Brokerage & Agency

Written Buyer Agreement

The written agreement required before showing residential real property to a prospective buyer, effective January 1, 2026.

Under TRELA Sec. 1101.563(b), a license holder who performs any act of brokerage for a prospective buyer of residential real property must enter into a written agreement with that buyer before showing any residential real property, or, if none will be shown, before presenting an offer to purchase on the buyer's behalf.

Sec. 1101.563(c) sets out what the agreement must state, including the services provided, a termination date, whether it is exclusive, whether the license holder represents the buyer, and the compensation, with conspicuous disclosure that broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable. Under Sec. 1101.563(e) a showing-only agreement may not be exclusive and may not run more than fourteen days.

On the exam

Residential real property here means a single-family house, a duplex, triplex or quadraplex, or a condominium or cooperative unit.

Exam trap

Confusing this with the IABS notice. One creates or documents an arrangement; the other is a disclosure.

Tested in

Texas Agency & Intermediary (9% of the exam)

From definition to recall

See this term inside a real exam question.

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This definition is Texas real estate exam-prep education, not legal, tax, or professional advice. Verify current rules against the official source before relying on them for a real transaction. Back to the full glossary.