TXR 1501 or TXR 1508: which form does this buyer need?
Since SB 1968 took effect, a Texas agent needs something signed before opening a door. The question is which something. Pick the wrong one and you have either promised representation you did not intend or given advice you were not allowed to give.
The short version
| TXR 1501 | TXR 1508 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Buyer/Tenant Representation Agreement | Unrepresented customer showing form |
| Relationship | The buyer becomes your client | No representation at all |
| Can you advise? | Yes, that is the point | No advice, no opinions |
| How it ends | On the termination date you negotiated | After the showing, or 14 days if no showing happens |
TXR 1501, the representation agreement
This is the long form, and it remains the primary representation agreement at many Texas brokerages. It meets the statutory requirements and it makes the buyer your client, with everything that follows from that.
It was revised recently. "Residential" came out of the title so the form can be used in more kinds of transactions, an optional retainer provision was added, and the language was updated for Senate Bill 17.
TXR 1508, the showing form
TXR 1508 covers non-agency showings for prospective buyers of residential property, where the only act of brokerage you are performing is showing the property. It does not create representation. The form says so in plain type, so the buyer cannot later claim they thought otherwise.
Read that twice, because it is the trap. Fourteen days is short enough that a buyer who goes quiet over a holiday, or spends three weekends deciding, will roll past it without either of you noticing. The next time you unlock a door for them, the paperwork behind you is gone.
Moving a buyer from one to the other
Buyers do not stay in one category. Someone who wanted to see a single house on Saturday wants an opinion on the inspection by Wednesday. The moment they want advice, negotiation, or representation, a separate representation agreement has to be executed first. You cannot advise your way out of a showing form.
In practice that means two dates to keep track of per buyer: when the showing form dies, and when the representation agreement that replaced it does. Multiply by a normal pipeline and the spreadsheet stops being funny.
ExactCircle exists for exactly that: every agreement, its end date, and an email before it runs out. See how it handles Texas.
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Rules change and local association forms vary. Check with your broker or attorney before you rely on any of it.
Sources
Common questions
- What is the difference between TXR 1501 and TXR 1508?
- TXR 1501 is the full buyer/tenant representation agreement: it creates an agency relationship and makes the buyer your client. TXR 1508 is an unrepresented customer showing form. It creates no representation, and the buyer gets no advice or opinions from you.
- How long is TXR 1508 good for?
- It expires automatically after the showing. If no showing takes place, it expires 14 days after it is signed.
- Can I give a buyer advice under TXR 1508?
- No. The form is for non-agency showings where the only brokerage service being performed is showing the property. If the buyer wants advice, negotiation, or representation, a representation agreement has to be signed first.
- Which form satisfies SB 1968?
- Either one can, depending on what you are actually doing for the buyer. SB 1968 requires a written agreement before a showing; it does not require that the agreement be a representation agreement.