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 March 18, 2026
Pending Cases: The Commission entered into consent agreements to suspend 6 licenses, ordered hearings in cases involving a total of 12 licensees, accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of 4 licenses, revoked 1 license, permanently revoked 1 license, left 3 cases pending, reconsidered 1 case, and issued 1 license on conditions.
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: 11; total approved: 1; approved with conditions: 4; continued: 4; postponed: 1; 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, License Examination Results.
Education Town Hall: The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing reported that approximately 70 people attended the Education Town Hall hosted by the Commission on February 24, 2026, including Ms. O’Connor. Topics discussed included new rules effective April 1, 2026, and an overview of the new appraisal form by former Commission member Mr. Vic Knight. Attendees expressed appreciation for the content of the current Update courses and requested that staff keep the content in next year’s Course to a manageable level as well.
2026 Spring Educators Conference Agenda: The Director of Education and Licensing reported that the theme for the upcoming Spring Educators Conference is “Now Boarding”. The Conference will be held April 2 at the McKimmon Center and is sold out. In response to a question from Ms. Sebti, the Director of Education and Licensing, reported that the price increase had not impacted registration. The keynote speaker will be Chris Herbst, Pearson Professional Assessments, on the topic of exam security. In addition to the Director of Education and Licensing and the Assistant Director of Education and Licensing, presenters will include Commission Chair Mr. Aceto, the Executive Director, the Director of Regulatory Affairs, and members of the Education and Licensing staff.
Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award: Upon the motion of Mr. Alston, the Commission met in closed session to review the nominations for the Award and make a selection to be announced at the Spring Educators Conference.
Periodic Review of Rules Report with Final Determination of Rules: The Compliance Manager reminded the Commission that North Carolina requires state agencies to conduct a “periodic review” of all administrative rules every 10 years and to classify rules as either “necessary” (retained) or “unnecessary” (obsolete). The Compliance Manager noted that the Commission had made a preliminary determination in December 2025, that all its rules remain “necessary.” A 60-day public comment period followed, during which time one comment was received. After review, upon the motion of Ms. O’Connor, the Commission voted to approve the Report with final determinations of “necessary” for all rules. The Report will be submitted to the Rules Review Commission (RRC) at its June 25, 2026, meeting.
Rule 58A .0110 Revisions: The Director of Regulatory Affairs reviewed proposed changes to Rule A .0110 stemming from the Commission’s discussions of the appropriate “span of control” of a broker-in-charge (BIC). Ms. O’Connor suggested that the maximum number of brokers who could be affiliated with a BIC who supervises more than one office be changed from 50 to 100 in subsection (a)(1). Mr. Black suggested that the Policy and Procedures manual requirements include an express reference to discovery and disclosure of material facts in subsection (g)(11). Upon the motion of Mr. Alston, the Commission approved the rule for publication as presented with the changes suggested by Ms. O’Connor and Mr. Black noted above, and with an effective date of July 1, 2027.
2027 Draft Legislation – Jurisdiction and Wholesaling: The Director of Regulatory Affairs introduced draft legislation to the Commission addressing wholesaling and the Commission’s jurisdiction, noting that legislation on this topic has been introduced in another bill pending before the General Assembly but including somewhat different provisions [H797]. The Commission requested that the Director of Regulatory Affairs provide the members with a comparison of the two bills at the April Meeting. The Commission also requested information about other states’ wholesaling legislation.
Revised Square Footage Guidelines: Mr. Aceto reminded the Commission that one of his goals as Chair is to update the Commission’s Square Footage Guidelines. Mr. Vic Knight reviewed with the Commission a preliminary draft of the revisions which included a reorganization of the existing text, along with edits and updates to address modern practice, and common situations where brokers need guidance. Mr. Knight commended the Communications Officer on her work with formatting, updating, and incorporating sketches in the revised booklet. The members received the revisions for discussion at a future meeting and directed staff to provide the draft to interested parties, including:
Report on License Numbers: As of March 1, 2026, there are 124,790 brokers and firms licensed by the Commission, as follows:
Active Full Brokers – 79,669
Active Provisional Brokers – 4,327
Brokers-in-Charge – 17,637
BIC Eligible Brokers – 6,927
Inactive Full Brokers – 16,377
Inactive Provisional Brokers – 6,359
Firms – 17,786
Limited Nonresident Commercial Brokers – 272
Next Commission Meeting: The next Commission meeting will be held on April 22, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the North Carolina Real Estate Commission in Raleigh, NC, and is open to the public. It can also be viewed via Zoom online video.
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 November 19, 2025
Pending Cases: The Commission entered into consent agreements to suspend 5 licenses, ordered hearings in cases involving 19 licensees, accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of 1 licensee, accepted the voluntary surrender of 2 licensees, and reprimanded 1 licensee.
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: 8; total approved: 2; approved with conditions: 4; continued: 1; 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.
