Texas Real Estate SAE Courses: Everything You Need To Know

By Ciprian Morariu Published: November 9, 2023

Licenses of all real estate agents in Texas must be renewed every two years. However, one of the requirements for doing so is to first go through continuing education courses. It is to ensure that you are updated with the latest industry changes, laws, and regulations and can deliver top quality services to real estate clients.  

According to the norms fixed by TREC, you must take Texas real estate SAE courses to renew your license for the first time. 

Key Takeaways

  • What Are SAE Courses for Real Estate
    • Definition of SAE in Real Estate
    • Purpose of SAE Courses
  • Texas Real Estate SAE Requirements
    • How Many SAE Hours are Required in Texas?
    • What are the SAE Course Options in Texas?
  • Understanding SAE Courses for Real Estate
    • Benefits of SAE Courses for Real Estate Professionals
    • Topics Covered in SAE Courses
    • Differences Between Pre-Licensing and SAE Courses
  • Choosing the Right SAE Courses for Real Estate
    • Factors to Consider When Selecting SAE Courses
    • Top SAE Course Providers in Texas
  • Tips for Successfully Completing SAE Courses
    • Time Management Strategies for SAE Courses
    • Study Techniques for Effective Learning
    • Exam Preparation Tips for SAE Courses
Real Estate SAE Courses in Texas

What Are SAE Courses for Real Estate

Definition of SAE

What is SAE in real estate? Fresh real estate agents renewing their licenses for the first time after two years of getting their licenses must go through Sales Apprentice Education (SAE) courses. The Texas real estate SAE requirements consist of three 30 hours of coursework making for a total of 90 hours. While the 180 hours pre-licensing course taught about the main concepts to practice as a real estate agent, the post-license real estate SAE courses focus on putting those concepts into practice.

The Purpose of the Post-license SAE courses

The main purpose of the SAE courses is to arm new real estate agents with the knowledge and tools to successfully carry out their business. This is why the bulk of their coursework is completed within 2 years of setting up practice and first renewal. Apart from the 90 hours of SAE courses, agents must also complete 4 hours each of Legal Update I and II.

Multiple course topics must be covered when it comes to meeting the requirements of the Texas Real Estate Commission for SAE courses. These include Texas sales and marketing, and everything related to legal and administrative activities, accounting, property management, and federal regulations. All these make up the essentials of real estate management in Texas as part of the SAE coursework.

Moreover, there is an additional course to cover if the real estate agent’s broker has been assigned supervisory responsibilities before the scheduled SAE renewal. In that case, as part of the Texas real estate SAE requirements, the new agent must complete the 6-hour Broker Responsibility course.  

Texas Real Estate SAE Requirements

How Many SAE Hours are Required in Texas

According to the norms of TREC, you must have 270 hours of coursework. This span is from the time you prepare to be a real estate agent till two years after receiving your license and the time for the first renewal. 

Of these 270 hours, 180 hours are completed during the pre-licensing phase. That leaves 90 hours of SAE coursework to be completed before the due date of the first renewal of the license. 

Additionally, you must complete 4 hours each of Legal Update courses I and II and a 6-hour broker responsibility course. However, the 6-hour course is only if you have been assigned supervisory responsibilities by your broker within the first two years

We at RealEstateU offer quality SAE courses for real estate to help you meet the TREC requirements.

What Are the SAE Course Options in Texas

Several course providers in Texas offer quality SAE study materials. You have the option of choosing between in-person classroom courses or online ones. 

If you are comfortable with hard copies of textbooks and face-to-face lectures, the first will be the right choice for you. However, online classes are more flexible and convenient, allowing you to study from any place at any time. All that you need is an Internet-connected device and you are ready to study.

The content of the courses and the study hours are fixed to meet TREC requirements. What distinguishes the courses from one another is the extent of the study materials provided in them. For example, while some offer free books and PDFs, the lower-priced courses have audio instructions through podcast-type teaching.

Before you choose Texas real estate SAE courses, research all the options before you including the content and the prices. 

Texas Real Estate SAE Courses

 Understanding SAE Courses for Real Estate

Benefits of SAE Courses for Real Estate Professionals

The question that arises now is why SAE is important and what value it brings to the work of real estate professionals. 

