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Reminder: Ensure Your CE Courses Are Posted Accurately
Recently, some brokers discovered that their CE courses completed during the 2024-2025 license year weren’t posted to their license record because of an error by their education provider. This lead to their licenses being placed on inactive status. According to Rule 58H .0207(f), Education Providers (EPs) are required to submit course completion reports to the Commission within 7 calendar days of a brokers completion of the course.
Mistakes can happen. To prevent surprises at renewal, brokers should:
- verify their course completion certificate for accuracy, especially as to name and license number,
- log into www.ncrec.gov to confirm all CE courses are listed within 10 days of completion, and
- request an EP to correct any errors and/or timely submit their course completion information to the Commission if they have not done so in adherence to License Law and Commission rules.
Brokers should not send their course completion certificates to the Commission. EPs are required under Rule 58H .0207(f) to submit this information within 7 calendar days of a broker’s completion. The Commission asks brokers to regularly review their license record to ensure their license status remains active and to prevent any disruption in brokerage activities.
Fair Housing Training
In April of this year, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission hosted the first of three Fair Housing Symposia. This series of continuing education training is hosted in collaboration with presenters from the state and local Human Relations Commission, Legal Aid of North Carolina Fair Housing Project, and the United States Attorneys’ Office. During these training courses, attendees gain valuable knowledge and insight into the various components of fair housing laws, including some lesser-known areas of enforcement, hearing directly from experts who investigate and prosecute fair housing violations.
The second symposium will be held in Charlotte on August 18th. The third and final offering will be held in Wilmington on October 30. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of your duties under fair housing laws, emerging fair housing trends, and pick up some best practices as a practitioner. Real estate brokers will earn 4 hours of CE credit and satisfy the National Association of REALTORS® fair housing training requirement. Attorneys and paralegals will earn 3.5 hours of CLE credit. Limited seats remain, so be sure to register here today.
William “Bill” Aceto Elected Chair, Melvin “Skip” Alston, Vice Chair
Executive Director Miriam Baer announced that William “Bill” Aceto of Boone has been elected as Chair and Melvin “Skip” Alston of Greensboro as Vice Chair of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. Their terms will begin on August 1, 2025.
Bill Aceto was appointed to the Commission by the General Assembly in 2023. Licensed since 2007, Aceto specializes in investment properties, commercial real estate, development, large acreage tracts, building lots, residential brokerage and long-term property management. As a REALTOR® committed to property owners’ rights, Aceto also personally invests in rental properties, land tracts, and residential properties in the High Country. Aceto and his Blue Ridge Realty & Investments partner, Todd Rice, also co-founded and operate Blue Ridge Professional Property Services, LLC, Boone High Country Rentals, and Ashe Rental Agency.
Having held leadership positions for the High Country Association of REALTORS®, including President in 2019, Aceto was named the 2020 High Country Association REALTOR® of the Year. Aceto is active in the North Carolina REALTORS® and was a 2015 Graduate of the NC REALTORS® Leadership Academy. He has been the Chair of NCR Legislative and RPAC Committees as well as its Property Management Division (PMD), and was also a Federal Political Coordinator for NAR® for over 10 years. Additionally, he has served as a public member on the North Carolina Building Commission, is a former member of the Town of Boone Board of Adjustment (ETJ Alternate), and past Chairman of the Watauga County Board of Elections. He graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Political Science with minors in Business and Criminal Justice and served as the Chair of Appalachian State Board of Visitors.
Bill lives in Boone with his wife, Sallie and children, Liam (8) and Maggie ( 6 ).
Melvin “Skip” Alston was recently appointed to the Commission by Governor Roy Cooper on October 9, 2024. Mr. Alston is the owner and founder of The Alston Realty Group, Inc. in Greensboro, NC, which has been in continuous operation serving the greater Greensboro area for over 42 years. A recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, Mr. Alston has served as a leader in his community, across North Carolina and the nation since 1987. He has served in numerous capacities and on several Boards. He is the current chairman for the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and has served on the board for 27 years. He is also a Diamond-Life Member of the NAACP and has served on their local, state and national levels for over 25 years. Mr. Alston has also served as the North Carolina NAACP President.
