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

Disciplinary Actions

ROBERT ATKINSON II (APEX)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Atkinson for a period of 12 months, effective April 15, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Atkinson advertised a property for sale that was owned by a provisional broker affiliated with his firm. He failed to have a written agreement with her to advertise the property and failed to supervise her conduct in selling the property.

CLARENCE BYNUM (CHARLOTTE)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Bynum for a period of 12 months, effective April 1, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Bynum listed vacant land on behalf of a person believed to be the seller but only verified the name on the deed to the property and contacted the purported seller by phone. The seller accepted an offer from a potential buyer. Bynum forwarded the seller’s wiring instructions, which he had received via text message, to the buyer’s agent, despite their informal nature. The buyer successfully executed a $7,000 wire transfer to the seller. Bynum later learned the seller was fraudulent. Bynum failed to take the reasonable steps required by a real estate broker to verify the seller’s identity and protect the public from fraudulent sellers.

CHATEAUX REALTY INC. (HILLSBOROUGH)- The Commission accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Chateaux Realty Inc., effective April 22, 2026. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Chateaux Realty Inc. violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Chateaux Realty Inc. neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

JORDAN COLVILLE (JACKSONVILLE)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Colville for a period of 9 months, effective April 17, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Colville listed a house for sale. The prospective buyers terminated their contract after an inspection revealed damage to several joists caused by wood-destroying fungi and a roof leak. The buyer’s agent told Colville about these issues, but Colville failed to disclose these material facts to two subsequent prospective buyers.

CHRISTOPHER DURFEE (CAMERON)- The Commission accepted the voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Durfee, effective April 22, 2026, with no right to reapply for 3 years. The Commission dismissed, without prejudice, allegations that Durfee violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules. Durfee neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

KRISTENA JOHNSON (CHARLOTTE)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Johnson for a period of 12 months, effective October 15, 2025. The Commission found that Johnson was the qualifying broker and designated broker-in-charge for Mason Karter & Co LLC (dba “Johnson Group Partners”). Johnson failed to inform the Commission that Johnson Group Partners was administratively dissolved in April 2023 and failed to renew the firm’s license before expiration in July 2023. As a result, Johnson became unaffiliated, and the firm’s license was canceled in August 2024. Despite being unaffiliated, Johnson continued to advertise real estate services in North Carolina through the unlicensed firm’s website and social media platforms. Johnson advertised two listings in North Carolina in 2024. Johnson was unresponsive to the Commission’s Letters of Inquiry.

ELLEN POSTLETHWAIT (RALEIGH)- The Commission accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Postlethwait, effective April 22, 2026. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Postlethwait, a provisional listing broker, only presented one offer to her seller client, from a broker affiliated with the listing firm, and failed to present a second higher offer from a buyer that was not affiliated with the listing firm. Postlethwait neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

MARY ROLFE (KITTY HAWK)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Rolfe for a period of 9 months, effective May 1, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Rolfe served as the listing agent in the subject transaction. Rolfe listed the subject property and advertised heated square footage, which improperly included the square footage of an unheated bonus room. Although Rolfe disclosed that the bonus room was unheated, Rolfe continued to advertise the subject property’s heated square footage, including the bonus room.

MICHELE SZABO (INDIAN LAND)- The Commission accepted the permanent voluntary surrender of the real estate license of Szabo, effective April 22, 2026. The Commission dismissed, without prejudice, allegations that Szabo violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and the Commission Rules. Szabo neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

CHARLES WITCHER (TRINITY)- By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Witcher for a period of 2 years, effective April 15, 2026. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Witcher advertised a property for sale that had been “flipped” by Henry Lemus and failed to discover and disclose that Lemus performed the renovations without permits and without the required general contractor. 

Commission Presentations

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

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

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

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

Minerva Mims, Fair Housing and Community Relations Officer, spoke at Gaston Association of REALTORS® on April 16^th.

Kizzy Crawford Heath, Assistant Director of Education and Licensing, Minerva Mims, Fair Housing and Community Relations Officer, and Tiffany Ross, Consumer Resource Officer, spoke at the F.I.R.E. Summit at N.C. A&T State University on April 21, 2026.

