The NCREC 2025 Spring Educators Conference

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission proudly hosted its 2025 Spring Educators Conference on March 27, 2025, at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. The conference, themed “Raleighwood: How to Be An Education Star,” welcomed 300 participants. Commission Chair T. Anthony Lindsey kicked off the event with a warm welcome to all attendees. Throughout the day, participants engaged in the following insightful presentations by the Commission Chair, Vice Chair Bill Aceto, and Commission Staff.

• Welcome Stars of Education by Len Elder, Director of Education and Licensing and Kizzy Crawford Heath, Assistant Director of Education and Licensing
• Direct from the Academy by T. Anthony Lindsey, Commission Chair
• The State of the Profession by Miriam Baer, Executive Director
• Every Story Has a Theme by Len Elder, Director of Education and Licensing and Kizzy Crawford Heath, Assistant Director of Education and Licensing
• Effective Teaching of Case Studies by Kizzy Crawford Heath, Assistant Director of Education and Licensing
• Behind the Curtains Open Forum by T. Anthony Lindsey, Commission Chair and Bill Aceto, Commission Vice Chair
• Storyboarding Your AI Presentations by Tiffany Ross, Consumer Resource Officer and Diana Jasany, Communications Officer
• Mingling with the Stars by Jessica Hickok, ARELLO CEO, Maurice Taylor, REEA President, Leslye Helton, NCREEA President, and Brian Pate, NCREEA President-Elect
• Mastering the Art of Stagecraft by Deb Carpenter, Education and Examination Officer
• Top 10 Reasons for Box Office Flops by Cathy Worsley, Education Officer and Beth McGonigle, Education Officer
• At the Movies by Andrew Cox, Education Officer and Len Elder, Director of Education and Licensing
• The Green Room Discussion by Janet Thoren, Director of Regulatory Affairs, and Kristen Fetter, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs

The conference concluded with the presentation of the 2025 Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award to Patrice Willetts by Commission Chair T. Anthony Lindsey. The Commission established the Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award in 2016 to honor the Commission’s late former Director of Education and Licensing Division. This year’s recipient of the Larry A. Outlaw Award, Patrice Willetts, demonstrated ongoing excellence in outstanding contributions to real estate education in North Carolina.  

The Commission expressed gratitude to North Carolina’s real estate educational community for their unwavering support and dedication in honing their skills, and extended a heartfelt congratulations to Patrice Willetts on her well-deserved award.

Disciplinary Actions

BOTTOM LINE REALTY & MANAGEMENT (CHARLOTTE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the firm license of Bottom Line Realty & Management for a period of 16 months, effective March 14, 2025. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that the Firm began providing property management services to a landlord-client in 2017 with the same tenant occupying the property since that time. The Firm failed to inform the landlord-client of needed repairs or ensure that staff was doing said repairs leading to additional damage from a leak in the crawlspace. The Firm failed to ensure that tenants had established utilities for subject property leading to the gas meter being removed and the tenants being without heat. The Firm failed to provide repair documentation to the landlord-client upon request.

CATHY COTTLE (WINSTON SALEM) – By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Cottle effective March 31, 2025. The Commission found that Cottle was the Broker in Charge of the listing firm of the subject property.  Cottle’s listing agent (hereinafter “LA”) listed the subject property and began advertising in the MLS that the subject property contained 2,526 heated square feet. The LA represented that the 2,526 square feet included the 936 square feet in the basement, however the basement was unheated. Excluding the basement, the square footage would have been 1,590 square feet, which is the same as the county tax record. LA failed to notice the error until it was pointed out by a Buyer’s Agent during the listing period. Cottle failed to update the MLS to indicate the correct square footage.

RALONNIE DAVIS (CHARLOTTE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Davis for a period of 12 months, effective March 11, 2025. The Commission then stayed the suspension following a three-month active period upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Davis failed to remit rent proceeds and security deposit funds to an owner after that owner terminated a property management agreement with Davis. Davis, as the broker-in-charge, failed to properly account for trust monies and failed to reconcile the Firm’s trust accounts in accordance with Commission rules.

