Ask Texas REALTOR®

Q My salesperson license is about to expire, and I’m behind on MCE. I doubt I’ll be able to complete my 15 hours in time? What are my options?

A Procrastinators have two options: 1) You can renew your license with an inactive status while you complete the necessary MCE. After you have the 15 hours under your belt, you can then reinstate that license on active status. Keep in mind that you cannot practice real estate with an inactive license. (Try it, and TREC will come after you and your broker.) 2) If you’re willing to spend $200, you can get what amounts to a 60-day extension to complete your MCE.

Actually, there’s one more option: Get on the ball and complete enough courses in time to stay active and keep that $200 in your wallet. Don’t think you can? Look into getting your MCE online. TAR’s Virtual Campus, TARVirtualCampus.org, has an excellent three-hour course on the Code of Ethics that also satisfies the NAR requirement for Code of Ethics training. The course can be completed entirely online at your convenience. New courses will be added to the TAR Virtual Campus soon. Other providers also offer MCE online, including the Houston Association of Realtors®, HAR.com.

The TREC Web site has an excellent FAQ on license renewals. You can find it by going to www.trec.state.tx.us and doing a search on the words MCE requirement.

Have a question about finances, licensing, technology, marketing, or other real estate issues? Ask Texas REALTOR® by sending e-mail to texasrealtor@texasrealtors.com or fax to 512/370-2390. Not all questions can be answered.

Illustration © Artville.

Buyers & sellers, visit www.texasrealestate.com.
REALTORS®, visit www.tar.org.