2026 May Notes

Texas REALTORS® Updates

• Before you head to the polls, check out the REALTOR® endorsements in the May 26 elections. Turnout has been very low, so your vote makes a big difference. Early voting ends May 22 and Election Day is May 26.  
• Texas REALTORS® actively promoted information on the property appraisal protest deadline at www.knowyourtaxes.org 
• A slide to help promote advocacy efforts is available here.  
• Watch a 3-minute video outlining key updates on TREC and Texas REALTORS® form changes.  
• The Texas Real Estate Commission and Texas REALTORS® have made important updates to several forms. Read more details.  
• Effective May 6, the Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate (TXR 2232) has been revised and is available from all form-fill vendors. 
• A webinar on Navigating Texas Law and Forms Changes in Property Management was held on May 19. A webinar for instructors was held on May 18.  
• A soft launch of Transact, the latest transaction management system from Lone Wolf Technologies, will begin on May 19. There are no current plans to discontinue zipForm.  Learn more about Transact.   
• Texas REALTOR® member Courtney Johnson Rose, of Houston, received the National Association of REALTORS®’ Fair Housing Champion Award in recognition of her years of leadership and fostering affordable development.  
• A virtual session on Portugal Global Connections will be held on June 25 to strengthen international opportunities and referral partnerships. 
• The Texas REALTORS® YPN Committee is hosting a webinar on June 24 titled “Build a Stronger, Smarter Real Estate Business”  
• The next Texas REALTORS® 360 regional meeting will be held June 11 in Lubbock. 
• Promotions for the 2026 Shaping Texas Conference are underway. Registration will open at 12pm Central May 19 for the event, which will take place August 27-30 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Antonio. Share details by using available Shaping Texas promotional materials and linking to www.texasrealestate.com/conference.  
• New video ads that promote Texas REALTORS® are in production. The 2026 consumer campaign is currently underway. Ads can be found on connected TV, social media, terrestrial radio, streaming audio, YouTube, NextDoor, and property search sites.  
• Members may now easily opt in or out of their subscription to Texas REALTORS® magazine via their membership portal using the “My Texas REALTORS®” dropdown menu. 
• A webinar titled “Changes are Here: Everything You Need to Know to Stay Prepared,” featuring Texas REALTORS® leadership is scheduled for May 21 at 11:30A CT.   
• Texas REALTORS® submitted written comments regarding proposed rules on foreign ownership of real property. 
• Texas REALTORS® is promoting how members can easily share market trend reports with clients. 
• The 2026 Q1 Texas Quarterly Housing Report was released April 22, showing that half of metros saw decreased sales while the other half saw increases. The report has received 325 media pickups.  
• A homebuyers and sellers report was distributed to the media, showing that first-time homebuyers in Texas remain near an all-time low. The report has been picked up by the media 345 times in outlets including Austin American-Statesman, Yahoo Finance, and San Antonio Express-News. 
• TREC held a webinar on May 12, where staff provided a live walkthrough of key broker workflows and addressed common challenges reported by brokers. Find the recorded broker tools webinar, as well as a recording of the April 22 REALM Portal 101 webinar here. 
• A Commercial Virtual Property Showcase & Networking Event was held on May 13. 
• The Texas REALTORS® building renovation is progressing as the last of all equipment and furniture is packed and the permitting process is finalized. Feel free to refer to this HQ Modernization Project document as you engage with members about this important project. 
• A member survey on governance has concluded, and results will be used as the work group moves towards the recommendation phase. 
• The next Executive Board Meeting will be held on June 3^rd. 

National Updates

• The NAR Existing Home Sales Report for April showed that the housing market is getting better for buyers as affordability improved in every region of the U.S.  
• In the latest episode of NAR REALTOR® News Change Agents, founder and co-CEO of NextHome James Dwiggins discusses the eXp acquisition, industry consolidation, and why the next few years could reshape real estate. The next Change Agents webinar, Marketing Mastermind at Work!,  is scheduled for May 27 at 12P CT.  
• From tax policy to energy costs, key policy and market dynamics shaping commercial real estate was discussed during the May 7 episode of Advocacy Scoop. 
• Applications for 2027 NAR committees are due June 24.   
• On April 29, NAR CEO Nykia Wright joined Editor in Chief of HousingWire, Sarah Wheeler, to discuss how the association is showing up for real estate professionals and stakeholders. 
• NAR submitted comments opposing copyright office fee increases and continues to urge Congress to fund essential federal housing programs in 2027. In addition, NAR filed formal comments with the U.S. Department of Labor in support of the new independent contractor rule.  
• REALTOR.com offers regular webinars on AI-powered real estate, social media strategies, lead conversion, and more. View the full schedule.