Texas Latest Form Changes July 2026
- Kaylan Norris | The Texas Agent
- Jul 20
- 7 min read
Ever opened your forms library and realized half the contracts you know by heart just got rewritten?
That's exactly where Texas agents are right now. The revised TREC contract forms became mandatory on July 1, 2026, and the updated Texas REALTORS® forms took effect June 15, 2026. The biggest headlines: a brand-new mandatory water rights disclosure (TREC 61-0), a reorganized compensation structure in Paragraph 12, and the removal of broker-to-broker compensation from the residential listing agreement.
Contract Changes Matter
If you practice anywhere in the Austin area, these changes need your attention. Wells, ponds, conservation easements, private roads, and mandatory HOAs are everyday realities out here, and several of the new disclosures speak directly to them.
I'll walk through the mandatory TREC changes, the Texas REALTORS® form updates, the new and retired forms, and the water rights disclosure that's going to generate the most client questions this summer. My goal is simple, when your next contract goes executory after July 1, nothing on it surprises you.
Working a deal in the Austin or Hill Country corridor and want to compare notes on the new forms? Text or message Kaylan for a quick conversation. I'm happy to talk shop with fellow Austin agents any time (512) 921-0727!
Two Effective Dates to Circle
Texas REALTORS® form revisions became effective June 15, 2026. TREC's revised and new forms could be used voluntarily as soon as they posted, and the ones labeled mandatory carry an effective date of July 1, 2026.
That means right now, in mid-July, you should already be pulling the new versions on every transaction. If your transaction coordinator or brokerage software is still auto-populating old form numbers, that's a conversation to have today, not at the closing table.
Which Contracts Got New Numbers
TREC form numbers update when a form is revised, so watch for these mandatory versions:
Unimproved Property Contract (TREC 9-18)
One to Four Family Residential Resale (TREC 20-19)
New Home Incomplete Construction (TREC 23-20)
New Home Completed Construction (TREC 24-20)
Farm & Ranch (TREC 25-17)
Residential Condominium Resale (TREC 30-18)
The Compensation Overhaul in Paragraph 12
This is the one to study line by line. Paragraph 12 was reworded and reorganized in light of industry changes around compensation. Paragraph 12A is now titled Expenses and specifically excludes brokerage fees. Brokerage compensation moved to Paragraph 12B, where the seller can contribute to the buyer's broker compensation in 12B(1), and the buyer now has the option to contribute to the seller's broker compensation in 12B(2).
The updated Amendment to Contract (TREC 39-11) aligns with those same provisions. And on the listing side, broker-to-broker compensation has been removed from the Residential Real Estate Listing Agreement Exclusive Right to Sell (TXR 1101) entirely, though the listing agreement adds an option for additional compensation to the seller's broker when the buyer is unrepresented. Compensation remains fully negotiable between clients and their own brokers.
The New Water Rights Disclosure
Here's where our corner of the map matters. The new Seller's Disclosure About Groundwater and Surface Water Rights (TREC 61-0) is mandatory, and every promulgated contract except the condo contract now includes a water notice paragraph. When I work with sellers whose properties have a well(s), a stock pond, or rainwater collection, this is very important.
The contract notice gives three options:
the buyer has received the Seller's Water Disclosure
the buyer will receive it within a negotiated number of days
the seller isn't required to deliver it.
Be careful with that third box, all five statements in Section 3 must be true before the seller can check it, including no known wells, ponds, or tanks on the property.
Seller's Disclosure Updates
The Seller's Disclosure Notice (TREC 55-1) adds four Sunset Commission-directed items to Paragraph 9, insurance claims on the property, private roads on or adjoining the property, aboveground storage tanks, and conservation easements. The TXR version (1406) also combines cooktop and range/stove, adds an "other" option so all diseased trees get disclosed, not just oak wilt. It also adds Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR), what central Texas calls Concrete Cancer, due to its growing prevalence. It's been showing up mostly in pools built or resurfaced between 2017 and 2023, with the worst of it traced to the 2020–2022 COVID construction boom, when quality aggregate was hard to come by.
What Daily Practice Actually Looks Like After July 1
In your next listing appointment you're now walking a seller through water rights questions they've never been asked before: Is there a well, in use or not? A pond? Who maintains that gravel road off the county easement? Have any groundwater rights been severed or leased? These aren't gotcha questions, they're the new baseline, and the agents who can explain them calmly will win the listing.
On the buyer side, your rep agreements changed too. Both the long and short form Buyer/Tenant Representation Agreements (TXR 1501 and 1507) now emphasize that "Market Area" must be completed and not left blank, and clarify that a client attending an open house without their broker doesn't violate their obligations. Small changes, but they'll come up in your first buyer consult after July 1.