2026-27 Update Course: The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing presented possible topics for the 2026-2027 General and BIC Update Courses, anticipating that drafting can begin early in 2026 for a final course rollout by July 1, 2026. The Commission directed the Assistant Director of Education and Licensing to begin developing the 2026-2027 General and BIC Update Course topics, with the flexibility to add to the FAQs as issues arise in the coming months. The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing will bring a sample of the course FAQs to the December meeting.
Staff Update Course: The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing reported that 54 members of the Commission staff completed the Update course on either September 4, 2025, or October 21, 2025, that course being taught in-house.
Education Town Hall: The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing reported that the quarterly Education Town Hall was held on November 6, 2025. The Town Hall is an open forum for educators to discuss topics of interest and ask staff questions. There were 43 educators in attendance. In response to a question about how to attend future Town Halls, the Assistant Director of Education and Licensing indicated that the link is on the website under “Education” and that Commission members are welcome to attend. The next Town Hall is on February 26, 2026.
Training Room Update: The Director of Education and Licensing reported on the updates made to the Training Room through a video presentation. The Director of Education and Licensing commended the Chief Technology Officer and the Communications Officer on their work on the Training Room transition project and thanked the Commission for its support of the project.
Mr. Barfield commended the Director of Education and Licensing and the Commission staff for the Fair Housing Symposium held in Wilmington on October 30.
Periodic Review of Rules: The Compliance Manager presented the Commission with a report on the periodic (ten year) review of rules, including a brief roadmap of the required process. The Compliance Manager asked the members to review the Commission’s rules between now and the December Commission meeting to determine if any rule is no longer necessary. The Compliance Manager will bring the rules back to the December 17, 2025, for the Commission to vote on its initial determinations. The public comment period will run from December 29, 2025, to March 1, 2026. The Commission will vote on a final report at the March 18, 2026, meeting. RRC will review the report in June 2026.
Rulemaking: The Compliance Manager provided an update on rulemaking, noting each project status and timeline.
Email Policy: The Executive Director presented the Commission with a draft Commission Member Email Policy. After discussion, upon a motion from Mr. Barfield, the Commission accepted the Email Policy as presented. Ms. Sebti voted against the motion.
Other Business: Upon a motion from Mr. Black, the Commission moved the July 2026 Commission meeting to July 15-16, 2026.
Report on License Numbers: As of November 1, 2025, there are 121,880 brokers and firms licensed by the Commission, as follows:
Active Full Brokers – 82,372
Active Provisional Brokers – 4,496
Brokers-in-Charge – 17,438
BIC Eligible Brokers – 6,728
Inactive Full Brokers – 21,785
Inactive Provisional Brokers – 5,719
Firms – 17,471
Limited Nonresident Commercial Brokers – 252
Next Commission Meeting: The next Commission meeting will be held at 8:30 am, December 17, 2025, at the North Carolina Real Estate Commission in Raleigh, NC, and is open to the public. It can also be viewed via Zoom online video.
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 September 17, 2025
Pending Cases: The Commission entered into consent agreements to suspend 9 licenses, ordered 26 hearings in cases involving licensees, accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of 2 licensees, approved the issuance of 1 license, extended the timeline for 1 licensee, closed 3 cases without action, closed and warned 1 case, and approved payment of $6,210 from the Real Estate Education and Recovery Fund.
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: 16; total approved: 4; approved with conditions: 6; continued: 4; deferred: 2.
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.
Pearson VUE Fee Increase: The Director of Education and Licensing reported that ARELLO has proposed a fee increase of $3.00 to a total of $5.00 for each administration of the licensing examination. After review and discussion, upon a motion from Ms. O’Connor, the Commission approved and directed the Executive Director to sign a contract addendum with Pearson VUE for the $3.00 increase effective January 1, 2026.
August Education Townhall: The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing reported that Commission staff held an Education Town Hall on August 19, 2025. There were 68 educators in attendance. New appraisal laws were discussed by Commission Member Black and Commission staff encouraged the educational community to subscribe to the Commission’s mailing list to receive notice of rule making changes, additions, or deletions. The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing also discussed the adverse impacts of late reporting of CE courses on real estate brokers.
Legislation: The Director of Regulatory Affairs reviewed the Legislative Report, which summarizes bills currently pending in the General Assembly that relate to real estate brokerage, occupational licensing, or other matters of interest to the Commission.
