Why TREC Directly Approved Me to Teach
Before TREC retired its instructor-number program in 2019, the Commission directly approved David Offutt as Instructor #1597 through subject-matter equivalence. Only a closed cohort of Texas instructors ever earned a number this way, and no one can earn one again. This page is the full story, told by David himself, with the paperwork at the bottom.
An open letter to every Texas agent who has ever been told no
I run a TREC-approved CE school. Before I ever ran one, I got turned down by one.
In 2016 I had been teaching TREC-approved elective CE for two years. TREC had approved me for elective courses back in 2014. I wanted to teach the big ones: Legal Update I and Legal Update II, and the qualifying courses. A big-name school said no. Their reason was about what I was not.
I decided to make my case on what I am. And I took it to the regulator itself.
The letter I sent TREC
On December 14, 2016, I sent the Texas Real Estate Commission a letter seven and a half pages long. It asked for approval under a rule most people have never heard of: subject matter equivalence, 22 TAC 535.63. The rule says expertise in the subject can qualify you to teach it. So I mapped my career to the subjects, line by line:
- A Master of Science in Applied Economics from the University of North Texas, with a thesis on regional commercial real estate policy.
- Economic impact studies I helped lead as a graduate researcher: the Dallas Cowboys stadium analysis for the City of Irving, the Del Webb development in Denton, and the Texas Motor Speedway study.
- Nine years as a Farmers insurance agency owner and Field Underwriter, inspecting Texas properties as a daily job requirement.
- A FINRA securities registration held since 2007, for the finance side.
- Two years already teaching TREC-approved CE to licensed Texas agents.
- Referral systems I built and ran for more than 100 Realtors.
- Hands-on inspection work: compressors, water heaters, copper plumbing, alongside licensed inspection professionals.
No committee. No interview panel. Just the evidence, in writing, sent to the people whose actual job is to decide who is qualified to teach Texas real estate.
Twenty-one days later
TREC approved me on January 4, 2017. Twenty-one days, door to door.
The approval came with a number: Instructor #1597. It covered Legal Update I (10054-RENE), Legal Update II (10055-RENE), and the qualifying courses. The state regulator read my record and said yes, in writing, with a stamp on it.
Why nobody can earn this again
On January 1, 2019, the Sunset Commission retired TREC’s instructor-number program. TREC stopped evaluating instructors directly; that job moved to the providers themselves. Every instructor number issued before that date became part of a closed cohort. No new ones. Ever.
I am not going to pretend that makes me special by itself. Plenty of good instructors came after 2019 and were vetted by good providers. But there is a difference between a school saying its instructor is qualified and the State of Texas saying it. Mine came from the state, on the strength of the record, after somebody else said it could not be done.
That is why I keep the number next to my name. It is not decoration. It is a receipt.
What it means for your CE
Today Texas Real Estate Academy is TREC CE Provider #10010-CEP, and every one of our 36 catalog courses carries its own TREC course approval. About 9,000 Texas license holders have trained with us since August 2014 (count as of July 2026). When you finish a course with us, your hours post to TREC – and the person who built the school, built the curriculum, and taught a lot of it on camera is the one whose qualifications the Commission itself signed off on.
If you have never taken a class with me, start with the free one. Two hours, real CE credit, and you can decide for yourself whether the state got it right.
David Offutt
Founder, Texas Real Estate Academy
TREC CE Provider #10010-CEP
TREC Instructor #1597 (program retired 2019)
The paperwork
The letter I sent TREC on December 14, 2016 and the Commission’s January 4, 2017 approval exist as a signed seven-page document. Read the letter and the approval (PDF, 7 pages).
Curious what TREC actually is and how it runs Texas real estate? Read our plain-English guide: What is TREC? Want to see who teaches at TREA now? Meet the instructors.
FAQ
What is TREC Instructor #1597?
Before TREC retired its instructor-number program in 2019, the Commission directly approved David Offutt as Instructor #1597 through subject-matter equivalence (22 TAC 535.63). TREC reviewed his qualifications itself and approved him for Legal Update I (10054-RENE), Legal Update II (10055-RENE), and qualifying courses in 21 days.
Can instructors still get TREC instructor numbers?
No. The Sunset Commission retired TREC’s instructor-approval program on January 1, 2019. Since then, education providers vet their own instructors. Instructor numbers issued before 2019 form a closed cohort that can never grow.
Is TREA part of TREC?
No. TREC is the Texas Real Estate Commission, the state agency that regulates real estate licensing and education. Texas Real Estate Academy is a private CE school that TREC approves and oversees, as TREC CE Provider #10010-CEP.
Does TREA hold current TREC approvals?
Yes. TREA is TREC CE Provider #10010-CEP, and every course in the catalog – all 36 of them – carries its own individual TREC course approval with its own TREC course number.