Update I and Legal Update II. Here is an overview of what you will learn in each course:

• Real Estate Appraisal (30 Hours): Increase your understanding of the appraisal process so you can better serve your clients. This course includes practical case studies to demonstrate the 3 main approaches to appraisals.
• Real Estate Investment (30 Hours): We’ll explore the risks and rewards of investing in real estate. Some of the topics you will learn include relevant tax laws, available financing options, and how to calculate return on investment.
• Real Estate Brokerage (30 Hours): Learn how to organize a real estate brokerage structurally and financially, as well as how to establish procedures and build a successful team.
• Legal Update I (4 Hours): TREC requires agents to keep up with the latest laws and industry practices affecting the industry. This course reviews recent TREC updates, legislative changes, updates to promulgated contracts, and fair housing.
• Legal Update II (4 Hours): This course is part 2 of TREC’s legal updates requirement.  This course covers professional ethics and conduct, TREC disclosures, VA loans, and more.

Are There Proctored Exams?

Each SAE course has a final exam, which TREC requires to be proctored by an objective third party. License Classroom’s course packages include an approved proctoring service at no additional cost to you. Our proctoring service is 100% online, so you can take course exams at your convenience, from the comfort of your own home.

You have two attempts to pass each of the final exams with a score of 70% or higher. If you do not, you must start over and pass all lesson quizzes again before retaking the course exam.

When Can I Take SAE Courses?

Real estate SAE courses may be started as soon as three days after you pass the state licensing final exam. TREC requires you to complete each 30-hour course in no less than three days, with a maximum of 12 hours spent working on them per day. Finish the courses at least 10 days before your license expires so there is time to process your renewal.  License Classroom automatically reports course completion certificates on your behalf so you can avoid the hassle and delay of submitting course certificates.

TREC will notify you when the renewal period opens, which is typically 90 days before your license expires. While you can take your courses before this renewal period, you must wait for this period to apply for your renewal.

Can I Defer My SAE to a Later Date?

No, you may not defer your SAE courses for a first-time license renewal. If you do not complete the courses by your license expiration date, then your license will go inactive. You will not be able to practice real estate activities until you complete the necessary steps for TREC to activate your license again.

What If My License Already Expired?

You may still complete your SAE and renew your license up to six months after the expiration date. Between six months to two years after the expiration, you may apply to have your license reinstated. After two years, you will need to reapply and pass the licensing exam again.

How Do I Enroll in Real Estate SAE Courses?

Start your license renewal process by enrolling in License Classroom’s TREC-approved SAE courses. Most agents will need to enroll in the 98-Hour SAE package, while agents who previously completed the Legal Update I and II courses may enroll in the 90-Hour SAE package.  We also offer individual courses for agents who may have already completed SAE courses with another approved provider.

All our courses are completely online and designed to be easy to use at your own pace for a convenient and engaging learning experience. They incorporate a blend of traditional text and interactive elements, including videos, audio, true/false, vocab matching, scenario-based questions, and more.

How Are SAE Credits Reported to TREC?

Once you finish SAE courses with License Classroom, we will automatically report your course credits to TREC on your behalf. After the credits are reported to TREC, you can submit your license renewal application to TREC, either online or by mail. Once you receive the renewed license from TREC, you can continue practicing real estate and growing your business!