Rulemaking
The Compliance Manager presented proposed rulemaking recommendations and draft rule text. On the question of whether to proceed with publication of the proposed rule changes for public comment, the Commission made the following decisions:
| 21 NCAC 58A .0110 – Broker-in-Charge | Mr. Ramseur made a motion to table discussion on 58A .0110(a) which he later withdrew. Upon a motion from Mr. Ramseur, the Commission rejected the draft text for changes to 58A .0110(a) pending further study. Upon a motion from Mr. Ramseur, the Commission accepted the draft text changes for 58A .0110(b). Upon a motion from Mr. Black, the Commission accepted the draft text changes for 58A .0110(e). Upon a motion from Mr. Beaty, the Commission accepted the draft text as written in 58A .0110(g)(10). Mr. Ramseur voted against the motion. Upon a motion from Ms. Sebti, the Commission approved the draft text changes for 58A .0110(g)(8). Upon a motion from Mr. Black, the Commission voted to accept the draft text change for 58A .0110(j). |
| 21 NCAC 58A .0112 – Offers and Sales Contracts | Upon a motion from Mr. Ramsuer, the Commission voted to eliminate sections 8 and 9 from 58A .0112. Upon a motion from Ms. O’Connor, the Commission approved the draft text changes for 58A .0112(b). Mr. Ramseur was recused from the vote. |
| 21 NCAC 58A .0104 – Agency Agreements | Upon a motion from Ms. Sebti, the Commission voted to delete section 58A .0104 and replace it with section .0200. Ms. O’Connor voted against the motion. |
| 21 NCAC 58A .0302 – License Application and Fee | Upon a motion from Ms. Sebti, the Commission voted to accept the draft text change to 58A .0302 and suggested that staff seek an effective date of February 2026 or as soon thereafter as possible. |
| 21 NCAC 58A .0503 – License Renewal | Upon a motion from Mr. Ramseur, the Commission approved the draft text changes. |
| 21 NCAC 58A .0513 – License Cancellation | Upon a motion from Mr. Black, the Commission approved the draft text changes. |
| 21 NCAC 58A .1800 – Limited Nonresident Commercial License | Upon a motion from Ms. Sebti, the Commission approved the draft text changes and suggested that staff seek an effective date of February 2026 or as soon thereafter as possible as to the fee provisions. |
| 21 NCAC 58G .0103 – Definitions | Upon a motion from Mr. Black, the Commission approved the draft text changes. |
| 21 NCAC 58H .0101 – Definitions (Real Estate Education) 21 NCAC 58H .0210 – Limitation, Denial, Withdrawal, or Termination of Education Provider Certification 21 NCAC 58H .0303 – Limitation, Denial, or Withdrawal of Instructor Approval 21 NCAC 58H .0304 – Instructor Conduct and Performance | Upon a motion from Ms. O’Connor, the Commission approved the draft text changes for H .0101 and H 0210 and rejected the draft changes for H .0303 and H. .0304. |
| Residential Property and Owners’ Association Disclosure Statement (RPOADS) | Upon a motion from Ms. Sebti, the Commission approved the draft text changes in section A9 and A10. Upon a motion from Ms. O’Connor, the Commission approved the draft text changes of B4. Upon a motion from Ms. Sebti, the Commission adopted the addition of bubbles to section H1. Mr. Aceto asked staff to look into adding fuel provider information to the RPOADS. |
NC Supreme Court Opinion: The Director of Regulatory Affairs gave a brief report on the recent NC Supreme Court Opinion re License Applications and Character – DeValle v NC Sheriffs’ Ed & Training Comm’n.
Report on License Numbers: As of September 1, 2025, there are 119,955 brokers and firms licensed by the Commission, as follows:
Active Full Brokers – 76,785
Active Provisional Brokers – 4,277
Brokers-in-Charge – 17,233
BIC Eligible Brokers – 6,677
Inactive Full Brokers – 16,033
Inactive Provisional Brokers – 5,413
Firms – 17,212
Limited Nonresident Commercial Brokers – 235
Next Commission Meeting: The next Commission meeting will be held at 8:30 am, October 15, 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.
New Instructor Seminars
Due to high demand, several new instructor seminars were created and added to the schedule. These seminars will be offered in 2 formats until May: in person every other month, and by zoom. More seminars will be available in July and/or August, after the license renewal period has ended. If you have an interest in becoming a real estate instructor and meet the requirements, you may register for this course.
Property Manager Concerns
The NCREC sometimes receives calls about private owners managing their own property, and concerns that they are not following Landlord/Tenant Laws. While the NCREC cannot regulate the actions of a private property owner that does not have a real estate license, owners are still subject to following NC and Federal Laws concerning Fair Housing and Landlord and Tenant responsibilities. If you have a concern about the actions of an unlicensed property owner managing their own property, you should contact the Attorney General’s office for assistance.
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 March 15th here at the Commission building. A Zoom link will be available at ncrec.gov on the day of the meeting.
We are partnering to support More Powerful NC, a public education campaign that launches this week to raise awareness about the opioid epidemic and empower North Carolinians to take action to address the crisis in their homes, neighborhoods, and communities.
The More Powerful NC campaign is supported by a coalition of North Carolina businesses, healthcare organizations, and state agencies that helped create, fund, and provide resources for this campaign, which was initiated by Attorney General Josh Stein and DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen.
The campaign website, www.MorePowerfulNC.org, helps people understand the risks associated with opioids and provides treatment and recovery resources. The website also gives people a wide range of tools and ideas to get involved in their communities and be part of our work to confront the epidemic.
We hope that you will take the time to visit the More Powerful NC website, take the pledge to take action, and share the campaign website with friends and family. You can also share the social media post below to help others learn about the campaign (and don’t forget to use the hashtag #MorePowerfulNC).
The only way we can combat this epidemic is if we all step up and do our part. Together, we are stronger than the opioid crisis.