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Disciplinary Actions

JAMES BAKER, JR. (WILSON)- By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Baker effective October 10, 2025. The Commission found that Baker acted as the listing agent on a failed transaction. During the course of the transaction, the buyer placed a stop payment order on their earnest money check and Baker’s seller, who lived out of state, wanted to sue the buyer for the earnest money.  On or about December 2024, Baker, who is not an attorney, filed a civil complaint in Small Claims court on behalf of his client for the disputed funds.

CURTIS BLAKE, JR. (FAYETTEVILLE)– By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Blake for a period of 6 months, effective November 24, 2025. The Commission found that Blake was an instructor in a pre-licensing course during which, Blake scheduled viewings in vacant and/or staged houses so that he and a student could meet for purposes unrelated to brokerage activities.

ANDREA GRUNDY (ERNUL)- The Commission accepted the voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Grundy, effective November 19, 2025, with no right to reapply for 10 years. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Grundy violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Grundy neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

ASHLEY HART (TUCSON)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Hart for a period of 6 months, effective November 1, 2025.  The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Hart was denied a passing score by the provider of a post-licensing course for alleged cheating on a remote proctor-free exam. Video of the exam shows Hart appearing to type on a separate off-camera device although Hart denied using another device during the exam.

TAYLOR KISER (PINNACLE)- By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Kiser, effective November 19, 2025. The Commission found that Kiser was convicted of Driving While Impaired – Level 4. This was Kiser’s third conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol. Kiser’s driving privilege is currently suspended. Kiser shall comply with any and all restrictions placed on her driving privilege and shall not transport customers or clients while her vehicle is equipped with an ignition interlock device.

KRISTEN NEAL (DURHAM)- By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Neal, effective November 1, 2025. The Commission found that Neal was denied a passing score by the provider of a post-licensing course for alleged cheating on a remote un-proctored exam. Neal admitted to using a cellphone during the exam to text her spouse but denied using the phone to cheat. Neal acknowledged that the exam instructions barred having a cellphone within reach during the exam. Neal subsequently retook the course and exam and is now a full broker.

PAUL PORTERFIELD (GRIFTON)- The Commission accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Porterfield, effective November 19, 2025. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Porterfield violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Porterfield neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

PETER RUSSELL (CHARLOTTE)- The Commission accepted the voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Russell, effective November 19, 2025, with no right to reapply for 2 years. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Russell violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Russell neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

CESAR SANCHEZ (RALEIGH)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Sanchez for a period of 36 months, effective May 1, 2025. The Commission then stayed the suspension following a 6.5-month active period upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Sanchez acted as a listing agent and provided a lockbox code to a potential buyer without the seller’s consent. Sanchez requested payment of a due diligence fee after falsely communicating that an offer was accepted and under contract before a written offer was submitted. Sanchez misrepresented that the property was stick built even after being provided with the manufacture label and failed to provide transaction documents to his broker-in-charge in a timely manner. Sanchez failed to fully disclose material facts learned from the first buyer’s inspection to a subsequent buyer.

Current Stats: Monthly Licensee Count as of November 1, 2025

Proposed Rule Changes: Public Comment Period Now Open

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission is seeking public input on proposed amendments to Rules 21 NCAC 58A .0112, .0302, .0503, and .1803; 58G .0103; 58H .0101 and .0210; as well as the adoption of a new rule, 21 NCAC 58A .0513.

The public comment period will run from November 17, 2025, through January 16, 2026. The Commission will also hold a public hearing on December 17, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. at its office located at 1313 Navaho Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Real estate brokers and members of the public are invited to review the proposed rule changes and provide feedback. Written comments may be submitted by email or mailed to the address below. Comments may also be convened orally, directly to the Commission, by attending the scheduled public hearing.

Melissa A. Vuotto

Rulemaking Coordinator

North Carolina Real Estate Commission

P.O. Box 17100

Raleigh, NC 27619

public.comment@ncrec.gov

Commission Presentations

November 2025 Presentations

Kizzy Crawford Heath, Assistant Director of Education and Licensing, spoke at Triangle Board of Realists on November 11th.

