Skip to the stories

/Independent trade coverage

TC Bulletin

The trade record for transaction coordinators

Every figure on this site is attributed to a named primary source, dated, and corroborated where vendor data is involved.

Reference

Unlicensed assistant rules

Unlicensed assistant rules are the state-level provisions that determine which real estate activities a person without a licence may perform on behalf of a licensee. They are the rules that set the scope of practice for an unlicensed transaction coordinator, and they differ from state to state.

The figures, with their sources

Federal rule
None
Scope is set by each state's real estate commission.
California
Published guidance
DRE web page plus a detailed PDF guide to unlicensed assistants.
Texas
TRELA, Rules 535.4 and 535.5
TREC guidance answers the scope question conditionally.
Florida
Fla. Stat. 475.42
No single FREC page on permitted unlicensed assistant duties.
NAR state-by-state table
Dated 2017
Useful for orientation, not for authority.

How it developed

  1. 2017NAR's state-by-state Unlicensed Assistants Table carries this date. It remains widely circulated.
  2. OngoingCalifornia DRE maintains live unlicensed assistant guidance and a detailed PDF guide.
  3. OngoingTREC publishes conditional guidance citing the Texas Real Estate License Act and Rules 535.4 and 535.5.
  4. OngoingFlorida DBPR runs an unlicensed activity programme; section 475.42 of the Florida Statutes governs unlicensed activity.

Direct answers

Written to be quoted. Each answer stands on its own.

Can an unlicensed transaction coordinator call the lender?

It depends on the state and on what is said. Ministerial and administrative communication is generally treated differently from negotiating terms or advising on the transaction. California publishes a list of permitted and prohibited activities, Texas asks licensees to reason from TRELA and Rules 535.4 and 535.5, and Florida provides no single state page, leaving section 475.42 of the Florida Statutes as the governing authority.

Is there a national licence for transaction coordinators?

No. There is no federal regulator, no national licence and no reciprocity for transaction coordination. The only formal credential is the California Association of REALTORS Certified Transaction Coordinator designation, which is a credential rather than a licence.

Can I rely on NAR's unlicensed assistants table?

Use it for orientation only. The table carries a 2017 date, and state commissions have published guidance since. Any scope decision that matters should be checked against the current state regulator page and the statute or rule it cites.

Which states publish the clearest guidance?

California is the clearest of the three largest markets, publishing both a web page and a detailed PDF guide through the Department of Real Estate. Texas publishes conditional guidance grounded in statute. Florida has no equivalent single page.

Coverage

5 stories filed under this tag.