Licensed vs. Unlicensed Transaction Coordinators in Texas: What TREC Allows

Does a transaction coordinator in Texas need a real estate license?

It depends entirely on what the coordinator does. TREC does not define or license the role of transaction coordinator, so the question is not "is this person a TC?" but "is this particular task administrative, or is it brokerage activity that requires a license?" An unlicensed person may perform administrative tasks under a license holder's direction. The moment a task crosses into negotiating, showing property, soliciting clients, or reviewing a contract, a license is required.

This is the highest-stakes topic in transaction coordination, because the consequences of getting it wrong are not just a TREC complaint — they can be criminal. The sections below lay out what an unlicensed coordinator can do, what is off-limits, and what changes when the coordinator holds a license. None of it is a substitute for your broker's written policy or an attorney's advice on a specific situation.

What can an unlicensed TC legally do in Texas?

TREC's guidance describes a set of administrative tasks an unlicensed assistant or coordinator may perform, generally so long as they act under the specific direction of a license holder and do not exercise independent judgment about a transaction. Permitted tasks include:

• Inputting data into a computer or typing a contract form — but only the specific information a license holder directs them to enter.
• Scheduling showing appointments (arranging the appointment itself, not conducting the showing).
• Confirming information that has already been publicly advertised about a specific property, such as its size, price, or terms.
• Bookkeeping, office administration, ordering supplies, and scheduling maintenance.
• Placing "For Sale" signs or placing advertisements as directed by a license holder.
• Arranging for a buyer to obtain financing information, as directed by the license holder.
• Training or motivating office personnel — but not directing or supervising licensed agents.

What is strictly prohibited for an unlicensed TC?

Activities that constitute brokerage require a license, full stop. TREC is explicit on several of these. An unlicensed coordinator cannot review a contract or facilitate a transaction — they may type information into a contract if specifically directed, but they cannot independently decide or advise on terms. As of December 2016, an unlicensed assistant can no longer host an open house, and unlocking a property or otherwise providing access to a prospective buyer requires a license.

The same applies to soliciting business. Making calls to determine whether someone is interested in buying or selling property — the kind of prospecting some teams call telemarketing — requires a license. So does negotiating a listing or a purchase contract, presenting or interpreting offers, and directing or supervising licensed agents. If a caller wants advice or asks about properties other than the one already advertised, the coordinator's job is to hand the call to the licensed agent.

What happens if an unlicensed TC crosses into brokerage activity?

The penalty is not theoretical. Under the Texas Real Estate License Act (TRELA), engaging in activity that requires a license without holding one is a Class A misdemeanor — punishable by a fine of up to $4,000, confinement in jail for up to one year, or both. That exposure can reach the broker or agent too: the license holder who employs an unlicensed person to perform regulated activity may also face criminal charges and TREC disciplinary action, even if the violation was inadvertent.

Because the line can be genuinely thin, TREC advises brokers to put guardrails in writing. The Commission recommends that brokers establish written guidelines and training that spell out, for both their agents and their unlicensed personnel, exactly what unlicensed assistants are and are not allowed to do. When a situation is unclear, the safe move is to stop and ask the broker or a real estate attorney rather than guess.

What can a licensed TC do that an unlicensed one cannot?

Holding an active Texas real estate license removes most of the ambiguity. A licensed coordinator can engage in the brokerage activities an unlicensed assistant cannot — within the scope of their sponsorship and authorization. TREC frames an active license as the simplest way to reduce the risk that an administrative role accidentally becomes unlicensed brokerage activity.

There is an important catch for licensed coordinators who work across brokerages. A licensed salesperson acts for their sponsoring broker. If a licensed TC engages in brokerage activity on transactions outside that broker's purview — even inadvertently — they must first obtain written authorization from their sponsoring broker and act only within the scope of that authorization. The license is not a blanket permission slip; it operates inside the sponsorship relationship.