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Texas Real Estate Sales Agent Exam Cheat Sheet (2026)
A free, printable Texas Real Estate Sales Agent exam cheat sheet: the 122 highest-yield points to know, grouped into 6 sections that follow the exam's content areas, each section with its published weight.
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- 400 free Texas Real Estate Sales Agent practice questions on the same material, every one explained.
- Last updated: September 2026.
Studying in order?
In the Texas Real Estate Sales Agent Exam guide: A key-figures box and a short-answer self-check with worked answers closing each of the 7 taught chapters. Practice here stays free.
Principles of Real Estate: Property, Ownership, and Transfer
20% of the exam- Bundle of rights
- Ownership includes the rights of possession, control, enjoyment, exclusion, and disposition, all subject to lawful government limits.
- Fixture test
- Courts weigh method of attachment, adaptation to the property, and the intent of the person who installed the item; original cost is not part of the test.
- Trade fixtures
- Items a commercial tenant installs to conduct business generally remain the tenant's personal property and may be removed before the lease ends.
- Contract controls
- Parties can agree in writing to include or exclude specific items, so ambiguous items should always be addressed in the contract.
- Fee simple absolute
- The most complete ownership, lasting indefinitely and freely transferable to heirs or buyers.
- Life estate
- Lasts only for the life of a named measuring person, then passes to a remainderman or reverts to the grantor.
- Joint tenancy
- Co-owners hold with right of survivorship, so a deceased owner's share passes automatically to the survivors, bypassing probate; Texas requires a written survivorship agreement.
- Community property
- In Texas, most property acquired during marriage is presumed owned equally by both spouses; property owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance is separate.
- Requirements for a valid deed
- Must be in writing, identify a grantee, include a legal description and words of conveyance, be signed by the grantor, and be delivered and accepted.
- General warranty deed
- Offers the broadest protection, warranting title against all defects, even those arising before the grantor owned the property.
- Special warranty deed
- Warrants only against defects arising during the grantor's period of ownership.
- Quitclaim deed
- Conveys only whatever interest the grantor holds, with no warranties; often used to clear clouds on title.
- Recording
- Provides constructive notice and establishes priority, but is not required for the deed to be valid between the parties.
- Liens
- Financial claims securing a debt, such as mortgages, property tax liens, and mechanic's liens; they must usually be cleared at closing, and tax liens generally take priority.
- Easement appurtenant
- A use right benefiting an adjoining parcel that runs with the land and passes automatically to new owners; the benefited parcel is dominant and the burdened parcel is servient.
- Easement in gross
- Benefits a person or company (such as a utility) rather than a neighboring parcel.
- Encroachment
- An unauthorized physical intrusion of an improvement onto adjoining land, often revealed by a survey.
- Police power
- Government authority to regulate land use for public health, safety, and welfare, underlying zoning and building codes; generally no compensation is owed.
- Eminent domain
- The power to take private property for public use through condemnation, but only with just compensation.
- Escheat
- Property passes to the state when an owner dies with no valid will and no locatable heirs.
- Deed restrictions
- Private covenants limiting use; when they conflict with zoning, the more restrictive rule generally controls.
Agency Law and Fiduciary Duties in Texas
18% of the exam- Principal (client)
- The party who hires and authorizes the broker and to whom full fiduciary duties are owed.
- Customer
- A party the agent deals with but does not represent; owed honesty, fair dealing, and disclosure of known material defects.
- Written agreements
- Listing and buyer representation agreements create agency and define scope, compensation, and duration; in Texas the buyer agreement must be written to enforce compensation.
- Sponsoring broker
- A Texas sales agent must be sponsored by an active broker and acts on that broker's behalf; the agent cannot operate independently.
- Loyalty
- Put the client's interests first and avoid undisclosed self-dealing, such as secretly buying the client's property.
- Obedience
- Follow the client's lawful instructions; the duty never extends to fraud or concealing material defects.
- Confidentiality
- Protect the client's private information, such as their bottom-line price, and this duty typically survives the relationship.
- Disclosure and diligence
- Communicate material facts, present all written offers unless waived in writing, and act with reasonable care.
- Accounting
- Safeguard and accurately report all funds and documents, and never commingle client funds with the broker's own accounts.
- Information About Brokerage Services (IABS)
- Generally must be provided at the first substantive communication about a specific property and explains representation types and broker duties; it is not a contract.
- Honesty to all parties
- Even a customer is owed honesty, fair dealing, and disclosure of known material defects.
- No misrepresentation
- Puffing (opinion or exaggeration) is allowed, but false statements of material fact are misrepresentation and may be actionable.
- Written consent
- Representing both parties or making appointments requires informed, written consent from the parties involved.
- When it arises
- Intermediary status occurs when the same broker represents both the buyer and seller in one transaction, with written consent from both.
- Appointments
- With the parties' written consent, the broker may appoint separate associated license holders to advise each party, allowing more individualized service.
- Confidentiality limits
- The intermediary may not reveal that a party will accept a price different from what was offered, or disclose other confidential information, unless authorized.
