I have been interested in getting my real estate license. However, I am currently on deferred adjudication (probation). I have emailed the TREC and they said I would have to fill out the moral character determination application to see if I would be eligible for a license. Has anyone gotten their license or know of someone while on probation?

I expect that their decision will be based on the nature of the offense for which you received the deferred adjudication.

I thought they perform a criminal background check. If deferred adjudication shows up in your record, they may conduct an investigation to determine seriousness of the offense. According to the TREC website, they may not investigate until you pass the exam.

Something has just happened on this issue. A local Houston television station did a two-episode expose on a few Houston area Realtors who had very undesirable criminal backgrounds, yet were approved by TREC and ended up with Supra keys. I do not want to post anything else on this sensitive subject because I do not have all the facts, but let's just say that some immediate changes are probably going to be made which may or may not impact people with lessor offenses.

I certainly do not want to speak for TREC, but you should probably not take any classes until this issue is resolved or at least until you are more familiar with the subject.

Darlene Bitner

Personally, I think that story should have been told a long time ago.....not just agents and brokers out there with keys; lots of inspectors have them too.

I've always felt that the bar has been set a little low for entry into our profession in this state.

AGHopeful, if your DefAdj was for DWI or smething like that, you may be able to get your license.....but I wouldn't much count on it if it was a property or drug offense or an offense against a person. Again, the nature of the offense will be the determining factor, not the DefAdj.

Have you contacted TREC to find out what their guidelines are on this?..anything on their website? Please let us know how it goes.

East Texas Realtor is correct, so it appears the scare is throughout the real estate segment. People want to know that those professionals who have access to their homes are not going to do anything except what they were sent there to do. I am looking for a lot of reform to take place, but we've been surprised before, haven't we.

AGHopeful, whatever you end up doing, good luck to you and congrats for turning your life around.

Here are a couple of stories about that:
http://www.click2houston.com/news/9141317/detail.html

http://www.click2houston.com/news/9050374/detail.html

Pike, thanks for posting the link.....I hope this is a wake-up call for TREC to do something.

The fact that they never check a licensee once they have that license is more than a little scary. Criminal background needs to be checked every 2 years at renewal time.

The fact that child moletstors and thieves have gotten licenses (either in RE or other fields) that gives them access to lockbox keys it just plain stupid. Brokers/agents "loaning" out their keys to unscreened hired help need to lose the privelage of having that key...direct violation of our MLS rules.

TEXAS AGENTS: Please let your state reps, TREC, and your local association know that this system needs to be cleaned up NOW!!

Pikes Peak, thanks for finding the station. I'm a news channel hopper and should have looked it up before posting.

EVERYBODY IN TEXAS, PLEASE TAKE EAST TEXAS REALTOR'S ADVICE:

"TEXAS AGENTS: Please let your state reps, TREC, and your local association know that this system needs to be cleaned up NOW!!"

Channel 2 may have done us all a big favor.

Darlene

This is a serious issue and we need to clean up the system, but I'd like to see how often real estate professionals commit crimes. I think it's a rare instance and wouldn't want to the public to have a mass panic for something that doesn't happen very often.

Either way, we need to definitely resolve the issue and it looks like TREC has been called on to fix it .

Dee in Austin, I agree with you: I'm not quite as concerned about agents and brokers.....I think the actual number in that group who have been convicted of those types of crimes would be reltively small.

My bigger concern is with all of those "others" out there accessing homes: not the licensees themselves but those that WORK for the licensees. All of those unlicensed assistants that have been through absolutely NO screening that are in those homes taking pics, putting up lockboxes, etc. They have keys to someone's home!!