May 2026 Presentations

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

Len Elder, Director of Education and Licensing, will speak at Cape Fear REALTORS® on May 6^th.

Kizzy Crawford Heath, Assistant Director of Education and Licensing, and Tiffany Ross, Consumer Resource Officer, will speak at Wilmington Beaufort County Board of REALTORS® on May 12^th.

Janet Thoren, Director of Regulatory Affairs, will speak at a Wire Fraud Summit on May 13^th.

Bruce Rinne, Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at 220 Agents on May 14^th.

Beau Minnick, Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at True North Realty on May 18^th.

Brian Heath, Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at Asheville Property Managers on May 19^th.

Miriam Baer, Executive Director, will speak at Neuse River Region Association of REALTORS® on May 29^th.

Fair Housing

People with criminal records often face significant barriers in securing housing. Landlords may require criminal background checks as part of the housing application and approval process, but they must conduct these checks consistently and ensure the process complies with fair housing laws.

As a best practice, landlords should avoid blanket bans in which they refuse to rent to anyone with a criminal record. Instead, landlords should carefully consider the following criteria:

• Individual circumstances, on a case-by-case basis
• Nature and severity of the conviction
• Length of time since the conviction
• Evidence of rehabilitation
• Facts and evidence.

Avoid relying on arrest records that did not result in a conviction.

Applicants who are denied housing due to their criminal background check should consider requesting:

• The reason for the denial in writing
• A copy of the criminal background report used in the denial
• An appeal that considers factors related to the conviction or since the conviction, as well as other factors that support why they would be a good tenant

The Fair Housing Project with Legal Aid of North Carolina published a guide to help applicants and housing providers understand their rights and responsibilities when renting with a criminal background. The guide can be found here: Renting-with-a-Criminal-Background-A-Fair-Housing-Guide_Final.pdf.

Reminder: QBs Renew Your Individual and Firm Licenses

Link: https://youtu.be/Ws4IcCFzWHQ

Reminder: Are You Ready for May 15?

Link: https://youtu.be/h6vHGhP8oj0

Script: North Carolina brokers—mark your calendars! License renewal opens May 15 and runs through June 30, 2026. Don’t wait until the last minute and risk a lapse that could interrupt your ability to practice real estate brokerage.

A few key reminders:

• Renewal Window: May 15 – June 30, 2026
• Renewal Fee: $50.00 (effective April 1, 2026)
• How to Renew: Log in and complete your renewal through the Broker Portal

Also, if you’re a Qualifying Broker, renewing your individual broker license is only part of the job. You’re also responsible for making sure your firm license is renewed on time.

Take care of it early, stay compliant, and keep your business moving forward without disruption!

Tech Corner: Video Conferencing Scams Targeting Brokers and Consumers

Fraudsters are exploiting platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams to scam brokers and consumers.

How do the scams work?

Fraudsters typically do not hack into Zoom or Teams directly. Instead, they manipulate users into granting access themselves. Here are some of the most common tactics:

• Fake Invitations: Victims receive urgent-looking emails, texts, or messages containing links to what appears to be a legitimate meeting page.
• Malicious Downloads: Victims are prompted to install “updates” that are actually remote access tools.
• Remote Access Requests: Fraudsters pose as “Zoom” or IT support and request control during meetings.
• Advanced Tactics: Some scams involve deepfake video/audio or spoofed caller IDs to appear real.

What happens after access?

Once access is granted, fraudsters can conduct extensive surveillance on the victim’s computer without their knowledge. This may include:

• tracking keystrokes and capturing passwords;

• monitoring activity and taking screenshots;
• accessing and stealing sensitive files; and/or
• moving within a company’s network.

How to Protect Yourself

Preventing these attacks requires awareness and implementation of proactive security practices such as:

• verifying meeting requests through a separate, trusted channel;
• installing updates from official sources;
• creating and sending your own meeting links;
• enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA); and
• reporting suspicious activity immediately.

