Switching Brokerages With Pending Deals and Listings in Texas

What happens to a pending deal when you switch?

A pending deal is a contract between the buyer, the seller and the broker who represents your client. Your license moves to a new sponsor. The contract does not move. The deal usually keeps closing under the broker who held it.

TREC does not give a step list for open files. Its REALM Portal page says nothing about listings or pending transactions during a sponsor change. TREC points those questions to its staff at information@trec.texas.gov or 512.936.3000. We checked the page on October 29, 2026.

So the honest answer is to plan it. Before you move, write down every open file, the date it should close, and who will handle it. Then ask both brokers in writing how each file will be handled and who will be paid.

How does the sponsor change work in the REALM Portal?

TREC says brokers and agents request and accept sponsorship changes in the REALM Portal. A change is effective once it appears correctly in the portal, even if the License Holder Search has not caught up yet.

After it takes effect, you can update your Information About Brokerage Services form (IABS), list the new sponsoring broker in contracts, and advertise under the new broker. TREC also says a broker can end a sponsorship in the portal, and website updates may take 24 to 48 hours.

The TREC page does not list a fee for a sponsorship change. Your new brokerage may have its own onboarding costs, so ask. For the full steps, read our guide on how to change your sponsoring broker in Texas.

Can you take your listings with you?

TREC answers this directly in its FAQ. Listing agreements are private contracts between the property owner and the real estate broker, not the sales agent. So the agent cannot take them along.

If the owner wants you to keep handling the listing, TREC says the owner can ask the original broker for a release or talk with a private attorney about other options. TREC says it cannot require a broker to release an owner from a listing agreement.

This is why timing matters. A seller who trusts you is not stuck, but the choice belongs to the seller and the old broker. Do not promise a seller that the listing will follow you. Our guide on taking clients when you change brokerages goes deeper on this.

Who gets paid on deals that close after you leave?

TREC says a sales agent may receive compensation through the current sponsoring broker or through the broker who sponsored the agent when the agent earned the right to it. The rule is Rule 535.3. TREC also says the prior sponsoring broker can pay you directly for a transaction or referral after you move.

TREC says a sales agent may only accept compensation from the broker the agent was associated with when it was earned, and may only pay commissions through the sponsoring broker. A check cannot go to your own company unless that company is a licensed broker.

Whether you are paid, how much and when is set by your agreement with the old broker. TREC does not decide that. Read the section of your agreement on departing agents before you give notice, and ask for payment terms in writing.

What if your license is inactive for a short time?

TREC says you can be paid a commission or referral fee after your license goes inactive or expires, if the license was active when the brokerage activity happened. That covers work like negotiating a sale or lease or making a referral.

That does not mean you may do new work while inactive. An inactive license cannot be used for brokerage activity. The FAQ pages we checked do not say how long a gap between sponsors can last, so confirm with TREC before you leave a gap.

Who holds each contract when you move?

This table summarizes the TREC answers above. Ask your broker or an attorney about your own files.

A step list for switching with open files

This is our planning idea, built from the TREC points above. It is not legal advice.

• Read your independent contractor agreement for notice, fee and departing agent terms.
• List every listing, pending contract and buyer agreement with dates and clients.
• Decide with the seller, in writing, whether the listing stays with the old broker or gets released.
• Ask the old broker how pending deals will close and when you will be paid.
• Ask the new broker whether it will accept any released listings.
• Time the REALM Portal change to a gap in closings, if you can.
• After the change shows in the portal, update your IABS, contracts, signs and ads.
• Save emails and signed notes about each decision.

Which questions should you ask the new brokerage?

Moving is a good time to ask direct questions. Ask for the answers in writing.

• What does it cost to join, and what is charged on each deal?
• Who answers contract questions when a file gets tense, and how fast?
• Will you accept a listing that a seller releases from the old broker?
• How are leads handled, and what is earned versus given?
• What happens to my files and fees if I leave later?
• Who owns the client relationship, and what do the forms say?

What are common mistakes?

These are easy to avoid with a little planning.

• Telling clients a listing will follow you before the seller and old broker agree.
• Leaving with no written plan for pending closings.
• Using the new broker name in ads before the change shows in the portal.
• Taking documents or contact data without checking your agreement.
• Assuming payment on old deals without reading your departing agent terms.
• Skipping the update of your IABS after the move.

Where does The Bauer Group fit?

The Bauer Group is a Frisco brokerage that welcomes licensed DFW agents. If you are weighing a move, we suggest you talk to any brokerage, including ours, with your open files and questions in hand. You can start the conversation on the join page. Opportunities are earned, not guaranteed.

Education only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm licensing rules with TREC and ask an attorney about your own agreement.