TIEASE DUNCAN (ERWIN) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Duncan for a period of 6 months, effective March 1, 2025. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Duncan represented a buyer in a real estate transaction. The buyer obtained a home inspection which discovered potential evidence of termites and identified other potential issues. Duncan failed to competently review the inspection report and did not discuss with her buyer-client that they might want to conduct additional inspections. Duncan failed to ensure the buyer obtained a home warranty to be paid by seller prior to close, as was agreed to in the contract.

FAMILY FIRST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & REALTY (JACKSONVILLE) – By Consent, the Commission permanently revoked the firm license of Family First Property Management & Realty, effective March 5, 2025. The Commission found that the Firm managed approximately 277 properties. On or about February 7, 2025, the Firm had shortages in its trust accounts in excess of $300,000.00.

KENLON PARK ESTATE LLC (CHARLOTTE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the firm license of Kenlon Park Estate LLC for a period of 12 months, effective March 11, 2025. The Commission then stayed the suspension following a three-month active period upon certain conditions. The Commission found that the Firm failed to remit rent proceeds and security deposit funds to an owner after that owner terminated a property management agreement with the Firm. The Firm also failed to properly account for trust monies and failed to reconcile its trust accounts according to Commission rules. 

KEVIN STRINGARI (CHARLOTTE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Stringari for a period of 16 months, effective March 14, 2025. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Stringari was broker-in-charge of a firm which began providing property management services to a landlord-client in 2017 with the same tenant occupying the property since that time. As broker-in-charge, Stringari failed to ensure that the landlord-client was informed of needed repairs or ensure that staff was doing said repairs leading to additional damage from a leak in the crawlspace, and failed to ensure that tenants had established utilities for subject property leading to the gas meter being removed and the tenants being without heat.

LEONARD RYDEN BURR LLC (WINSTON SALEM) – By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Leonard Ryden Burr LLC effective March 31, 2025. The Commission found that the Firm’s listing agent (hereinafter “LA”) listed the subject property and began advertising in the MLS that the the subject property contained 2,526 heated square feet. The LA represented that the 2,526 square feet included the 936 square feet in the basement, however the basement was unheated. Excluding the basement, the square footage would have been 1,590 square feet, which is the same as the county tax record. LA failed to notice the error until it was pointed out by a Buyer’s Agent during the listing period. The Firm failed to update the MLS  to indicate the correct square footage.

DAMON WINSLOW (CHARLOTTE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Winslow for a period of 16 months, effective March 14, 2025. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Winslow was broker-in-charge of a firm which began providing property management services to a landlord-client in 2017 with the same tenant occupying the property since that time. As broker-in-charge, Winslow failed to ensure that the landlord-client was informed of needed repairs or ensure that staff was doing said repairs leading to additional damage from a leak in the crawlspace. Winslow failed to ensure that tenants had established utilities for the subject property, leading to the gas meter being removed and the tenants being without heat. Winslow failed to provide repair documentation to the landlord-client upon request.

Quick Tips

“Please include your NC real estate license number when contacting NCREC; this will allow staff to respond quickly with information that is personalized to you.

-Deb C, Education and Examination Officer

“CE is NOT required to be completed in order to renew your license. You can RENEW your license before you have completed CE.”

-A. Anderson, License Specialist

“Taking Postlicensing courses will not satisfy your CE requirement.”

-B. Hollings, License Services Officer

“Please keep copies of your submitted forms and electronic correspondence with the Commission for your own personal records.”

-E. Muse, License Services Specialist

“BIC Eligibility is LOST if you expire or go inactive. Not sure why I’ve received several calls about that the past few weeks.”

-D. Moessner, License Services Team Lead

Commission Presentations

March 2025 Presentations

Lyndi James, Auditor,  spoke at Onecom Properties LLC on March 3^rd.

Christy Evans, Consumer Protection Officer, spoke at Coldwell Banker HPW on March 4^th.

Miriam Baer, Executive Director, spoke at Durham Regional Association of REALTORS® on March 4^th.

Kristen Fetter, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs, spoke at United Real Estate – Queen City on March 13^th.

Bruce Rinne, Information Officer, spoke at Lake Norman Realty on March 19^th.

Bruce Rinne, Information Officer, spoke at Home Towne Realty on March 27^th.

April 2025 Presentations

*These presentations are subject to change due to the availability of Commission members and/or staff.*

Bruce Rinne, Information Officer, will speak at Century 21 Lawrie Lawrence and Century 21 Echelon on April 1^st.

