TEXAS A&M REAL ESTATE RESEARCH CENTER

The Texas Real Estate Research Center (TRERC) was created by an act of the Texas Legislature in 1971 at the request of the real estate industry It is the nation’s largest publicly funded real estate research organization

The Center’s mission is straightforward: conduct studies in all areas related to real estate, urban and/or rural economics, and disseminate results and findings Center data and analysis are heavily relied upon by public policymakers at all levels (city, county, councils of government, river authorities, economic development agencies, legislators, the State Comptroller, Governor, citizens, and others) The high-quality, objective information produced by the Center has proven to be invaluable to the broadly defined real estate industry in Texas and beyond

In recent years, Dr Clare Losey has developed a model to assist municipalities by quantifying affordable housing needs and identifying areas within those communities that lend themselves to locally appropriate solutions Dr Losey has worked with the cities of Corpus Christi, Belton, Dallas, and the Austin Board of Realtors Current work continues in Kingsville and Graham TRERC supplements TxTC reports on housing affordability and assisted TxTC in Rio Grande City, Caldwell, Comanche County, and Jacksonville She is also strengthening relationships with the Texas Municipal League and the most prominent affordable housing agencies in Texas

The positive impact of the Center’s work on the state and its citizenry is expansive

Every Texas homeowner benefits from an ad valorem tax break afforded by the homestead exemption, which is based on Center research Center research led to the agricultural open space tax exemption enjoyed by all landowners involved in agricultural activities or wildlife preservation Leaders of the Texas Association of Homebuilders credited the Center’s data and research during the Great Recession with helping them stay informed of market conditions This led them to not overbuild, making the depth of the recession, driven largely by a crash in home prices, less severe in Texas