Christy Evans, Consumer Protection Officer, spoke at Raleigh Realty Inc. on November 12th.

Bruce Rinne, Information Officer, and Michael Davis, Auditor, spoke at Bold Real Estate on November 12th.

Lyndi James, Auditor, spoke at Keller Williams Innovate on November 18th.

December 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 Urban Durham Realty on December 9th.

Miriam Baer, Executive Director,  will speak at Jacksonville Board of REALTORS® on December 10th.

Fair Housing Symposiums

The Commission sponsored three Fair Housing Symposiums in 2025 in Durham, Charlotte, and Wilmington.  While it’s common knowledge that the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing and housing-related transactions based on  race, color, sex , national origin, religion, disability, or familial status, these Symposiums dug deeper into issues of income discrimination and the disparate impact that certain policies can have on protected classes of people. 

For example, under the FHA, it is illegal to refuse to rent to someone who intends to pay their rent with lawful sources of income like housing assistance vouchers, subsidies, or other forms of public assistance.  This is an example of income discrimination, and all brokers should be aware of similar behavior. 

Some brokers may have policies in place that on their face do not appear discriminatory, but in practice and effect are.  An example of this is a landlord who requires all tenants to be employed full-time.  Her reason is to ensure that every tenant can pay their rent, but this policy essentially bars tenancy to certain disabled people, seniors, and/or veterans who have enough income, but are not employed full-time. 

North Carolina brokers should educate themselves to ensure they follow the fair housing laws to allow everyone access to housing.  For more information on fair housing and your responsibilities as a broker, click here: https://www.ncrec.gov/FHResources/AdditionalResources

CE Reminder

Video Link: https://youtu.be/wUQ6xFBGl_s

Script: Although brokers can take the Update course anytime between July 1 and June 10, the smart move is to take it early! Doing so keeps you current on the latest law and rule changes—so you are in compliance with License Law and Commission rules. Waiting until the spring could mean you’ve been practicing brokerage with outdated understanding of the law or rules for several months.  

Ready to find a class?
Visit www.ncrec.gov → click Education → choose Search CE Course Schedule.
You can search by course title, city, county, sponsor, instructor, or date range to find the class that fits your schedule.

Reasonable prudent brokers take their Update Courses early!  

2025 YEAR IN REVIEW

As 2025 comes to an end, let’s review some of the hot topics of the last 12 months. 

NAR and the Legislature

In 2024, the hottest topic was the National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement that banned REALTORS® from offering buyer agents’ compensation on the MLS when listing homes for sale, and formalized the principle that buyer agents should negotiate their own pay and formalize it in a signed contract.  The North Carolina Legislature piggy-backed on this with the Regulatory Reform Act of 2025, which allows buyer agent compensation to a broker or firm, including the forfeiture of earnest money, to be included in a preprinted offer to purchase or sales contract.

Commission Rules currently prohibit this, so the Legislature has directed the Commission to revise Rule 21 NCAC 58A .0112 to allow it. 

Fraudulent Sellers

The Commission continues to see more and more complaints about fraudulent sellers- especially with vacant land.  Multiple brokers and firms were disciplined by the Commission in 2025 because they listed properties for sale without determining whether the person asking them to list it was the legitimate owner. Brokers must take reasonable steps to verify the identity of a seller prior to listing a property for sale, especially when the only contact from the “seller” is by text or email.  Many brokers use services like Forewarn to verify the identity of individuals, but other best practices, red flags to watch out for, and helpful resources can be found in the several published eBulletin articles listed here:

In September, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) announced the withdrawal of multiple FHEO guidance documents. FHEO guidance documents help housing providers, agencies, and the public understand their rights and responsibilities under existing housing laws and regulations by providing clarity on how to interpret and apply these laws. It is important to recognize that while guidance documents may shift, the underlying laws, such as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974, remain unchanged. Housing providers, real estate professionals, and community partners must continue to uphold fair housing protections and ensure compliance with fair housing requirements in all housing and real estate transactions.

Highlighted below are some key takeaways to consider:

Service Animals and Reasonable Accommodations

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Use of Criminal Records

Source of Income Testing

Digital Advertising and Fair Housing

Rulemaking