Protest it yourself or hire an agent?
What agents charge, how their results compare with owners who protest on their own, and how to end an agent contract.
What each costs
- An agent (property tax consultant) typically keeps 25–40% of the first year's tax savings, often with a minimum fee, and many contracts renew every year until you cancel.
- Doing it yourself costs $0–50: filing is free, and the only costs are optional evidence such as printed records or an appraisal you already have.
How the results compare
Collin County publishes who filed each protest and the result, so we can compare. Owners who protested on their own got larger typical reductions than those with an agent, partly because people who protest on their own tend to do it when their value is clearly too high, while agents file for every client every year. Agents win more often, with smaller cuts. Each county and city page shows these numbers; see, for example, Collin County: on your own vs. with an agent.
When an agent makes sense
- You can't spare a few hours in May and June, or you won't attend a hearing.
- The property is unusual (very large, rural, commercial) and comparables are hard to find.
- You own several properties and want one firm to handle them all.
For a typical house in a subdivision with plenty of similar homes, the evidence is the district's own data, and most protests settle with an online offer.
If you hire one
- Paid agents must be registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); you can look them up.
- Read the fee, the minimum, and whether the contract renews automatically.
- No one can promise a result. Be wary of anyone who does.
Ending an agent contract
Your agent files Comptroller Form 50-162, Appointment of Agent, with the appraisal district. The appointment lasts until it expires or you revoke it, so cancelling the contract with the firm isn't enough. To revoke it, file Form 50-813, Revocation of Appointment of Agent for Property Tax Matters (or a signed written revocation) with your appraisal district. It takes effect when the district receives it. Check your contract for any cancellation terms with the firm itself.