05/06/2026
A NEED TO KNOW FOR REALTORS:
Timely Response Required: How to
Comply With TREC Rules
As a sponsoring broker or delegated
supervisor, TREC Rule 535.2(j) requires you
to respond to your sponsored or supervised
sales agents within two calendar days. Often,
a communication between a sales agent
and their broker or delegated supervisor is a
question or an issue that requires resolution.
A response under this rule by the broker or
delegated supervisor would be acknowledging
you received the communications from your
sales agent and to attempt to resolve the issue
presented.
In 2023, TREC adopted a new rule, 535.157,
Obligation to Respond Timely, that requires
brokers or sales agents to respond within two
calendar days to:
• Their principal
• A broker or sales agent representing
another party to a real estate transaction
• An unrepresented party to a real estate
transaction.
This rule does not change a broker’s or
a delegated supervisor’s requirements to
respond to sponsored sales agents within two
calendar days.
As a broker, you will want to make sure you
understand how this rule works and teach
your sponsored sales agents about the rule
and what is expected of them. Just like other
requirements, you remain responsible if your
sponsored agents violate this rule.
Here are some common questions and
answers about what this means in practice.
Does “calendar days” mean weekends
or holidays? Yes. You must respond even if
the time period falls on a weekend or holiday.
How do I provide a response? There is no
requirement in the rule about how you must
respond, so it can be through a phone call, a
text message, an email, or however you are
communicating with these parties.