- Fair and impartial
- The intermediary must treat both parties honestly and may not favor one over the other; Texas does not allow traditional dual agency.
- Exclusive right to sell
- The broker earns a commission if the property sells during the term, regardless of who finds the buyer.
- Exclusive agency
- One broker is the sole agent, but the seller may sell independently without owing a commission.
- Open listing
- Multiple brokers may be engaged, and only the one who procures the buyer earns a commission.
- Net listings and procuring cause
- Net listings are heavily restricted due to conflicts of interest; commissions are always negotiable, and procuring cause identifies which broker earned a disputed commission.
Real Estate Contracts and Texas Promulgated Forms
18% of the exam- Offer and acceptance
- There must be mutual assent, with acceptance matching the offer's terms under the mirror image rule; a change is a counteroffer.
- Consideration
- Each party must give something of legal value, such as money for a promise to convey.
- Legal capacity and purpose
- Parties must be competent (minors' contracts are typically voidable) and the object must be lawful.
- Statute of frauds
- Contracts transferring an interest in real estate must be in writing and signed to be enforceable.
- Use promulgated forms
- License holders generally must use current TREC forms, such as the One to Four Family Residential Contract, for typical residential deals.
- Fill in the blanks only
- Agents may complete factual blanks but may not draft custom legal language or give legal advice.
- Refer complex matters
- Unusual clauses or legal questions should be referred to a licensed attorney; the forms themselves recommend attorney review.
- Seller's Disclosure Notice
- For most residential property, sellers must disclose known conditions and defects based on their actual knowledge.
- Earnest money
- A good-faith deposit showing serious intent, typically credited toward the purchase at closing and potentially forfeited on unexcused default.
- Financing contingency
- Handled by the Third Party Financing Addendum; allows the buyer to terminate and usually recover earnest money if the specified loan cannot be obtained.
- Option (termination) period
- For a negotiated option fee, the buyer may terminate for any reason during the stated option days; the exact fee and number of days are negotiated, so verify current form mechanics with TREC.
- Time is of the essence
- Stated deadlines are strictly enforced, and missing them can constitute default.
- Executed vs. executory
- An executed contract is fully performed; an executory contract still has obligations remaining.
- Liquidated damages
- A clause pre-setting damages on default, often the earnest money, avoiding the need to prove actual loss.
- Specific performance
- A court order compelling a party to convey the unique property as agreed rather than pay money.
- Void vs. voidable
- A void contract has no legal effect from the start; a voidable one is valid until a party with the right disaffirms it.
- Assignment
- Transfers the assignor's rights to an assignee, though the assignor may remain liable unless released.
- Novation
- Substitutes a new contract or party with all parties' consent, releasing the original obligor.
- Anti-assignment clauses
- Contracts may restrict or prohibit assignment without the other party's consent.
- Parol evidence rule
- Prior oral statements generally cannot contradict the terms of a complete written contract.
Real Estate Finance and Lending
17% of the exam- Promissory note
- The borrower's written promise to repay the debt under stated terms; it is the evidence of the debt.
- Deed of trust
- Pledges the property as security; the borrower (trustor) conveys title or a power of sale to a trustee for the lender (beneficiary).
- Hypothecation
- The borrower pledges property as collateral while keeping possession and use of it.
- Defeasance
- A clause that cancels the lien and returns clear title once the debt is fully paid.
- Conventional loans
- Not government-insured; typically require private mortgage insurance (PMI) when the down payment is under 20% (LTV above 80%).
- FHA loans
- Insured by the Federal Housing Administration, allowing lower down payments and more flexible qualifying, with required mortgage insurance.
- VA loans
- Guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for eligible veterans, often with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance.
- Adjustable-rate mortgages
- The rate adjusts periodically based on an index plus a margin, usually with caps limiting changes.
- Acceleration clause
- Lets the lender demand the full balance upon default, a prerequisite to foreclosure.
- Due-on-sale (alienation)
- Allows the lender to call the loan due when the property is sold or transferred without consent.
- Discount points
- Prepaid interest paid to lower the rate, with one point equal to 1% of the loan amount.
- PITI
- Principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, the components of a typical escrowed monthly payment.
- Non-judicial foreclosure
- A power-of-sale clause lets the trustee conduct a sale without a court trial, subject to statutory notice requirements under Texas Property Code Section 51.002.
- Equitable right of redemption
- Lets a defaulting borrower pay the full debt plus costs to stop the sale before it occurs.
- Deficiency
- If the sale proceeds do not cover the debt, the lender may seek a deficiency judgment, subject to legal limits.
- Assumption
- A buyer takes over the seller's existing loan and terms, subject to lender approval; seller release depends on the lender.
- Truth in Lending Act (TILA)
- Requires disclosure of the APR and finance charges so consumers can compare the cost of credit; advertising trigger terms require added disclosures.
- RESPA
- Regulates settlement cost disclosures on federally related loans and prohibits kickbacks and unearned referral fees.
