The Texas Accredited Commercial Specialist certification teaches you how to represent clients, perform market analyses, negotiate, and understand property development and management. The TACS will also equip you with skills in marketing and business development. This certification shows that you’ve pursued an intensive course of study in commercial real estate and that you’re dedicated to providing the highest level of service to clients.
This certification is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS®.
Certification Requirements
The Texas Accredited Commercial Specialist certification requires the completion of three 30-hour courses:
- TACS 1: Introduction to Commercial Real Estate. Topics include fundamentals of commercial real estate finance and economics.
- TACS 2: Commercial Real Estate Property Development. Topics include commercial leasing, property development, and appraisal valuation methods.
- TACS 3: Commercial Real Estate Marketing & Negotiation. Topics include assessing the merits of investment property, appropriate contract forms and addenda, and how to develop a self-aware business plan.
Click here to examine a more detailed outline of the courses and topics.
After successful completion of the three courses, candidates must provide the following:
- A letter from the agent’s broker, on official company letterhead, verifying the successful completion of at least two (2) commercial real estate transactions. There is no set minimum dollar amount required for these transactions to qualify. Only original sales and leases will be considered; renewals will not qualify. These transactions may have occurred within a three-year period before the certification application or up to three years following the submission date of your application. The letter should also confirm the agent’s active participation in a Commercial Information Exchange (CIE).
- Two (2) written professional reference Letters of Recommendation from licensed real estate agents, excluding the candidate’s broker, who can speak to the candidate’s professionalism and standard of practice in commercial real estate.
Finally, the certification candidate must submit the Texas Accredited Commercial Specialist certification application and a $50 application fee to Texas REALTORS®.
REALTORS® who have five years of commercial experience and have successfully passed all three TACS end-of-course exams are eligible to apply for the TACS certification without completing TACS coursework. To receive credit by exam, submit the certification application; applicants will be contacted to schedule exams and remit fees after their application has been processed. Please note there is a $50/exam fee.
For more information on the TACS program, please see our FAQs.
TACS Scholarship
The Texas REALTORS® TACS Scholarship is for members with less than five years of experience in real estate who have faced discrimination, exclusion, or hardship in their entry into commercial real estate based on their status in a protected class. Protected classes include race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The scholarship aims to increase diversity in commercial real estate services by funding the scholarship recipient’s completion of the Texas Accredited Commercial Specialist program.
