New TREC Forms Are Coming in 2026: What San Antonio Buyers, Sellers and Renters Need to Know Now

If you are buying, selling or leasing a home anywhere in San Antonio, Schertz, New Braunfels, Helotes, Converse or the surrounding Hill Country communities, some important paperwork changes are heading your way. The Texas Real Estate Commission, known as TREC, has adopted updates to two sets of forms that most people in a real estate transaction will encounter. Understanding what changed and why can save you confusion at the closing table or during a lease signing.

The first and most significant update involves the Information About Brokerage Services notice, commonly called the IABS. You have probably seen this form before. Texas law requires agents to give it to consumers early in a real estate conversation, and it explains the different ways a licensed agent can legally represent someone in a transaction. TREC revised this notice to reflect the requirements of Senate Bill 1968. That legislation introduced a formal non-representation status and established new written agreement requirements between agents and the consumers they work with. The updated IABS also removes all references to subagency, a practice that had largely faded from everyday transactions anyway but still appeared in the old form language.

This revised IABS is effective January 1, 2026. Between now and then, agents across the San Antonio metro are still using the current version, but the clock is ticking. If you are planning to buy or sell a home in Alamo Heights, Stone Oak, the Medical Center corridor, Helotes or anywhere else in Bexar County and you expect to start the process in the coming weeks, there is a reasonable chance your agent will hand you the new form right around the new year.

What does the non-representation status actually mean for you as a consumer? It means there is now a clearly defined option for situations where an agent is performing a task, such as showing a property, without taking on the full duties of representing a buyer or seller. The written agreement requirements mean you should expect to sign documentation earlier in the process that spells out exactly what your agent will and will not do on your behalf. If you are house-hunting in neighborhoods like Terrell Hills, Timberwood Park, or near the Northside or Judson school districts, ask your agent upfront which role they are playing. The updated IABS is designed to make that conversation easier and more transparent.

The second set of changes involves TREC's Buyer's Temporary Residential Lease and Seller's Temporary Residential Lease forms. These are the short-term lease agreements used when a buyer needs to move into a home before closing, or when a seller needs to stay in the home briefly after closing. These situations come up regularly in San Antonio, particularly in competitive submarkets where timing between a sale and a purchase does not line up perfectly.

The updated temporary lease forms are available right now for voluntary use. Agents can choose to use them today if they prefer, and many will. They become mandatory on January 5, 2026.

The key clarification in the new temporary lease forms relates to flood notices. Under Senate Bill 2349, flood disclosure notices are not required for temporary leases of this type. The updated forms make that point explicit so there is no ambiguity. This matters in San Antonio, where flood plain awareness is a genuine concern in areas near the San Antonio River, Salado Creek and low-lying neighborhoods in ZIP codes like 78201, 78207 and parts of the South Side. Even though flood notices are not legally required on a temporary lease, buyers and sellers should still talk openly with their agents about any flood history or zone designations for a property they are temporarily occupying.

For homeowners who are preparing to list in the coming months, now is a good time to have this conversation with your agent so you understand what paperwork to expect if a post-closing leaseback becomes part of your negotiation. For buyers working toward a purchase in early 2026, the same applies if you are hoping to get access to a home before your closing date is finalized.

None of these changes are designed to make real estate more complicated. The goal is to give every person in a transaction, whether you are a first-time buyer near the South San Antonio Independent School District or an investor closing on a rental near UTSA, a clearer picture of who represents you and what your rights are.

At 5 Star Real Estate of San Antonio, we stay current on every TREC form update so you do not have to. If you have questions about how these changes affect your specific situation, reach out to us. We are happy to walk you through what to expect before January arrives.