Meet David Offutt - Founder and Instructor at Texas Real Estate Academy
David Offutt is the founder and lead instructor at Texas Real Estate Academy (TREA) in Fort Worth, Texas. He holds TREC CE Provider License #10010-CEP. His credentials were approved directly by TREC through a formal subject matter equivalence review -- the strongest possible authority signal in Texas real estate education.
No other CE provider in Texas can say what TREA can: every course you take was built by an instructor whose qualifications were reviewed and approved by the state regulatory body itself.
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Professional Background
David has been in the real estate ecosystem for more than a decade. He began teaching real estate CE electives in August 2014 under his DBA -- years before Texas Real Estate Academy was formally incorporated in 2020.
On December 31, 2016, David submitted a 7.5-page equivalence letter to TREC mapping his professional and academic career to the requirements under TAC Rule 535.63, covering Investment, Finance, Inspections, and Marketing. TREC approved him four days later for Legal Update I, Legal Update II, and all qualifying courses. TREC Instructor number 1597 was issued directly to him by the state -- before the Sunset Commission retired individual instructor licensing on January 1, 2019.
Before building TREA, David approached Champions School of Real Estate -- three times. On his third visit, the Director of Education told him he could not teach real estate without holding a real estate license. That is factually wrong under Texas law. David built Texas Real Estate Academy to prove the point. TREA was founded with under $10,000 in seed capital and zero debt.
In parallel, David has operated a Farmers Insurance Agency in Fort Worth since 2007. He holds a FINRA Securities Registration as a Registered Representative with Farmers Financial Services, and serves as a Field Underwriter for Farmers Insurance Group. He has insured more than 1,700 homes and earned Elite Agent recognition in Commercial Real Estate Insurance.
Published Author
David is the author of "Understanding Insurance in Simple English" (2014). The book breaks down insurance concepts for real estate professionals who deal with coverage questions daily but rarely get plain-language explanations.
The same principle drives every TREA course: complicated material, explained simply, delivered fast. That is what "Smarter Faster CE" means in practice.
Teaching Philosophy
Real estate agents are busy. A two-hour CE course should not feel like a two-hour punishment. David built TREA around one belief: you can learn more in less time if the material respects your intelligence and your schedule.
"Smarter Faster CE" is not a tagline. It is a design constraint. Every course David builds is built around the agent -- not around filling required hours. The goal is that you finish knowing something you did not know before, and that your TREC credit posts before you close the browser.
That last part matters more than most people realize. TREA's custom TREC API integration posts CE credits in approximately 3 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Finish at 11 PM on a Sunday and your hours are posted. No batch upload, no next-business-day delay.
David also spent four years as a Buffini Small Group Leader, coaching real estate agents on referral-based business development. He founded Referrals Matter in 2012 and built referral systems for more than 100 Realtors. He served on the Education Committee and as an Associate Member of the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors for three years.
Credentials
- TREC CE Provider License #10010-CEP - Texas Real Estate Academy
- TREC Instructor #1597 - approved directly by TREC via formal subject matter equivalence review (TAC Rule 535.63), approved December 2016 for Legal Update I and II, MCE Elective, and all qualifying courses. Instructor numbers retired January 1, 2019 by the Sunset Commission.
- BS Economics - University of Texas at Arlington, 1996, Honors, Omicron Delta Epsilon (International Honor Society for Economics)
- MS Applied Economics - University of North Texas, 1999
- Keller Williams BOLD Graduate - three consecutive years (2014, 2015, 2016)
- 8-Hour Adult Education Course - required for qualifying course instruction
- 8 weeks of sessions at University of Farmers - Agoura Hills, California
- Farmers Insurance Agency Owner/Operator - since 2007
- Registered Representative, Farmers Financial Services - FINRA Securities Registration, since 2007
- Field Underwriter, Farmers Insurance Group - since 2007
- Published author - "Understanding Insurance in Simple English" (2014)
- Teaching since August 2014 -- more than 10 years
- Center for Economic Development and Research (CEDR), University of North Texas -- lead student researcher on economic impact studies presented to the American Economic Development Council
- Education Committee and Associate Member, Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors (3 years)
- Buffini Small Group Leader (4 years)
- Founder, Referrals Matter (2012) -- referral systems built for 100+ Realtors
Why This Matters for Your CE
Most online CE providers are faceless platforms. No named instructor. No published credentials. No one you can point to and say, "This person was reviewed by the state and approved."
At TREA, you know exactly who built the course you are taking. David's name is on it. His credentials are on record at TREC.texas.gov. His phone number is on the site. That is not standard in this industry.
When you take a TREA course, you are learning from an instructor whose qualifications were evaluated by the same agency that issues your license. That is the EEAT difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is David Offutt a TREC-approved instructor?
Yes. David was issued TREC Instructor #1597 directly by TREC after a formal subject matter equivalence review under TAC Rule 535.63 in December 2016. He was approved to teach Legal Update I and II, MCE Electives, and qualifying courses. Individual instructor licensing was retired by the Sunset Commission January 1, 2019, at which point vetting responsibility shifted to providers. TREA holds CE Provider License #10010-CEP.
What is TREC Provider #10010-CEP?
TREC CE Provider #10010-CEP is the TREC license number assigned to Texas Real Estate Academy, authorizing TREA to provide continuing education courses for Texas real estate license holders. You can verify provider status at TREC.texas.gov.
How long has David Offutt been teaching real estate CE?
David began teaching real estate CE electives in August 2014. As of 2026, that is more than 10 years of continuous real estate instruction in Texas.
What is David Offutt's educational background?
David holds a BS in Economics from the University of Texas at Arlington (1996, Honors, Omicron Delta Epsilon) and an MS in Applied Economics from the University of North Texas (1999). He also completed an 8-hour Adult Education Course required for qualifying course instruction.
Has David Offutt published any books?
Yes. David is the author of "Understanding Insurance in Simple English" (2014), a plain-language guide to insurance for real estate professionals.