Commission Meeting News
Key reports, issues, and decisions of interest to licensees and/or the public are reported here from the most recent Commission meeting:
Commission Meeting of June 14, 2023
Pending Cases: The Commission entered into consent agreements to suspend 9 licenses, accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of 1 education provider approval, accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of 1 license, closed cases without action against 2 licensees, left cases pending involving 1 licensee, approved 1 license following a hearing, granted approval to seek injunctive relief if needed against 2 individuals, and ordered hearings in cases involving 16 licensees.
License Applications Involving Character Issues: License applicants who have character issues such as prior criminal convictions or disciplinary actions by another licensing board are separately considered by the Commission. Decisions are made based upon criminal background checks, information supplied by the applicant, and in-person interviews.
Total candidates considered: 9, total approved: 4, total approved with conditions: 3, continued: 1, and deferred: 1.
License Examination Results: If you are interested in reviewing the most recent statistics and pass rates regarding the North Carolina broker license examination, click here: License Examination Results
Legislative Report: Staff reviewed the Legislative Report, summarizing bills that are currently pending in the General Assembly that relate to real estate brokerage, occupational licensing, or other matters of interest to the Commission.
Annual Rulemaking: Staff reported that the proposed rule changes that the Commission voted to adopt at its April 19, 2023, meeting were approved by the Rules Review Commission on May 18, 2023, and are posted on the Commission’s website. The rules are effective July 1, 2023.
Renewals: The Director of Education & Licensing reported that 72% of brokers and firms had renewed as of June 14, 2023. They stated that since May 15, License Services staff have answered over 16,400 phone calls. Further, as of June 14, 3,246 brokers were CE-deficient because they did not meet the June 10 deadline. Based on past data, the Director of Education & Licensing is expecting approximately 750 brokers to remedy their CE deficiencies.
Update Course Development: The Director of Education & Licensing and the Legal Education Officer reported that the 2023-2024 Update course is complete. The student manual and the slide presentations have both been shortened in response to feedback from education providers. The first Update Instructor Seminar was taught on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, to 80 instructors at the McKimmon Center at NC State University.
Report on License Numbers: As of June 1, 2023, there are 129,601 brokers and firms licensed by the Commission, as follows:
Next Commission Meeting: The next Commission meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 19, 2023, in the Commission’s office in Raleigh and is open to the public. It also can be viewed via Zoom online video.
Renewal Update – Last Chance!
All broker and firm licenses must be renewed by June 30th. Provisional brokers, brokers, BIC’s, firms, limited nonresident commercial brokers, all licenses must be renewed by 6/30. Failure to renew will cause your license to expire. If a license expires, all brokerage activity must cease. No actions that require a real estate license are allowed (including referrals). If you allow your license to expire, and wish to practice real estate in the future, you will have to reinstate and reactivate your license. This will require several steps, which get more involved the longer you wait. Brokers can check their renewal status by logging in under the licensing tab on our website, and get answers to the most frequently asked questions in this month’s eBulletin article.
Do I need a real estate license to co-host an Airbnb?
We receive calls daily asking if co-hosting property on Airbnb requires a real estate license. If you are performing cleaning, maintenance, recommending restaurants or local attractions, these type of activities do not require a license. If you are handling funds of others, negotiating lease terms, or collecting rent or deposits, these activities require a real estate license. Be careful of the terminology you use. Do not call your fees a ‘commission’ or a ‘management fee’ as this implies that you have a license that enables you to receive those fees. Instead, you should consider using terms such as ‘service’ or ‘maintenance’ fees or something comparable, to prevent confusion about the services you are providing. View GS 93A-2(a) for a definition of a real estate broker and a list of activities requiring a real estate license.
You are invited!
The monthly Real Estate Commission meetings are always open to the public, and you are invited to attend in person or online via Zoom. The meeting next month is July 19th here at the Commission building. A Zoom link will be available at ncrec.gov on the day of the meeting.
All renewals due by 6/30.
All broker and firm licenses must be renewed by June 30th. Brokers can check their renewal status by logging in under the licensing tab on our website, and get answers to the most frequently asked questions in this month’s eBulletin article.
Questions about estates?
We receive many calls with questions about estates. It is possible for a licensed broker to list a property for sale on behalf of an executor or administrator of an estate. However, everyone involved must follow NC law regarding probate of an estate. Advice from a probate attorney is recommended for both the broker and executor or heir. View this link for details on estates and the probate process.
You are invited!
The monthly Real Estate Commission meetings are always open to the public, and you are invited to attend in person or online via Zoom. The meeting this month is tomorrow here at the Commission building. A Zoom link will be available at ncrec.gov on the day of the meeting.