Dee Bigelow, Information Officer, will speak at Winston Salem Association of REALTORS® Property Management Division on April 15^th.

Christy Evans, Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at Roanoke Valley Lake Gaston Board of REALTORS® on April 16^th.

Lyndi James, Auditor,  will speak at Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage on April 16^th.

The Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 is a federal law enacted to prohibit discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing transactions against people in a protected class. The Fair Housing Act expanded on and served as a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

During the long journey to the passage of the Fair Housing Act, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership was instrumental. In 1966, Dr. King moved his family to Chicago to raise awareness of, and fight against unfair housing policies and practices. These efforts, which led to fair and open housing policies in Chicago, were the first large-scale fair housing campaign in the United States and helped inspire the Fair Housing Act. 

Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the day the Senate was to vote on the Fair Housing Act. President Lyndon B. Johnson urged Congress to pass the Fair Housing Act as a memorial to his life and legacy.

To learn more, visit the links below:

Fair Housing Act ‑ 1968, Federal & Definition | HISTORY

History of Fair Housing – HUD | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

On His 96th Birthday, We Remember Dr. King’s Fair Housing Legacy – Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research

Seven Days Documentary – 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act Edition

The Chicago Freedom Movement | National Low-Income Housing Coalition

Education Reminder for Commission Approved Instructors

As a reminder, all Commission approved instructors must complete six hours of instructor development education each license year to renew their approval, per Commission Rule 58H .0306. This requirement is separate from and in addition to the eight hours of CE all brokers must complete. The instructor education requirement ensures instructors stay current on best practices and reinforces their ability to provide high-quality instruction.

With the NCREC Spring Educators Conference behind us, instructors who have still not completed their education requirement must explore other options. For a list of other available courses, instructors should review the Guidelines for Instructional Educational Requirement (Form REC 3.78). This document explains the requirement and provides a list of different course options along with the links to access them. The list of courses in the guidelines is not exhaustive, and if an instructor finds another option, they believe to be equally beneficial, they can send a detailed description of the course along with a syllabus or course outline to educ@ncrec.gov. Such programs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Remember, instructors must complete their six hours of instructor development education before they can renew their instructor approval, so do not wait until the last minute; complete your education now! For more information, visit the Commission’s website at www.ncrec.gov.

Don’t Make Promises You Cannot Keep!

Video Link: https://youtu.be/uk2l3cJ1mo8

Recently, there have been several disciplinary actions related to brokers making promises to clients or consumers and then not fulfilling the promises.

General Statute 93A-6(a)(2) states that the Commission has the power to discipline a broker for:

Making any false promises of a character likely to influence, persuade, or induce. To be a false promise, the broker has to know at the time it is made that they aren’t going to fulfill it or aren’t able to fulfill it.

Here are some examples of making false promises:

• A broker makes certain promises to entice consumers and clients to invest in certain investment opportunities, e.g., that the broker will ensure a particular rate of return when the broker knows or should know they cannot guarantee that.
• A broker makes promises to potential sellers that they know of a buyer who is ready to buy the sellers’ property when they actually don’t, to entice the sellers into signing a listing agreement.
• A broker tells their buyer client that the broker will pay for professional cleaning of the property on the day of closing in order to get the buyer to close, without any plan to follow through.
• A broker promises a buyer and seller that the broker will get signatures from neighbors for an easement agreement that would allow access to the subject property from neighboring properties, without any real intention of getting the signatures.
• A broker/developer promises buyers that the streets in the new subdivision will be paved, knowing that the builder doesn’t have the financial ability to pave them.

Brokers should be cautious when making promises to consumers and clients.  Never promise something you don’t intend to deliver.  And if you do make a promise, be sure to follow through on your promise in a timely manner.

April is Fair Housing Month: A Timely Reminder for Brokers

Video Link: https://share.synthesia.io/d42a8b02-64e3-44d3-8ef4-ea022d12f0d8

Each April, the real estate industry recognizes Fair Housing Month, marking the anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. This serves as an important reminder for brokers to stay informed and proactive in promoting fair housing and equal opportunities for all clients.

