US residential real estate rules, state by state, with sources.

Recent changes

1. July 1, 2026 Mississippi

   Mississippi requires written brokerage agreements before listing or submitting an offer

   SB 2713 and SB 2748 define a written “brokerage agreement” and require one before a licensee lists property or submits an offer on a buyer's behalf for compensation. Showings without an agreement are still allowed. The same amendments extend the earnest-money deposit deadline from one to two banking days after the day of receipt.

   Sources: MREC: Effective July 1st – Statutory Amendments

2. July 1, 2026 Texas

   Texas: TREC 20-19 resale contract (and other revised TREC contracts) take effect

   TREC's One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), form 20-19, effective 07/01/2026, replaced 20-18. Other TREC contracts on TREC's list, including New Home, Farm and Ranch, Condominium Resale, Unimproved Property, and Amendment, carry the same effective date.

   Sources: TREC: Contracts · TREC 20-19 (PDF)

3. June 1, 2026 Georgia

   Georgia REALTORS® mid-year 2026 forms changes (GAR forms, not state law)

   The Georgia Association of REALTORS® revised its 2026 forms effective June 1, 2026. These are a trade association's forms, not changes to Georgia law. Residential changes include: (1) The Purchase and Sale Agreement (F201) now gives buyer and seller each a limited, one-time right to extend the closing by 8 days on notice for specific reasons: lender not ready (buyer), unresolved title objections (seller), or closing attorney not ready (either party). (2) New earnest-money notice steps: the holder must notify both parties when a buyer fails to cure late or bounced earnest money, before the seller's termination window runs. The buyer's broker can receive earnest-money disbursement notices for a client after termination. (3) The FIRPTA section was retitled and reworded in F201 and the seller brokerage agreements. (4) The statute-of-limitations provision was removed from its old place in F201 and in the buyer and seller brokerage agreements (F110, F113, F101, F104, F105). It was not eliminated: it now appears as its own section (F201 ¶ C.8(c); F110 ¶ C.11). (5) The Seller's Property Disclosure Statement (F301) added questions on sewer or septic backups and interior water damage.

   Sources: GAR 2026 Mid-Year Forms Changes (dated 06/01/26; members-only; reviewed via a GAR member)

4. January 1, 2026 Texas

   Texas SB 1968: written agreement required before showing a home to a buyer

   New Tex. Occ. Code § 1101.563 requires a written agreement with a prospective residential buyer before showing property, or before presenting an offer if nothing is shown. The agreement must state services, term, exclusivity, representation status, and compensation, plus a conspicuous notice that compensation is negotiable. New § 1101.562 allows non-representation showings under a non-exclusive agreement of 14 days or less. TREC's IABS notice was revised the same day.

   Sources: SB 1968 enrolled text · TREC: What Changes in 2026 About Buyer/Tenant Representation

Full change log →