Current Stats: Monthly Licensee Count as of March 1, 2026

Disciplinary Actions

DAVID ALPERIN (HENDERSONVILLE)- The Commission accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Alperin, effective March 18, 2026. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Alperin violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Alperin neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

BEVERLY-HANKS & ASSOCIATES LLC (ASHEVILLE)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Beverly-Hanks & Associates LLC for a period of 18 months, effective March 1, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Beverly-Hanks & Associates LLC acted as dual agent or listing agent in multiple lot sales and failed to adequately disclose a commission to be paid by referred builders upon any future construction contracts.

HEATHER CHAMBERS (ASHEVILLE)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Chambers for a period of 18 months, effective March 1, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Chambers acted as dual agent or listing agent in multiple lot sales and failed to adequately disclose a commission to be paid by referred builders upon future construction contracts.

COGNITIVE REALTY LLC (CARY)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Cognitive Realty LLC for a period of 12 months, effective March 1, 2026. The Commission found that Cognitive Realty LLC failed to provide a tenant with a timely interim accounting of his security deposit. Cognitive Realty LLC commingled trust monies by placing rent payments into the operational account, failed to maintain proper records and receipts, and did not perform complete reconciliations of trust accounts.

TODD CORRELL (HICKORY)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Correll for a period of 3 months, effective March 1, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that as broker-in-charge for Premier Rental Property Management, LLC, Correll failed to assist a tenant with obtaining a pre-paid rent check which had been delivered to their prior property management firm. As a result of the missing rent payment, Correll authorized the charging of late fees every month to the tenant’s account despite tenant’s claims that she had already paid the rent.

ASHLEY DULL (MOCKSVILLE)- The Commission accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Dull, effective March 18, 2026. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Dull violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Dull neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

HARRY ILER III (ASHEVILLE)- By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Iler effective March 1, 2026. The Commission found that Iler’s firm, Beverly-Hanks & Associates LLC, acted as dual agent or listing agent in multiple lot sales in which Iler failed to ensure that brokers under Iler’s supervision adequately disclosed a commission to be paid by referred builders upon any future construction contracts.

PATRICIA JOHNSON (CHARLOTTE)- The Commission accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Johnson, effective March 18, 2026. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Johnson violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Johnson neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

PATRICIA JOHNSON LLC (CHARLOTTE)- The Commission accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Patricia Johnson LLC, effective March 18, 2026. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Patricia Johnson LLC violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Patricia Johnson LLC neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

JINHEE LEE (CONCORD)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Lee for a period of one-month, effective March 18, 2026. The Commission found that Lee advertised a property for sale without a written and signed listing agreement with the seller.

SHIVA MADALA (CARY)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Madala for a period of 12 months, effective March 1, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Madala was responsible for managing the firm’s trust accounts. A tenant rented a single-family home managed by Madala. Madala improperly withheld $1,700 from the tenant’s $2,200 security deposit for flooring repairs, painting, yard work, and cleaning, that was never performed. Madala also failed to provide the tenant with timely interim accounting of the security deposit. Madala commingled security deposits with operational funds, failed to maintain proper records and receipts, and did not perform complete reconciliations of trust accounts.

JEFFERY MURPHY (ASHEVILLE)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Murphy for a period of 18 months, effective March 1, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Murphy acted as dual agent or listing agent in multiple lot sales and failed to adequately disclose a commission to be paid by referred builders upon any future construction contracts.

PREMIER RENTAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC (HICKORY)- By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Premier Rental Property Management LLC effective March 1, 2026. The Commission found that Premier Rental Property Management LLC failed to assist a tenant with obtaining pre-paid rent which had been delivered to their prior property management firm. As a result of the missing rent payment, Premier Rental Property Management LLC charged late fees every month to the tenant’s account despite tenant’s claims that she had already paid the rent. 

SANDRA STEUER (JACKSONVILLE)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Steuer for a period of 12 months, effective March 1, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Steuer completed certain renovations to the Subject Property before listing it for sale, including replacing the home’s Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit and heat pump. Steuer hired an HVAC contractor to complete the HVAC renovation but failed to confirm that the HVAC work was properly permitted. No permits were issued for the HVAC renovation. Steuer failed to disclose to the buyer that the HVAC renovation was unpermitted.

Commission Presentations

March 2026 Presentations

Bruce Rinne, Information Officer, spoke at Lantern Realty & Development on March 4^th.

Len Elder, Director of Education and Licensing, and Kizzy Crawford Heath, Assistant Director of Education and Licensing, spoke at Durham Regional Association of REALTORS® on March 12^th.

Bruce Rinne, Information Officer, spoke at The Sears Group on March 12^th.

Miriam Baer, Executive Director, spoke at Compass Real Estate on March 24^th.

Sarah Dixon, Associate Legal Counsel II, spoke at Howard Hanna Allen Tate on March 24^th.

Lyndi James, Auditor/Investigator, spoke at Topsail Island Association of REALTORS® on March 24^th.

