Texas Real Estate Brokerage Sales Apprentice Education (SAE) Practice Exam

Does including a link to the IABS Form in an email signature fulfill the disclosure requirement?

1. Yes, it is sufficient

2. No, it is not sufficient

3. Yes, if it's in a footnote

4. No, it can only be a hyperlink

The correct answer is: No, it is not sufficient

The correct answer indicates that including a link to the Information About Brokerage Services (IABS) Form in an email signature does not meet the statutory requirements for disclosure. Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) guidelines specify that brokers and sales agents must ensure that consumers have access to the IABS form directly. While providing a link in an email signature may seem convenient, it does not guarantee that the recipient actively engages with the link or understands its importance in the context of disclosure. To comply effectively, it is necessary to provide the IABS form directly when presenting an offer, or to ensure that the form is readily available to the client in a manner that they cannot easily overlook. This can be fulfilled by physically providing the form or ensuring that an actual copy is given in other tangible forms, such as during an in-person meeting or as a PDF attachment to an email. Simply embedding it as a part of an email signature or including it only as a hyperlink does not provide the consumer the proper acknowledgment and receipt that TREC requires for disclosures.