Special Provisions

08/28/2026

Join Us! We will be in Mont Belvieu, TX, presenting for HAR Eastside REALTOR Connection next week, Wednesday, September 2nd. There are two opportunities for CE credit.

HAR Eastside REALTOR Connection Meeting
Presentation starts at 8:30 am - Registration Required via the QR Code Below

Contract Drama 1 Hour CE - QR Code Below
Eagle Point Golf Course
12440 Eagle Point Drive
Mont Belvieu, Texas 77523

2 Hour CE after lunch on 9/2 @11 am - Link Below
Seller Edition, Course No. 37647-RECE

https://www.specialprovisions.com/course/seller-edition-course-for-har-eastside-realtor-connection?fbclid=IwY2xjawT-Z-VwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMTNmSVpFcVhOZHBMRXJ0UnRzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeDp1aJkqKj8Sl7VIuFct6fslD_TBwZ73n2ViSzf0zknvbLmttMNGP6CT7RNo_aem_e-ptELG-zfCujPbPEGsSaQ

08/19/2026

🚨 BREAKING: The NAR Settlement Survives Its Appeal. ⚖️🏠

For anyone hoping the NAR settlement changes might disappear on appeal, the Eighth Circuit just delivered two very important words:

“We affirm.”

Translation: The settlement remains in place, and so do the practice changes brokers and agents have spent the last two years getting used to.

The appeal challenged everything from the nationwide scope of the settlement and its treatment of buyers and sellers to the $333 million attorneys’ fee award. The Eighth Circuit rejected the challenges and affirmed.

So, for brokers and agents, the takeaway is pretty simple: Keep doing what you’re doing. Written buyer agreements, the MLS compensation restrictions, negotiable commissions, and the other settlement-related practice changes are still with us.

We break down what the decision actually means for brokers and agents in a little more detail here:

👉 www.specialprovisions.com/blog/the-nar-settlement-survives-appeal

Finally, if 35 pages of federal appellate analysis sounds like your idea of a relaxing evening, we respect your questionable life choices. You can download the opinion from our blog post. And we'll love you for it! ❤️⚖️

08/13/2026

“Where do I put this in the contract?!”

If you’ve worked in real estate long enough, you’ve probably said that more than once. 😂

So, we’re curious:

👉 What clauses, forms, or documents do you wish your CLIENTS had access to?

Think about the situations that come up in a transaction where a buyer or seller needs something that just… doesn’t exist. An agreement. A notice. An acknowledgment. Instructions. A disclosure. A document addressing some weird situation that somehow keeps happening.

And brokers, we want to hear from you too:

👉 What forms or documents do you wish you had for YOUR BROKERAGE?

Agent agreements. Policies. Notices. Acknowledgments. Operational documents. Client documents. Or that one form you’ve cobbled together three different ways because you’ve never found exactly what you need.

Don’t just tell us the name of the form. Tell us the problem you wish it solved.

No idea is too niche. In fact, the weird ones may be our favorites. 🤓

Drop yours in the comments. 👇 And if you have a great idea but don’t want to share it publicly, send us a DM. We’d love to hear it.

08/07/2026

💵 When is $1 worth a whole lot more than $1?

When it’s extending an option period!

If the parties extend the option period using the TREC Amendment, don’t put $0 for the additional option fee. TREC has rightfully taken the position in disciplinary orders that at least nominal consideration is required for the extension.

Here’s the interesting part: Texas case law says a written option may still be enforceable when it recites nominal consideration even if that nominal amount was never actually paid. So, “$1” and “$0” can be legally very different animals. 🐒

But don’t confuse that with the original option fee in the TREC contract. That fee has an express deadline, and the contract says time is of the essence.

Translation: Absent ratification by the seller, a late original option fee payment means the buyer does not have the unrestricted right to terminate.⏰

Contracts are picky like that. Sometimes one dollar matters. Sometimes one second matters. ⚖️

07/08/2026

📣 Registration is officially open for TREC’s 2027-2028 Broker Responsibility Instructor Training!

This is the required instructor training for anyone who plans to teach the new Broker Responsibility course beginning in 2027.

John G. George Jr. and Avis Wukasch are teaching the courses again this year.🙌 They are backed by the amazing team at TREC who drafted the materials and organized all the classes, including Vanessa Burgess, Summer Mandell, Jennifer Wheeler, Jennifer Grube, and many others. In other words, the course has a lot of very smart fingerprints on it!

Dates:
➡️ San Antonio: September 15th
➡️ Irving: October 28th
➡️ Fort Worth: October 29th
➡️ Houston: November 17th
➡️ Austin: December 4th

Training runs 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Seats are limited, so register through TREC asap if you plan to attend.

Registration Link: https://registrations.trec.texas.gov/

06/27/2026

We’ll be in Waco On Tuesday!

This is FREE for primary and secondary members. Call 254-776-0210 to attend.

06/02/2026

🚨 TREC released the new contracts for voluntary use!!! 🚨

TREC has now posted the revised contract forms without redlines on its website for voluntary use until their effective date of July 1st, when they become mandatory.

👉 Access the new contracts here: https://www.trec.texas.gov/agency-information/contracts

The contracts may have changed, but one thing hasn't...

Reading the contract is still a surprisingly effective risk-management strategy. 😎

Also, it's more important than ever to seek quality education about the contracts, whether from us or one of the other other great education providers across Texas.

You can join us for one of our in-person or live contract classes taught by John George (Attorney and Co-Chair of the TREC Broker-Lawyer Committee) and Kiersten Crawford (Broker and member of the Texas REALTORS® Forms Task Force). 💯

We'll walk you through the changes, explain what they mean in the real world, and help you avoid the mistakes that happen when someone says, "I thought that's what the contract said." 🤦‍♂️📄

06/02/2026

Zoom!

Special Provisions delivers industry-leading education focused on current, actionable content that will help you lead today’s market with confidence.

05/22/2026

Join us next week! We’ll be in Bryan, Texas, on Thursday, May 28th, for contracts classes!

Morning and afternoon classes available.

Call the Bryan/College Station Regional Association of Realtors Board Office at (979) 846-3751 to sign up!

John G. George Jr.
Kiersten-Kris Wright Crawford

05/15/2026

🍿Plot twist in the FinCEN reporting rule saga...

On May 13th, the government officially appealed the trial court's decision to toss the reporting rule. So while the FinCEN reporting rule got knocked down in the trial court, this fight is definitely not heading quietly into the compliance sunset just yet. 🌅

The order vacating the rule has NOT yet been stayed pending appeal. That means the rule currently remains vacated, and compliance with the FinCEN reporting rule is not required at this time.

Of course, that could change later depending on what happens on appeal, so title companies, attorneys, brokers, and agents should keep paying attention. 👀🎢

We’ll keep watching the docket so you don’t have to. 👀