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A Quick Reminder About License Activation and Firm Affiliation

Link: https://youtu.be/D3Tskh2u3F0

Script: If you are returning to active status or joining a new brokerage, remember that you must submit a License Activation and Broker Affiliation (Form REC 2.08) to activate your license and affiliate with a broker-in-charge (BIC).

Once the form is successfully submitted, you will receive an email confirmation and a temporary 30-day approval, allowing you to begin practicing with the brokerage immediately while the Commission processes your application. If you have not received any communication from the Commission regarding your license activation/affiliation within 25 days of submitting Form REC 2.08, contact the Commission to verify the status of your submission before the temporary approval period expires.

Also, non-provisional brokers may be affiliated with more than one BIC at a time, so if you need to terminate a previous affiliation, you must separately submit a Request to Terminate Your Affiliation with a Firm or Sole Proprietorship (Form REC 2.22). This Request to Terminate Your Affiliation with a Firm or Sole Proprietorship (Form 2.22) takes 7-10 business days.

If you have any questions or concerns, please visit the Commission’s Support page.

How to Designate Your Email Address as Private

Have you updated your email address and phone number as required under Rule 58A .0103? Are you interested in designating your email address as private?

Maintaining accurate contact information with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission is more than just good practice, it’s a requirement.

Under Commission Rule 58A .0103, all licensees must notify the Commission of any change to their email address or phone number within 10 days of the change. This requirement applies to all brokers, including provisional brokers and full brokers, regardless of whether their licenses are on active or inactive status.

Keeping your contact information current helps ensure that you receive important communications from the Commission, including licensing updates, renewal information, and regulatory notices.

What many licensees may not realize, however, is that while providing an email address and phone number to the Commission is mandatory, you can choose to keep that information private.

If you would like to designate your email address or phone number as private in your license record, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to the Commission website (www.NCREC.gov).
  2. Scroll down to Licensees.
  3. Select Licensee Login.
  4. Enter your license number and PIN (the last four digits of your social security number unless you have changed it).
  5. Select View/Update Your License Record.

6. Scroll down to Other Contact Information

7. Delete any entries in the boxes next to Public Phone and Public Email to mark your email address and/or phone number as private.

8. Add your information in the Private Phone and Private Email sections.

9. Select the submit button.

NOTE: If an email/phone number is designated as private, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission will not share your information unless it is required under federal law or valid subpoena.

My license expired! How do I reinstate it?

To maintain a current license, brokers must renew their license annually between May 15 and June 30. If a broker fails to renew their license during this period, their real estate license will expire on June 30. Once the license expires, the broker must cease all brokerage activities immediately.   

What steps must a broker take to reinstate an expired license? That answer depends on how long the license has been expired.

To reinstate a license expired for less than 6 months:

  1. Go to the Commission’s homepage (www.ncrec.gov);
  2. Click on Reinstate your License;
  3. Enter your license number and PIN (last 4 of your SSN unless you have changed it);
  4. Answer required questions; and
  5. Pay the $100 reinstatement fee.

NOTE: Following expiration, a broker’s license is reinstated on inactive status. To regain active status, brokers must submit a License Activation / Affiliation form (REC 2.08).

To reinstate a license expired for 6 months but no more than 2 years:

  1. Successfully complete one 30-hour Postlicensing course (course must be completed within 6 months prior to submitting reinstatement application); and
  2. Submit a reinstatement application with the $100 application fee and all required documentation, including criminal background report;

-OR-

  1. Submit a reinstatement application with the $100 application fee and all required documentation, including criminal background report; and
  2. Pass the National and State sections of the license exam.

NOTE: Following expiration, a broker’s license is reinstated on inactive status. To regain active status, brokers must submit a License Activation / Affiliation form (REC 2.08).

To reinstate a license expired for more than 2 years:

  1. Successfully complete the 75-hour NC Broker Prelicensing course;
  2. Submit a license application with the $105 original application fee and all required documentation, including criminal background report; and
  3. Pass the National and State sections of the license exam.

NOTE: You will be licensed as a provisional broker and be subject to the 90-hour Postlicensing education program. To gain active status, you must submit a License Activation / Affiliation form (REC 2.08).

For more information, review Commission Rule 58A .0505 or visit the “Reinstate your License” page on the Commission’s website. You may also contact the Commission’s Education & Licensing Division at ls@ncrec.gov or 919-875-3700.

Reactivating After a CE Deficiency

Link: https://youtu.be/KRH5wkIOc8k

Script: If you did not complete your continuing education before the deadline of June 10th, we’ll walk through the steps on how to reactivate your license. If a broker fails to complete their required continuing education by June 10th at 11:59 p.m., their license status will be inactive on July 1st.

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission’s continuing education rules do not allow exceptions to be made for circumstances that prevented you from completing CE.