Brokers must remain vigilant, question unexpected requests, and prioritize cybersecurity best practices. If you believe you’ve been targeted, report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Tis the Season for CE … Play Nice!

Every year, a major portion of NC brokers take their annual Continuing Education (CE) courses during the last 60 days before the June 10^th CE completion deadline. This surge of last-minute course attendance can cause stress and short tempers for students and educators.

Let’s consider some “Rules of Engagement” to help minimize possible issues:

• Arrive at least 15 minutes early for your in-person or synchronous (e.g., Zoom) CE class
  • This allows time to properly “check in” so you get course credit
  • If you arrive after more than 10% of the course has passed, you will NOT be allowed to take the course for CE credit…no exceptions
  • If you are taking a self-paced CE elective course online, you must complete the course within 30 days of registration OR by 11:59pm on June 10, whichever is first
  • CE cannot be completed for credit between June 10 and June 30
• Have your current NC broker “pocket card” ready to show the class registrar (on your phone or on the Commission’s website is fine)
• Be prepared to show a photo ID, if requested
• If course materials were sent electronically as part of registration, be sure to bring them with you to class
• If you are allowed to access your computer or phone during class, use must be related to course participation; no browsing the internet or doing other work
• No! You cannot leave early and receive credit for the course
• Notify the Education and Licensing Division of the Commission IF:
  • the instructor dismisses the course early (e.g., more than 5-10 minutes)
  • you do not receive a Course Completion Certificate upon successful completion
  • course credit does NOT appear in your NCREC education record within 7 days of course completion

Education Providers: Help us help you help us!

During the final weeks before the annual continuing education (CE) deadline of June 10^th, no one enjoys heated calls from irate students. And educators are seldom happy to receive a call about inaccurate course submissions from Commission staff.

To minimize awkward phone calls, EPs are strongly encouraged to take extra care when preparing course rosters for submission. Delays in course submissions or inaccurate reporting can cause a license to be declared inactive on July 1^st! Obviously, this will affect the brokerage practice of the individual broker and their clients while errors are corrected.

Educators should start by verifying the license number and correct spelling of student names at check-in by requiring students to show their license pocket card. This may require a little more time before class begins, but it is not difficult to do, even for synchronous courses.

Breaking Bad: Making False Promises

Saul Goodman, a character in the TV series Breaking Bad, survives using the art of the hustle. He is famous for promising his clients that he is playing by the rules or that he can get them out of any jam, often making false promises to obtain their business. The Commission receives complaints based on similar behavior, which can result in disciplinary action if substantiated by sufficient evidence. 

Real estate brokers are prohibited under NCGS § 93A-6(a)(2) from making any false promises of a character likely to influence, persuade, or induce another to act or fail to act.

A broker who makes statements such as the following, knowing at the time they are made that they are false, in order to induce the consumer to do something, like sign a contract, or agree to a repair,  may be found in violation of license law and Commission rules:

• Promising, “My client will sign that,” when you know your client will not, or

• Indicating that, “This property will sell for X dollars or within X number of days,” to persuade a seller to list with you when you know that comparable sales information doesn’t support the price or marketability of the property, or

• Falsely stating that, “The seller will make that repair, give a refund, reduce a price, agree to X terms,” when you know the seller will not agree, or

• Telling a buyer that, “The seller has to make that repair,” when you know there is no actual requirement on the seller to do so, or

• Representing that, “There is nothing wrong with that roof, crawlspace, electrical system, etc.,” when prior inspections have indicated otherwise, or

• Stating, “I (or the seller) will take care of that for you after closing,” without having a real intention to take care of it.

What can you do to make sure you do not risk discipline for making a false promise? 

• Never promise something when you know you can’t deliver
• Do not speak for your client without their consent, or promise something for your client that the client cannot deliver. 
• Do not exaggerate the features of the property. 
• Make sure your client is on board before you indicate their agreement to anything.   
• Refer your client to an attorney, contractor, inspector, appraiser, or other qualified professional when needed. 
• And, finally, do not make any promises that you personally cannot keep.