One time my neighbor walked over and said "I have a friend wanting to buy a home and I'll refer them to you if you'll split your commission with me."     She continued with "my husband and I discussed it and we think it's fair."    Huh?

I wanted to ask her if you refer your friend to your dentist or your doctor, do you expect him to split his fee with you or would you even consider asking him such a thing?  Well the truth is, no, and there are Texas rules a realtor must abide by in that regard.  The article below spells out the rules.  

In light of recent changes to the TREC rules, several questions have

been raised about whether salespersons and brokers are now permitted

to share fees with unlicensed persons. Generally speaking, a real estate

salesperson or broker licensee may not share a commission or fee with

an unlicensed person; the rules have not changed in this regard. There

are several "exceptions" to this rule, and these exceptions have been

part of the rules for many years. One exception permits a licensee to

give a gift certificate worth not more than $50 to a person who is not

licensed. The licensee may not give cash, and the gift certificate may not

be exchangeable for cash. Another exception permits a licensee to pay a

rebate to a buyer or seller in a transaction as long as the licensee

obtains the consent of the party the licensee represents. (from the TREC website)