Texas broker sponsorship, and what it should cost you
A sales agent license in Texas is not active until a licensed broker sponsors it. That part is not optional. What varies enormously is what the sponsorship costs and what you get for it.
What a sponsoring broker actually is
Under Texas Real Estate Commission rules, a sales agent may only act on behalf of a sponsoring broker. The broker is responsible for supervising the agent's real estate activity, and the agent's license shows as inactive without one.
That is the legal function. Everything else, the split, the desk fee, the training, the leads, the software, is a commercial arrangement between you and the brokerage, not a requirement of the license.
You can verify any Texas broker or agent license yourself through the TREC license holder search.
Two ways to pay for the same legal requirement
A percentage split
Commonly 70/30 or 80/20, sometimes with an annual cap. The monthly cost looks like zero. In practice the brokerage takes a share of every commission you earn, in every year, whether or not it contributed to that transaction.
The cost scales with your production. The better your year, the more you pay.
A flat membership
At CapTex the sponsorship costs $100 per month plus a flat $99 broker-compliance fee on each closed transaction. There is no percentage split.
The cost does not scale with your production, so the gap between the two models widens as you close more.
Both models leave you paying your own MLS dues, association dues, lockbox and Supra fees, and your own business costs. Those are not brokerage fees and are not included in either figure.
How a sponsorship transfer works
You apply and we talk
A short application, then a 30-minute fit call to go through your numbers.
Approval and agreement
If approved, you sign the independent contractor agreement. Nothing is charged before this.
TREC sponsorship change
The sponsorship change is submitted to TREC. We handle the paperwork with you.
Questions about fees, E&O, MLS or cancelling?
Those are answered in detail on the FAQ.