Key Points to Remember:

• Protected Classes: The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, and familial status.
• Advertising Compliance: All real estate advertising must free from discriminatory language or images that suggest a preference, limitation, or exclusion based on a protected class. Listings should focus on the property’s features rather than describing who may or may not live there. Avoid language that implies preferences (e.g., “perfect for young professionals”) or discourages certain groups (e.g., “no children allowed”).
• Steering & Unintentional Bias: Brokers should avoid guiding buyers toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on demographics—this can constitute illegal steering. Instead, provide objective market information and let clients make their own decisions.
• Reasonable Accommodations: Be aware of your responsibilities when working with clients who have disabilities, including requests for reasonable modifications in rental housing.

Expand Your Knowledge

Fair housing is an evolving topic, and ongoing education is key to maintaining best practices. Consider exploring these resources for additional training and guidance:

• HUD’s Fair Housing Resources: hud.gov/fairhousing
• NCREC Fair Housing Resources: ncrec.gov/DEI/FairHousing
• NAR Fair Housing Resources: nar.realtor/fair-housing

Taking time to refresh your knowledge on fair housing principles helps ensure principled business practices and fosters a more inclusive housing market for everyone.

North Carolina Real Estate Commission Educator’s Conference Highlights AI Tools for Real Estate

Video Link: https://youtu.be/f-e05BpsrWM

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) held its annual Educator’s Conference at the end of March, bringing together North Carolina educators to discuss the latest advancements in real estate education. Among the key presentations, NCREC education officers led a session on new and updated artificial intelligence (AI) tools that real estate brokers and educators can use for advertising, training, and marketing. The session covered a range of AI-driven resources, including ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly, Google Gemini, Canva, CapCut, and more. Below are some valuable insights and tips on utilizing free AI tools to enhance real estate business operations.

Google Gemini: Google Gemini is an AI model that can be used to generate artificial intelligence images through text-based prompts. Through a Google account, users can input detailed descriptions of the images they want, and Gemini will create realistic or artistic visuals accordingly.

To use Google Gemini for AI image generation:

1. Provide a Clear Prompt – Describe the image you want in detail, including subjects, settings, colors, lighting, and artistic style. You could use AI to help you generate more detailed prompts to input into your AI image generator. 
2. Refine with Adjustments – If the first result isn’t perfect, you can modify your prompt to enhance certain aspects, like sharpness, realism, or composition.
3. Use for Various Applications – Gemini-generated images can be used for creative projects, marketing, presentations, and more.

Seek Beak Interactive Web Design:

SeekBeak is an interactive platform that allows users to create immersive 360° experiences. By incorporating interactive hotspots, quizzes, and multimedia elements, SeekBeak can engage users in a fun and educational way.

1. Create an Interactive Environment – Upload 360° images or panoramas to serve as the game’s setting, such as a virtual escape room, scavenger hunt, or training simulation.
2. Add Interactive Hotspots – Embed clickable hotspots that reveal clues, trivia questions, or multimedia content, encouraging users to explore and engage with the environment.
3. Incorporate Challenges & Rewards – Design puzzles, quizzes, or tasks that players must complete to unlock new areas or earn points, enhancing motivation and competition.
4. Track Player Progress – Use analytics to monitor interactions, identify engagement trends, and optimize the experience for better user participation.
5. Enhance with Multimedia – Include videos, audio clips, and images within the game to create a more immersive and dynamic experience.

SeekBeak’s intuitive interface makes it easy to design gamified experiences for education, marketing or training, providing an engaging and interactive way to captivate audiences. This tool could be used for creating interactive study guides for students and classroom presentations.

CapCut Video Editing: CapCut offers a variety of free AI-powered tools that make video editing easier, faster, and more professional. These features help automate tasks like background removal, subtitles, and special effects, allowing users to create high-quality videos effortlessly.

Steps to Use CapCut’s Free AI Features:

1. Download & Open CapCut – Access CapCut on a mobile device or desktop and start a new project.
2. Use AI Auto-Captions – Automatically generate accurate subtitles by selecting the “Auto Captions” tool, improving accessibility and engagement.
3. AI Background Remover – Instantly remove backgrounds from videos without needing a green screen, perfect for professional-looking edits.
4. AI Video Upscaler – Enhance video resolution with AI-powered upscaling for clearer, sharper visuals.
5. AI Text-to-Speech – Convert written text into realistic voiceovers in multiple languages and tones.
6. AI Filters & Effects – Apply AI-driven effects, such as motion tracking and auto-enhanced color grading, to improve video quality.

