UPDATE from TREC about SOPs and New Inspection Form REI 7-6

The Texas Real Estate Commission recently adopted changes to the real estate inspector Standards of Practice (SOPs) at its August 9, 2021 meeting based on recommendations from the Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee. These changes are not effective until February 1, 2022. This six-month period will provide inspectors the time necessary to familiarize themselves with the updated SOPs prior to their mandatory use on February 1, 2022.

PLEASE NOTE: because these changes are not effective until February 1, 2022 inspectors must continue to use the current SOPs until that date.

TREC staff is in the process of revising the pocket edition of the SOPs to reflect these changes, which will be available by the effective date of the rules. Additional information on how to obtain your copy will be provided as that effective date approaches.

The Inspection Report Form has also been updated to reflect those changes and was adopted under the new form number REI 7-6. In addition, the preamble of the new REI 7-6 has been revised to be more straightforward, to provide greater clarity to an inspector’s client regarding an inspector’s duties while performing an inspection, and to better explain what the client should expect from the inspection and inspection report. Finally, the related rule was revised to clarify how the REI 7-6 is to be provided to the client when an inspector uses software or another type of electronic method to produce an inspection report.

The REI 7-6 can be used by real estate inspectors on a voluntary basis as of September 1, 2021, but is required for all real estate inspections performed in Texas as of February 1, 2022.

If you have any additional questions, please email TREC General Counsel at general.counsel@trec.texas.gov.