April 2026 Presentations

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

Minerva Mims, Fair Housing and Community Relations Officer, will speak at Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® on April 2^nd.

Beau Minnick, Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at Century 21 The Realty Group on April 7^th.

Miriam Baer, Executive Director, will speak at Greensboro REALTORS® Association on April 7^th.

Minerva Mims, Fair Housing and Community Relations Officer, will speak at Gardner-Webb University on April 8^th.

Dee Bigelow, Information Officer, will speak at Asheville Property Managers on April 13^th.

Fair Housing

The Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina is the State’s full‑service, statewide fair housing organization. The Project provides legal assistance to victims of housing discrimination, conducts fair housing testing, and offers education to tenants, landlords, property managers, and real estate professionals.

In partnership with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, a public agency dedicated to expanding access to safe and affordable housing, the Fair Housing Project will offer a series of free fair housing trainings this spring. These sessions will provide a foundational overview of fair housing law, with each one focusing on key topics such as reasonable accommodations and modifications, service and support animals, tenant screening, and fair housing considerations during the eviction process.

The trainings are free, open to the public, and offered both virtually and in person at locations throughout the state. Registration is required, and participants may sign up for one or more sessions based on their interests and location.

Please note that brokers who attend these trainings will NOT receive continuing education credit.

For additional information or to register, visit the Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid’s website.

Upcoming 2026 In-Person Basic Fair Housing Trainings — Fair Housing Project

Upcoming 2026 Virtual Fair Housing Trainings — Fair Housing Project

Tech Corner

Technology has created new opportunities for fraudsters to impersonate property owners and intercept real estate transaction funds. Across the country, brokers are encountering increasingly sophisticated identity theft schemes targeting vacant land, rental properties, and out-of-state owners. In many cases, communication appears legitimate, and the documents look authentic.

A common scenario begins when a broker receives an email from someone claiming to be the property owner and wanting to sell quickly. The fake seller often indicates they are currently overseas, traveling for work, or otherwise unable to meet in person. They may also insist on communicating only by email or text and request that the property be listed quickly and priced aggressively to encourage a quick sale.

In the article, Preventing Seller Impersonation Fraud in Residential and Commercial Transactions, the Commission provided steps brokers can implement to verify a remote seller’s identity. The steps are as follows:

• require a government-issued photo ID;
• require a live, face-to-face, video chat with the seller using your own conferencing software, not theirs;
• visit the property in person and confirm the seller knows property details;
• cross-check the seller’s identity using tools like FOREWARN;
• independently locate and contact the owner and talk to neighbors;
• ask for ownership documents that only the true owner will have;
• be wary of quick cash sale;
• research recent sales and withdrawals of the same property;
• educate and protect all parties; and
• coordinate early with the closing attorney.   

Technology will continue to evolve, and so will the methods used by scammers attempting to exploit it. The fake seller scam is becoming more sophisticated and increasingly targets both residential and commercial transactions. Therefore, brokers who combine good technology practices with careful identity verification can significantly reduce the risk of becoming involved in a fraudulent transaction.

Don’t Wait! Take Your CE Today!

Link: https://youtu.be/_bwTjlgxFds

Script: Have you taken your CE? Brokers must complete their 8-hours of CE by June 10, 2026. Although you have until June 10, completing your CE early is a wise decision. Brokers who complete their CE early have the most current information to remain complainant with License Law and Commission rules. Also, postponing the course until the last minute, may expose you to unnecessary risk like missing your CE deadline.

Register for your CE today!

Check Your CE Record

Did you know that you can check your continuing education records on www.ncrec.gov prior to calling the North Carolina Real Estate Commission?

Link: https://youtu.be/FI8o3AApfL4

What should I do with my license in retirement?

Thinking about retiring from your real estate business? As with so many things in real estate, there are options depending on HOW retired you want to be. Find the path below that mirrors your desire:

I am tired and want an indefinite break from real estate:

• But I would like to still give and receive referrals:
  • You must maintain an active license by taking CE and paying the annual renewal fee
    • IF you are a PB, you must remain affiliated with a BIC even if only a referral agent; and, you will need to complete your post-licensing education on time.
    • IF you are a FULL broker, you can remove your affiliation with a brokerage/BIC and move your license to your home address
      • You cannot solicit referrals through advertising unless you designate as a BIC
      • You can place referrals that “fall in your lap”
• But I might want to “get back in the game” later:
  • You may put your license on inactive status; NO brokerage activity is allowed
    • You must still renew your license every year
    • Completion of CE is optional while on inactive status
      • Any CE deficiency must be made up before activation (Rule 58A .1703)
      • If you stay up-to-date with annual CE, activation requires only a form submission

I am DONE with real estate FOREVER!

• IF you are absolutely sure that you will never want your license back:
  • You may submit a license cancellation form to cancel your license
    • This is PERMANENT; the license cannot be reinstated    
    • If you change your mind and want your license back, you would be required to pass the Broker Prelicensing Course and the license examination
• If you are not 100% sure, consider the “indefinite break” options listed above.