CapCut’s free AI tools simplify editing, making it accessible for beginners and professionals looking to create engaging and polished videos with minimal effort.

Important Considerations About Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Safety:

OpenAI’s ChatGPT gathers its information from a variety of publicly available sources, licensed data, and human-reviewed training datasets. Here’s a breakdown of where it gets its knowledge:

1. Publicly Available Text – ChatGPT is trained on large-scale datasets that include books, articles, research papers, and publicly accessible websites.
2. Licensed Data – OpenAI may obtain licensed datasets to improve the quality and accuracy of responses.
3. Human-Reviewed Content – OpenAI uses reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), where human reviewers evaluate and fine-tune responses to improve performance.

However, ChatGPT does not have direct access to private databases, confidential company information, or proprietary content unless explicitly provided by users in a conversation.

While artificial intelligence services like ChatGPT provide valuable information, it is essential to fact-check all content before relying on it. AI-generated responses are based on patterns in training data and may sometimes be outdated, inaccurate, or lack context. Additionally, AI does not have direct access to real-time updates unless specifically designed to do so. To ensure accuracy, always verify information using reliable sources.

Material Facts

We all know what a material fact is, right? It’s drilled into brokers in pre-licensing and all three post-licensing classes. Then why do almost half of the disciplinary cases coming before the Commission involve material facts?  

Let’s review- a material fact is any fact that could affect a reasonable person’s decision to buy, sell, or lease real property. The four categories of material facts are: facts about the property itself; facts that relate directly to the property; facts directly affecting the principal’s ability to complete the transaction; and facts that are known to be of special importance to a party. 

Some facts are ALWAYS material and must be disclosed because a reasonable person will always want to know that fact. For example, whether a property is in a flood zone, whether a property is located in a neighborhood with restrictive covenants, whether there is a homeowner’s association, or whether the property’s electrical system has an obvious malfunction, will always be material facts that a broker has a duty to make reasonable efforts to discover, and then disclose.   

Some facts about a property will only become material based on the specific wishes, wants, or needs of the party. For example, if a buyer has small children who go to bed early, the buyer may tell their buyer agent they do not want to buy a home in an area where there is going to be a lot of noise or traffic at night – like close to the neighborhood bar featuring live outdoor music. In this situation, because the buyer expressed a need for quiet, the buyer’s agent should ask questions and investigate the area around the prospective property to make sure that it fits their client’s specific needs.   

What should a broker do if they discover something that should be disclosed after they list a property? Recently a broker found out the hard way that you MUST immediately disclose a material fact once you learn of it, even if your seller is going to try to fix it. 

Here are the facts- A seller went under contract with a buyer who had a radon test done in the home. The test results were way over the EPA’s “safe” limit on radon (4.0 pCi/L) and the first buyer terminated the contract during the due diligence period. The broker advised his client to install a radon mitigation system, which they agreed to do, but did NOT install the system prior to other potential buyers viewing the property and they did not disclose the high radon reading to other prospective buyers.   

Remember that sellers have a different duty than brokers regarding material facts. You will note that when you read the Residential Property and Owners’ Association Disclosure Statement (RPOADS), it states that: “If something happens to make the Disclosure Statement incorrect or inaccurate (for example, the roof begins to leak), the owner must promptly give the buyer an updated Disclosure Statement or correct the problem.”  

However, licensed brokers must always disclose material facts about the property, even if the seller updates the RPOADS or plans to correct the problem. When this broker learned of the high radon reading, the broker had a duty to disclose the reading. He could not rely on the fact that his sellers were planning to lower the radon levels by installing a radon mitigation system at some point. This was an intentional omission of a material fact, and the broker was disciplined by the Commission after a hearing.  

The radon mitigation system, once in place, remains material in that it is an entirely new system in the property that requires ongoing monitoring and maintenance to assure that a safety hazard otherwise impacting the property stays properly under control. The existence of such a system may impact the decision-making of a reasonably prudent buyer. 

Let’s talk what is NOT going to get you in trouble with the Real Estate Commission- DISCLOSURE.  If it’s a material fact, DISCLOSE IT, and do it early, often, and ideally, in writing. (While a writing is not required, it’s recommended for your protection.) If you have a question about whether it’s a material fact, disclose it early, often, and in writing.