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 April 23, 2025
Mr. Lindsey called the business meeting to order at 9:06 a.m., Wednesday, April 23, 2025, welcoming guests, including others not listed and those observing via Zoom video conferencing. Mr. Lindsey welcomed Mayor Jeffrey Odham, NC Senator Bob Brinson, and Representative Steve Tyson, each of whom made brief welcoming remarks to the Commission members and attendees. Mr. Lindsey also introduced former Commission member Walt Craven, as well as Whitney Woodall and Brittany Blizzard from the Neuse River Region Association of REALTORS®. Mr. Black later introduced former Appraisal Board member and Chair Dana Outlaw.
Pending Cases: The Commission entered into consent agreements to suspend 8 licenses, ordered 8 hearings in cases involving licensees, closed 1 case without action against licensees, authorized injunctive relief involving 2 licensees, reprimanded 2 licensees, accepted the voluntary surrender of 2 licensees and accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of 2 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 based upon criminal background checks, information supplied by the applicant, and in-person interviews.
Total candidates considered: 14 ; total approved: 4; total approved with conditions: 3; continued: 4; total deferred 3.
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.
Spring Educators Conference
The Director of Education and Licensing reported that the annual Spring Educators Conference was held on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. Approximately 350 people attended, making it the largest education conference in the country. Mr. Elder reported savings of $18,251 out of the $25,000 budget. The Director of Education and Licensing commended the Logistics and Program Manager for the coordination of the event, the Communications Officer for her integration of AI in the content, and the Chair, Vice Chair, and staff on their presentations. Ms. O’Connor, Mr. Aceto, and Mr. Lindsey indicated that the conference was outstanding, and went well beyond what was anticipated. They commended the staff on the conference and the creativity that went into creating it.
License Exam Statistics: The Director of Education and Licensing gave an overview of the license exam statistics. He noted that since the changes in examination providers, the pass rates are more consistent. The Director of Education and Licensing noted that if an instructor or education provider does not have a 40% examination pass rate for two years, they are at risk of losing certification for a year. Currently, of the 248 education providers and 502 instructors, only one education provider and two instructors are at risk of losing their certifications. The Director of Education and Licensing also gave a brief presentation breaking down the attrition rates for prelicense courses depending upon the type of course (synchronous, distance/asynchronous, and in-person) and how this correlates with the examination pass rates and course completion rates. Mr. Lindsey noted that the data provides valuable insight and can guide the Commission on future education policy.
Real Estate Manual: The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing reported on the proposals received for the digital version on the Real Estate Manual in response to the Commission’s RFP, noting the pros and cons of the two bids received, and considering the possibility of bringing the project in-house. Upon a motion from Mr. Alston, the Commission directed staff to move forward with the internal development of an electronic Real Estate Manual in pdf form. The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing asked that the Real Estate Manual remain on the projects list for this additional work, including updates to the content of both the hard copy and the electronic version of the Real Estate Manual.
Renewal Season: The Director of Education and Licensing provided a brief overview of the upcoming renewal season noting that licenses must be renewed between May 15 and June 30, 2025. Staff have set a schedule for reminder notices to be emailed to licensees. The Communications Officer is working on AI videos to send to licensees on how to renew their licenses. The primary goal with AI and social media is to educate the licensees, ease their renewal process, and cut down on the number of phone calls staff receive. Currently, 80,890 brokers need at least one CE class and 30,000+ brokers need all eight hours of CE.
Monthly Financial Report, Quarterly Investment, and Education & Recovery Fund Report: The Commission received the monthly Financial Report, Quarterly Investment Report, and Education & Recovery Fund Report presented by the Chief Financial Executive for the period ending March 31, 2025. Mr. Lindsey reminded Commission members that funds from the Education & Recovery Fund can be used for education of consumers.
Appeals: The Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs reported that the NC Office of the Attorney General filed a motion to dismiss the Shipman appeal. Following a hearing on April 21, 2025, in Transylvania Superior Court, the court dismissed Ms. Shipman’s appeal.
Legislative Agenda: The Executive Director 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.
Character and Fitness Review Guidelines: The Associate Legal Council provided a review of the Character and Fitness Review Guidelines. The Commission made no changes.
Project Summaries: The Executive Director, the Director of Education and Licensing, Chief Financial Executive, and Chief Technology Officer reviewed the 2024-2025 Project Summaries noting projects that have been completed or extended since the March Commission meeting. Mr. Lindsey would like the Commission members to think about data or information needed to make policy decisions for future projects.
Operational Study RFP: The Executive Director provided an overview of the status of the RFP for an operational study. She hopes to have proposals for the Commission to review at the June meeting.
Appearances and Speeches: The Executive Director provided a report on recent speeches and reviewed the upcoming speeches and appearances by Commission members and staff. Mr. Lindsey will ask Mr. Beaty to join the Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs at the Winston Salem Association of REALTORS® Membership Meeting.
Emerging Trends: The Executive Director reported that there was a lot of great information presented at the 2025 ARELLO Mid-Year meeting Mr. Lindsey noted that several states are also dealing with wholesaling and new rules that need to be put in place to deal with the changing regulatory environment. He was pleased that he was able to discuss the impact of the inclusion of commission in sales contracts with representatives of other states. Ms. O’Connor is Vice Chair of the Fair Housing Committee and reported that they are working on an education piece to roll out next year.
Mr. Black noted that the residential appraisal world is getting ready for a dramatic change: the current URAR form will be replaced with a new process. The new form will be phased in this September.
Mr. Lindsey noted that Connie Corey from the Home Inspector Licensing Board was present for the meeting. The Commission is collaborating with the Home Inspector Licensing Board to discuss the impact of unlicensed home inspectors and related issues.
Report on License Numbers: As of April 1, 2025, there are 127,140 brokers and firms licensed by the Commission, as follows:
Active Full Brokers – 84,517
Active Provisional Brokers – 4,446
Brokers-in-Charge – 17,808
BIC Eligible Brokers – 6,784
Inactive Full Brokers – 24,673
Inactive Provisional Brokers – 7,156
Firms – 17,667
Limited Nonresident Commercial Brokers – 283
Next Commission Meeting: The next Commission meeting will be held at 9:00am, May 21, 2025, at the North Carolina Real Estate Commission in Raleigh, NC and is open to the public. It can be viewed via Zoom online video.
The Spring Educators Conference was a Shining Success
The Spring Educators Conference was held at the McKimmon Center on March 27, 2025. The theme was “Raleighwood: How to Become an Education Star.” Commission Chair T. Anthony Lindsey, and Vice Chair Bill Aceto addressed the educators and answered their questions about Commission policy and related issues. Executive Director Miriam Baer presented the state of the Commission, and education staff conducted several sessions to enhance the instructors’ education toolboxes.
Is radon a material fact?
A material fact is any fact that could affect a reasonable person’s decision to buy, sell, or lease real estate. Real estate brokers have a duty to take reasonable steps to discover and disclose material facts about a property to all parties in the transaction, regardless of who their agency agreement may be with. Many properties in North Carolina will have some level of radon in them. The EPA has determined that a radon reading of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher is the level that is dangerous enough to trigger remediation. If a broker knows prior to listing a property that it has been tested for radon and received a radon reading at or above 4.0 pCi/L, the broker has a duty to disclose this information prior to contract formation. If the broker discovers this information after contract formation, they must disclose this information immediately.
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 tomorrow will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern – Riverfront, Bradham Room, 100 Middle Street, New Bern, NC 28560. A Zoom link will be available at ncrec.gov on the day of the meeting.