Pending Cases: The Commission entered into consent agreements to suspend 8 licenses, closed its case without action against 5 licensees, reprimanded 1 licensee, accepted the voluntary surrender of 3 licenses, voted to grant extensions of time in cases involving 2 licensees, authorized the Regulatory Affairs Division to seek injunctive relief against two unlicensed individuals; and ordered hearings in cases involving 14 licensees.
License Applications Involving Character Issues: License applicants who have character issues such as prior criminal convictions or disciplinary action 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: 25; total approved: 17.
License Examination Results: A summary of key data relating to persons taking the exam for the first time is provided below:
Individuals Tested for the First Time | ||||
Took prelicense course | Hold license from another state | |||
March 2021 | April 2020 through March 2021 | March 2021 | April 2020 through March 2021 | |
# Tested | 1097 | 11123 | 28 | 231 |
% Pass both sections | 39% | 36% | N/A | N/A |
% Pass National section | 67% | 66% | N/A | N/A |
% Pass State section | 40% | 37% | 32% | 29% |
Legislative Report: The Commission reviewed the Legislative Report noting 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. A representative of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), gave a progress update on the Timeshare Act. Staff reported that there are a number of co-sponsors on the bill.
Home Inspectors’ Draft Bill: The Commission reviewed a draft bill (not yet introduced) that would restrict the Home Inspectors Board from prohibiting home inspectors from providing low monetary value meals and beverages to real estate licensees. The Commission voted to remain neutral on the bill at this time.
2021 NCREC Educators Conference: Staff provided an overview of the 2021 NCREC Educators Conference, held via Zoom on Tuesday, March 23 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Attendance was tracked to ensure educators were eligible for instructor development credit. During the event, the Commission presented an award posthumously to Garth Dunklin as the first recipient of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission Industry Champion. In addition, George Bell was the named the recipient of the 2021 Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award. The Educators Conference is now available on the Commission’s website as a distance learning course that allows educators to receive their education development credit after the conference.
NCCU MBA Program: The Commission received an overview of the expansion of NCCU’s MBA program with a concentration in commercial real estate. The Commission asked staff to investigate the possibility of the Commission donating, or supporting this program in some way. The Chair appointed a Committee to investigate.
Report on License Numbers: As of April 1, 2020, there are 120,985 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, May 19, 2021, via Zoom online video.