He is the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors for Sit In Movement, Inc. a nonprofit corporation formed for the purpose of purchasing and renovating the Historical Woolworth Building in downtown Greensboro into an International Civil Rights Center and Museum, which opened February 1, 2010.
Mr. Alston previously served on the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, appointed in 2003 by the Speaker of the House and elected Chairman of the Commission in 2007 and again in 2008.
A Durham native, Mr. Alston attended North Carolina Central University, with a major in Business Administration. He has been licensed as a broker since 1982. Mr. Alston, his wife Gwendolyn and their adult sons, DeSean and Ryan, are based in Greensboro and are all North Carolina real estate brokers.
A Message from Regulatory Affairs About Commission Rule A. 0112:
The Commission is complying with Session Law 2025-52 (Senate Bill 690) by initiating permanent rulemaking to amend 21 NCAC 58A .0112: Offers and Sales Contracts. During this rulemaking process, the Commission will not enforce the provisions of the current rule that are subject to change. A broker acting as an agent in a real estate transaction may use a preprinted offer or sales contract form containing provisions concerning the payment of a commission or compensation, including the forfeiture of earnest money, to a broker or firm.
This action is taken in accordance with legislative direction and is designed to provide clarity during the rule revision period.
The public hearing scheduled for August 14, 2025, at 9am, will only address proposed changes to 21 NCAC 58A .0503. The Commission will hold a public hearing on changes to 21 NCAC 58A .0112 as directed by the legislature at a later date. Subscribe to the Commission’s mailing list to receive notice of rulemaking: Subscribe to our mailing list
For questions or additional information, please contact Regulatory Affairs at (919) 719-9180.
Commission Presentations
June 2025 Presentations
Lyndi James, Auditor, spoke at Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage June 10th.
Mel Black, Commission Member, accompanied by Janet Thoren, Director of Regulatory Affairs, spoke at Cleveland County Association of REALTORS® on June 11th.
Dillian Hecht, Associate Legal Counsel II, spoke at Allen Tate Glenwood on June 24th.
July 2025 Presentations
*These presentations are subject to change due to the availability of Commission members and/or staff.*
Dillian Hecht, Associate Legal Counsel II, will speak at Brunswick County Association of REALTORS® on July 11th.
Lyndi James, Auditor, will speak at Realty One Group Affinity on July 16th.
Brian Heath, Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at Carolina Smokies Association of REALTORS® on July 17th.
Quick Tips
It’s a new license year, do you know the status of your license? Go to the Broker Login to ensure you have a current and active license.
A. Cox, Education Officer
Did you miss the renewal deadline? Visit our reinstatement page.
T. Ross, Education Officer
Attention BICs: please encourage all your brokers to subscribe to the monthly eBulletin.
B. McGonigle, Education Officer
To ensure that you do not miss important deadlines, please place an annual recurring reminder on your mobile device to complete your CE by June 10th and renew your broker and/or firm license by June 30th each year.
A. Conyers, Logistics and Program Manager
Are you a part of the NCREC licensee Facebook group? Request to join today to get important licensee information.
D. Jasany, Communications Officer
Tech Corner: Ordering the NC Real Estate Manual
Script: This video is a how-to on purchasing the North Carolina Real Estate Manual.
The North Carolina Real Estate Manual is required for post-licensing education courses. You can purchase a digital version for a one-time $25.00 fee for a two-year subscription, or you can purchase a hard copy to be mailed to you for $40.00 plus shipping.
To purchase the digital version of the manual, visit ncrec.gov. Click on the publications tab and click on publications in the drop-down menu. Once you are on the publication page, scroll down to the NC Real Estate Manual Tab. Click on it and click on ‘Register for Digital Subscription’.
Once you are on the registration page, fill out the required fields. You are registering for a digital manual account on this page; this account is not associated with your licensee login. Once you register for an account, you will be prompted to purchase the digital manual for $25.00. Once you have paid for the manual, you will have access.
To access the manual, visit ncrec.gov, click on the publications tab, and then click on publications in the drop-down. Once you are on the publications page, click on NC Real Estate Manual. Click on Access Digital subscription. This will take you to the manual page, click on sign in, in the upper right-hand corner of the page, and enter your login information that you created on the registration page.
