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 October 15, 2025
Pending Cases: The Commission entered into consent agreements to suspend 8 licenses, ordered 10 hearings in cases involving licensees, left 3 cases pending, accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of 4 licensees, accepted the voluntary surrender of 1 licensee, approved the issuance of 1 license, extended the timeline for 1 licensee, closed 1 case without action, reprimanded 3 licensees, and denied issuance of 2 licenses.
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: 12; total approved: 5; approved with conditions: 1; continued: 3; postponed: 2; 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.
November Character Conference Panel: Mr. Aceto and Mr. Beaty will serve on the Commission’s Character Conference Panel, which will convene via Zoom teleconferencing on Monday, November 17, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
CRC Background Checks: The Director of Education and Licensing reported that the Commission’s current provider of criminal background checks, CRC, is raising its fee by $2.50. The Director of Education and Licensing also noted that the Education staff is preparing an RFP for background checks, and the Director of Education and Licensing plans to bring the proposals to the Commission in December.
2026-27 Update Course: The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing presented possible topics for the 2026-2027 General and BIC Update Courses and suggested that topics be selected at the November or December meeting so that drafting can begin early in 2026 for rollout of a final course by July 1, 2026. The Assistant Director of Education and Licensing noted that staff have received the following suggested topics: Appraisal, Fake Sellers, Fair Housing, and Frequently Asked Questions. Staff requested member input on other topics that should be considered, and the Commission added to the list for consideration, AI, as well as information in the BICUP on how to assess a potential broker-associate’s background.
NCREEA Fall Conference: The Director of Education and Licensing reported that the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association (NCREEA) met October 1-2, 2025, in South Boston, VA. The Director of Education and Licensing noted that there were over 100 instructors in attendance, including the Commission’s Education staff. The Director of Education and Licensing and the Assistant Director of Education and Licensing gave a presentation on BIC Span of Control. Former Commission member, Mr. George Bell, provided a presentation on the history of REEA and NCREEA. The Director of Regulatory Affairs presented on missteps by brokers that can result in disciplinary action.
Monthly Financial Report, Quarterly Investment, and Education & Recovery Fund Reports: The Commission received the monthly Financial Report, Quarterly Investment Report, and Education & Recovery Fund Report presented by the Chief Financial Officer for the period ending September 30, 2025.
NCREC Investment Policy: The Chief Financial Officer noted that staff and the Finance Committee periodically review the NCREC Investment Policy and presented an updated policy for the Commission’s review. The Finance Committee recommended removing the directive to invest target percentages of funds in MDIs, pooling and non-pooling institutions, in favor of investing to achieve the best interest rate while still providing for the necessary security and liquidity of the funds within the bounds of the law and the other terms of the Policy. Upon a motion from Mr. Alston on behalf of the Finance Committee, the Commission accepted the revised NCREC Investment Policy.
Independent Auditor’s Report: The Commission received and reviewed the FY2024-2025 Independent Auditor’s Report presented by Ms. Stanley. Ms. Stanley noted that the audit was clean, and Bernard Robinson & Company (BRC) has issued the highest opinion an auditor can give. Upon the motion of Mr. Alston, the Commission approved the audit.
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. The Director of Regulatory Affairs reported that the recent passage of H926, now SL 2025-94, requires that occupational licensing boards, including the Commission, provide 30 days’ notice of its hearings rather than fifteen days’ notice as previously required, and that those boards, including the Commission, verify the social security number (SSN) of applicants for a license. The latter will require coordination with the federal Social Security Administration (SSA), and updates to the online application process. The staff are currently working to determine the legal authority to verify SSNs under federal law, and the mechanisms for doing so. Because of the federal government shutdown, information from the SSA is currently limited.
RPOADS: The Compliance Manager presented proposed changes to the Residential Property and Owners’ Association Disclosure (RPOADS). Mr. Aceto suggested that question B3 be changed to reference the number of rooms with baseboard heat, as opposed to bedrooms. Ms. O’Connor noted that this could result in many rooms having to be accounted for. The Commission approved the RPOADS to be published for public comment with changes to Section A – Structure/Floors/Walls/Ceiling/Window/Roof concerning fire damage to the dwelling; Section B – HVAC/Electrical to add the Year of system manufacturer in B4 and additional information to indicate the fuel source ‘Provider,’ ‘Leased/Owned,’ ‘Above/Below Ground,’ and ‘Year’; and Section H – Owners’ Association Disclosure to add Yes, No, and NR fillable circle for Question H1(c).
Annual Report to the State: The Executive Director provided the Commission with the Annual Report to the State, a report required by law that contains NCREC data and is supplied to various agencies in the State government.
Project Summaries: The Executive Director provided an overview of the NCREC Project Summaries. The Executive Director noted that the deliverables marked with a check have been completed.
Commission Member Email Policy: The Executive Director presented the Commission with a draft Commission Member Email Policy. Upon a motion from Mr. Alston, the Commission tabled discussion on the draft Policy until the November business meeting.
Report on License Numbers: As of October 1, 2025, there are 120,947 brokers and firms licensed by the Commission, as follows:
Active Full Brokers – 81,767
Active Provisional Brokers – 4,389
Brokers-in-Charge – 17,359
BIC Eligible Brokers – 6,701
Inactive Full Brokers – 21,582
Inactive Provisional Brokers – 5,549
Firms – 17,355
Limited Nonresident Commercial Brokers – 243
Next Commission Meeting: The next Commission meeting will be held at 8:30 am, November 19, 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.