Here's the truth from years of conversations, most sellers don't know much about their wells. Not because they're hiding anything, they've just never been asked. They know the water comes on when they turn the faucet on, and that's about it. That's exactly why this new disclosure matters. It only requires sellers to state what they're aware of, and "I don't know" is often the honest answer. So when I'm on the buyer's side, I don't leave it there. I always get the well inspected during the option period, that's where we get the real details on depth, production, equipment condition, and water quality.
Wells drilled after 2001 are searchable in the state's Submitted Drillers Report Database at twdb.texas.gov — completion date, depth, and construction details, for free. But plenty of wells predate that system. You may need a licensed well company to get real answers on production and equipment. Text Kaylan anytime if you need support on how to navigate this (512) 921-0727!
New, Retired, and Revised Forms
Here's the full library checklist, every form this update cycle touches, in one place.
New Forms
Seller's Disclosure About Groundwater and Surface Water Rights (TREC 61-0)
Seller's Notice to Buyer of Removal of Contingency (TREC 62-0) — voluntary, replaces the old TXR 1913 for the back-up contingency notice.
Property Condition Statement (TXR 1421) lets sellers disclose the Paragraph 7 items on contracts like Farm and Ranch, Unimproved Property, and the New Home contracts.
Three new listing amendment forms:
TXR 1422 for the Farm and Ranch listing
TXR 1423 for the Right to Lease listing
TXR 1424 for the commercial listings
Revised TREC Forms
The six promulgated contracts, all renumbered (TREC 9-18, 20-19, 23-20, 24-20, 25-17, 30-18)
Amendment to Contract (TREC 39-11) to align with the new Paragraph 12 compensation structure.
Seller's Disclosure Notice (TREC 55-1) with the four new Sunset Commission items in Paragraph 9.
Back-Up Addendum (TREC 11-9) now sets the amended effective date to the day the seller delivers the termination notice, not the day the buyer receives it.
Revised Texas REALTORS® Forms
Residential Listing Agreement (TXR 1101) — broker-to-broker compensation removed, new option for additional compensation when the buyer is unrepresented.
Seller's Disclosure Notice (TXR 1406) — adds ASR, the diseased-tree "other" option, and combines cooktop and range/stove.
Buyer/Tenant Rep Agreements (TXR 1501 and 1507) — Market Area can't be left blank, open house attendance clarified.
Wire Fraud Warning (TXR 2517) — swapped its "Buyers and Sellers Beware" heading for "Consumers Beware," so it can be used across more transaction types.
Retired Forms
Commercial Lease Addendum for Expense Reimbursement (TXR 2103)
Compensation Agreements (TXR 2401 and TXR 2402)
Both compensation agreements are going away for the same reason broker-to-broker compensation left the listing agreement, the parties negotiate contributions through Paragraph 12 now.
Smaller Changes Across the Contracts
Legal Holiday is now a defined term in Paragraph 5A(2).
Option fee, earnest money, and contract are lowercase throughout.
Paragraph 21 permits notices by overnight courier and delivery to a party's agent.
Do a quick audit this week of templates, e-signature packets, listing presentation binders, and any pre-filled brokerage forms. An old version number on a mandatory form after July 1 is an avoidable compliance headache.
For legal, financial, or tax advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional. This post is for informational purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When do the newest TREC contract forms become mandatory in Texas?
A: TREC's revised forms were available for voluntary use as soon as they were posted, but forms labeled mandatory carry an effective date of July 1, 2026. The Texas REALTORS® form revisions are separate, those became effective June 15, 2026. If you're writing contracts today, you should be on the new versions of both.
Q: What is the new TREC water rights disclosure form?
A: The Seller's Disclosure About Groundwater and Surface Water Rights (TREC 61-0) is a new, mandatory form covering wells, ponds, and water rights,and every promulgated contract except the condo contract now includes a water notice paragraph with three delivery options. It came out of a Sunset Commission directive to give buyers a clearer picture of the water rights tied to a property before they sign.
Q: How did Paragraph 12 change in the TREC contracts?
A: Paragraph 12A is now titled Expenses and specifically excludes brokerage fees, all compensation language moved to 12B. Sellers can contribute to the buyer's broker compensation in 12B(1), and for the first time, buyers can contribute to the seller's broker compensation in 12B(2). Compensation itself is still fully negotiable between clients and their own brokers.
Q: Which Texas REALTORS® forms are being retired in 2026?
A: Three forms are going away: the Commercial Lease Addendum for Expense Reimbursement (TXR 2103) and both Compensation Agreements (TXR 2401 and TXR 2402). The idea is to move compensation contributions into Paragraph 12 of the contract itself instead of handling them through separate agreements.
If this helped you get ahead of the latest Texas form changes for July 2026, share it with an agent in your office or save it for the next time you have a property under contract. Follow me, @theaustinagent on Instagram!
AUTHOR BIO: Kaylan Norris is a real estate agent with Live Texan Realty, specializing in residential real estate and golf lifestyle in and around Austin, TX.
TREC License #803965 | Live Texan Realty | Follow on Instagram @theaustinagent