NOTE: This is an ONLINE ONLY based product and therefore is not printable or downloadable. Features of the digital publication include: self-check assessments, informative graphics, keyword searches, quick access to Postlicensing course content, and a database of sample contract forms.
To purchase the hard copy of the manual visit ncrec.gov, click on the publication tab, click on publication in the drop down menu. On the publications page click on NC Real Estate Manual, go to Latest Printed Version and click on order here.
Add the manual to your cart then click on cart in the top right hand corner, click on view the full cart.
Click on proceed to check out. Enter the information if you are a new customer. (this means you have not purchased anything previously from our publications website, this login information is not related to your licensee login). Once you login to your publications account or create a new login you can proceed with purchasing the manual.
NOTE: You cannot pick up a manual from the Commission building.
The most up to date version of the North Carolina Real Estate Manual is the 2023 purple cover.
For more information visit the Commission’s website.
2025-2026 Update Courses are HERE!
Starting July 1, 2025, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission’s 2025-2026 General Update (GENUP) and Broker-in-Charge Update (BICUP) courses will be available to all licensees.
Course Topics for 2025-2026
GENUP Course:
- Agency
- NCREC Frequently Asked Questions
- Fair Housing
- Education Update
- Law and Rules Update
BICUP Course:
Includes all GENUP topics plus:
- BIC Responsibility and Supervision
Licensees can find a full list of continuing education (CE) courses statewide on the Commission’s website at www.ncrec.gov under the Education menu. You can search for courses by:
- Education Provider
- Instructor
- Course Title
- City or County
- Date
- Delivery Method
Important Reminders
- You may complete your Update course any time between July 1, 2025, and June 10, 2026.
- Don’t wait! The Commission encourages licensees to complete their CE early to stay current with important law and rule changes.
CE Requirements (Per Rule 58A .1702)
Every license year, all licensees must complete 8 hours of CE to maintain an active license:
- Provisional Brokers and non-BIC/non-BIC-Eligible Brokers
Take the General Update (GENUP) course plus one Commission-approved elective. - BICs and BIC-Eligible Brokers
Take the Broker-in-Charge Update (BICUP) course plus one Commission-approved elective to retain BIC/BIC-Eligible status.
Note: BIC-Eligible brokers who take the General Update instead of the BICUP will maintain an active license but lose their BIC/BIC-Eligible status.
Questions? Visit www.ncrec.gov for details about CE requirements.
North Carolina Secretary of State: Sixth Annual Electronic Mortgage Closing Conference
Mark your calendars for the Sixth Annual Electronic Mortgage Closing Conference in downtown Charlotte on Tuesday, August 19, and Wednesday, August 20, 2025. This conference is hosted by the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office. At the conference, you will be able to join industry leaders including E-Technology providers, REALTORS®, closing attorneys, title companies, notaries, and lenders for a dynamic conference filled with networking opportunities and essential training sessions.
Key Highlights:
- CLE Credits: Attorneys and paralegals from North Carolina can earn up to 6.50 hours of CLE credit, fulfilling their general requirement.
- Electronic Notary Public Course: Included in the conference registration fee, the electronic notary public course will be held on Monday, August 18, from 2 pm to 6 pm. This course is ideal for NC notaries looking to expand into electronic notarization. Early registration is strongly encouraged.
For more information on registration, sponsorship, or general inquiries, please contact the North Carolina Secretary of State at econf@sosnc.gov.
Fair Housing
The Fair Housing Act is a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in housing-related activities. North Carolina also has a state Fair Housing Act, and some local jurisdictions have fair housing ordinances. The protections provided under state and local fair housing laws cannot reduce the protections under the Federal Fair Housing Act, and often provide additional protections.
The City of Charlotte is one of four local jurisdictions with a fair housing ordinance. During the Commission’s August 18th Fair Housing Symposium, you’ll hear from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations office about the City’s Fair Housing Ordinance. Be sure you’re in attendance by registering on the Commission’s website, here.
Click on the links below to learn more about the local fair housing ordinances in North Carolina.