- TRID and ECOA
- TRID combines TILA and RESPA disclosures into the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure (delivered at least 3 business days before closing); ECOA prohibits discrimination in lending based on protected characteristics.
- Secondary market
- Entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy loans from lenders, providing liquidity to fund new loans.
Valuation, Disclosure, Fair Housing, and Property Management
15% of the exam- Sales comparison approach
- Values a property by comparing recent sales of similar properties with adjustments made to the comparables; most common for single-family homes.
- Cost approach
- Value equals the cost to build new minus depreciation plus land value; best for new or special-purpose property.
- Income approach
- Converts net operating income into value using a capitalization rate; used for rental and commercial property.
- CMA vs. appraisal
- A comparative market analysis helps set a list price but only a licensed appraiser can perform a formal appraisal for lending.
- Progression and regression
- A lower-value home benefits from higher-value neighbors (progression); a higher-value home is dragged down by lower-value neighbors (regression).
- Physical deterioration
- Loss of value from wear, aging, or damage; may be curable or incurable.
- Functional obsolescence
- Loss from outdated design or poor layout within the property, such as an obsolete floor plan.
- External obsolescence
- Loss from negative off-site factors like nearby nuisances; generally incurable because the cause is outside the property.
- Protected classes
- The federal Fair Housing Act covers race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status; some state and local laws add more.
- Steering
- Illegally directing buyers toward or away from areas based on a protected class.
- Blockbusting
- Inducing sales by suggesting that members of a protected class are moving into the area.
- Redlining
- A lender's illegal refusal to lend in certain areas based on their racial or ethnic composition.
- Seller's Disclosure Notice (Section 5.008)
- For most Texas residential property, sellers disclose known conditions and defects based on actual knowledge under Texas Property Code Section 5.008.
- Lead-based paint
- Federal law requires disclosure and an EPA pamphlet for most housing built before 1978, plus an opportunity to test.
- Radon and other hazards
- Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can accumulate indoors; asbestos and mold are other common concerns.
- Texas homestead
- Protects a primary residence from many creditors and reduces taxable value; specific amounts are set by law and can change, so verify current figures.
- Manager's duty
- Act as the owner's fiduciary to protect the investment and maximize return within the law.
- Gross lease
- Tenant pays fixed rent and the landlord covers most operating expenses; common in residential rentals.
- Net and percentage leases
- In a net lease the tenant pays some expenses; a percentage lease adds rent based on retail sales.
- ADA accessibility and deposits
- Public accommodations must remove barriers where readily achievable; security deposit return deadlines are set by Texas statute and can change, so verify current rules.
Real Estate Math for Texas Agents
12% of the exam- Total commission
- Sales price multiplied by the commission rate; for example, $350,000 x 0.06 = $21,000.
- Brokerage split
- Divide the total between listing and selling brokerages, commonly 50/50, before applying the agent's share.
- Agent share
- Multiply the brokerage's portion by the agent's split percentage to find the agent's earnings.
- Convert percentages
- Move the decimal two places left before multiplying, so 6% becomes 0.06.
- Percentage change
- Divide the amount of change by the original value; a rise from $250,000 to $300,000 is $50,000 / $250,000 = 20%.
- Down payment
- Multiply the price by the down payment percentage; 15% of $280,000 is $42,000.
- Loan-to-value
- Loan amount divided by value; with 80% LTV on $325,000, the loan is $260,000 and the down payment is $65,000.
- Net-to-seller
- Divide the desired net by (100% minus the cost rate); to net $190,000 after 5% costs, price = $190,000 / 0.95 = $200,000.
- Area of a rectangle
- Length times width; a 150 x 200 foot lot is 30,000 square feet.
- Acre conversion
- One acre equals 43,560 square feet, so 87,120 square feet equals 2 acres.
- Simple interest
- Principal times annual rate gives yearly interest; divide by 12 for a monthly figure, so 6% on $200,000 is $1,000 per month.
- Property tax by rate per $100
- Divide value by 100, then multiply by the rate; $180,000 at $2.50 per $100 is $4,500.
- Identify who owes
- With taxes paid in arrears, the seller owes for the days they owned the property up to closing.
- Daily or monthly rate
- Divide the annual amount by 360 days (or 12 months) to get the proration rate; check whether the problem uses a 360- or 365-day year.
- Seller's share
- Multiply the rate by the seller's ownership period; half a year of $4,800 taxes is $2,400.
- Credits and debits
- The seller's owed portion is usually credited to the buyer at closing since the buyer will pay the full bill later.
- Capitalization rate
- Value equals net operating income divided by the cap rate; $24,000 NOI at an 8% cap is $300,000.
- Gross rent multiplier
- Value equals rent times the GRM; using annual rent of $18,000 and a GRM of 12 gives $216,000.
- Cost estimate
- Area times cost per square foot; a 2,000 square foot home at $120 per foot is $240,000.
- Consistency of units
- Convert monthly rent to annual (or vice versa) so it matches the multiplier or rate being used.
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