To understand this aspect, it is necessary to say a few words about the real estate industry. This sector is always in a state of flux with rules and regulations that govern it constantly going through changes and amendments. These modifications must be known to all real estate agents and brokers if they are to deliver excellent service to clients. 

Moreover, Texas real estate SAE courses provide the latest info about the industry and market trends. This helps agents deliver quality services to their clients. While the 180-hour pre-licensing course goes into the key concepts of real estate, SAE courses for real estate are more focused on the implementation of those concepts in hands-on situations. This is of great benefit to practicing real estate agents in Texas.

Topics Covered in SAE courses

All active and inactive sales who have to meet the SAE requirements must complete a minimum of 90 hours of coursework. They must also go through 4 hours each of Legal Update I and Legal Update II.

Details of the 90 hours of coursework are detailed below.

  • Real Estate Marketing (30 hours): The course is a mix of basic and advanced marketing techniques. It teaches about sales plans, digital marketing, closing techniques, and more. Focus is also placed on new technology, social media strategies, and online marketing.
  • Real Estate Investment (30 hours): It is an introductory course to help you better understand the finer points of real estate investment. You will have a clear idea about the resources available when you advise clients about real estate investments.
  • Real Estate Brokerage (30 hours): This course covers everything required by the TREC to help prepare you for the Broker exam. Real-life examples are given to assist in understanding Broker responsibilities. These include marketing, business planning models, and templates for use in the financial world. 

Broadly, these courses include the concepts of pre-licensing courses such as principles of real estate, law of agency, law of contracts, promulgated contract forms, and real estate finance. However, they are in a form where the concepts are tested in real-life situations. 

Differences Between Pre-Licensing and SAE Courses

The main difference between real estate pre-licensing courses and Texas real estate SAE courses is the course content. While the SAE part has been explained in detail in the previous section, the pre-licensing courses in Texas are as follows: 

  • Principles of Real Estate 1 – 30hours
  • Principles of Real Estate 2 – 30hours
  • Law of Contracts – 30hours
  • Promulgated Contract Forms – 30hours
  • Law of Agency – 30hours
  • Real Estate Finance – 30hours

Choosing the Right SAE Courses for Real Estate

Factors to Consider When Selecting SAE Courses

Selecting the right SAE course is very important for getting updated knowledge about the real estate industry. Here are some suggestions to go about this exercise. 

  • Ask for references and recommendations from friends, colleagues, and co-workers who have gone through the course. They can provide feedback about the merits of the courses. 
  • Check the record of the course providers, their marketing strategies, and how long they have been operating.
  • Verify whether the courses are designed by top real estate professionals with long years of experience in this field. Good instructors will provide updated content to add to your knowledge base.
  • Know about the teaching style of the courses. Are you comfortable with in-person learning techniques in a classroom environment or online courses where you can study on the go? 
  • Does the course have lots of practice questions? This is critical to get a feel of the actual exam format and boost your confidence.

These aspects should help you in selecting SAE courses for real estate in Texas.

Top SAE Course Providers in Texas

The following are the providers of the top Texas real estate SAE courses. Each is a leader in their category.

Tips for Successfully Completing SAE Courses

Time Management Strategies for SAE courses

Create a study schedule as it will help you better manage your time. You can choose when to study and time to work on coursework. The bottom line is that a timetable for studying should be in place and you must stick to it. Only then can you cover the full course, be well prepared for the exam, and be committed to studying hard. 

Study Techniques for Effective Learning

Different people have separate study techniques for effective learning. However, one tip that is invariably successful is to diversify what you study by mixing up what you study. Go through different areas of the topics from time to time. Not only will it help you to retain more information but you can also cover a lot of ground quickly.

It will also make studying fresher and more interesting as you will not be repeating the same course materials day after day.

Exam Preparation Tips for SAE Courses

Follow these tips for preparing well for the real estate exam with SAE courses.

  • Focus on the subjects that you are weak in. After thoroughly studying the topics, move on and come back to them after a few days to evaluate whether you have mastered the points. 
  • Create a study group of friends, colleagues, and co-workers whose licenses are up for renewal. Sharing ideas is the best way to remember complex subjects.
  • Enroll in coursework of reputed schools. It will put you on the fast track to success. 

Follow these strategies to get a good grip on the topics as part of the Texas real estate SAE requirements.

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