Licensees with continuing education deficiencies can continue to practice real estate until 11:59 p.m. on June 30th. On July 1st, you must cease brokerage activity.

This includes communicating with clients, advertising, social media, etc. If you have clients or customers who need brokerage services, make arrangements with your BIC to transfer any current listings, buyers, or contracts to an active licensee.

Any payment depends entirely on your company’s policies and procedures. However, you may not receive any compensation for the work that you do while your license is inactive.

To reactivate after July 1st, complete the required CE for 2026 through 2027. You will need the General update and one elective. You must also make up the 2025 through 2026 deficiency with electives. You will need either 4 hours or 8 hours, depending upon whether you took any CE in the 2025-26 license year.

Submit the 2.08 activation form after all of the courses are complete. If you are a BIC or BIC eligible and your license expires or changes to an inactive status on July 1st, you’ll automatically lose BIC eligible status and in turn BIC designation.

If that happens and you wish to regain BIC eligible status, you must: 

1) return the license to active status,

2) meet the experience requirements for BIC designation,

3) take the 12-hour broker in charge course before redesignation, and

4) complete and submit the request for BIC eligible status and/ or designation form REC 2.25.

Do not take the 12-hour BIC course before your license is on active status. Refer to rule 58A.0110 for detailed instructions regarding regaining BIC eligible status and BIC designation.

If your broker license has been on inactive status for more than 2 years and you have a deficiency in your continuing education record, you must make up the continuing education deficiency for the current license year and complete two post-licensing courses no more than 6 months before activation.

For more information, visit the Commission’s website.

Don’t Ghost the Commission: Silence Isn’t Compliance

By: Leah Green

The Commission has observed a growing pattern of delayed, incomplete, or entirely absent responses to its official Letters of Inquiry relating to a complaint against a licensee. These lapses have been accompanied by a wide range of explanations from claims that letters were never received, to personal health issues. Some receive no explanation at all. The trend represents a significant compliance concern.

Commission RuleA .0601(e) requires brokers to provide a response to the Commission within 14 days of receipt of a Letter of Inquiry. The deadline is mandatory. This core professional obligation is designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and compliance. When circumstances necessitate additional time to respond, brokers and their lawyers may request an extension; such requests should be made before the deadline passes.

To ensure full compliance, the Commission urges all licensees to take two critical steps:

  1. Maintain Updated Contact Information
    1. Ensure that mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers on file are accurate and current by using the Licensee Login.  These are the ways in which the Commission will attempt to contact you, so it is your responsibility to keep them current as required by Commission Rule A .0103. 
  2. Monitor Deadlines Closely
    1.  Pay close attention to all correspondence from the Commission and respond promptly within the required 14‑day window. 

Failure to respond to inquiries in a timely manner may result in disciplinary action. The emphasis on timely communication reflects the Commission’s commitment to maintaining professional standards and ensuring that all licensees meet their regulatory responsibilities.

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

Commission Presentations

June 2026 Presentations

Charlie Moody, Deputy Legal Counsel, spoke at Real Broker LLC on June 3rd.

Bruce Rinne, Consumer Protection Officer, spoke at Stateline Realty and Property Management LLC on June 16th.

Bruce Rinne, Consumer Protection Officer, spoke at Coldwell Banker Advantage on June 18th.

Lyndi James, Auditor/Investigator, spoke at Albemarle Area Association of REALTORS® on June 23rd.

Christy Evans, Consumer Protection Officer, spoke at Howard Hanna Allen Tate Lake Norman on June 30th.

July 2026 Presentations

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

Steve Fussell, Chief Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at TradeMark Properties on July 14th.

Lyndi James, Auditor/Investigator, will speak at Jacksonville Board of REALTORS® on July 16th.

Bruce Rinne, Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at Compass on July 21st.

Kristen Fetter, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs, will speak at Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association on July 23rd.

Christy Evans, Consumer Protection Officer, will speak at Howard Hanna Allen Tate Lake Norman on July 28th.

Tech Corner: Go Ahead – Take CE Right Away!

Every year, North Carolina brokers are required to complete an Update course as part of their continuing education requirements, but many wait until the spring to do so.

The General Update (GENUP) and the Broker-in-Charge Update (BICUP) courses are not simply a licensing requirement. They are designed to provide brokers with the most up-to-date information on real estate License Law and Commission rules in North Carolina. The course content is updated annually, and the purpose is to ensure that brokers have the information to maintain compliance with License Law and Commission rules while practicing brokerage. The Commission highly encourages brokers to complete their update course early each license year.

Think about it this way: if the course contains information that could improve your business practices, reduce risk, or answer questions that arise in your daily work, why wait to learn this information? Taking the course in July, August, or even September allows brokers to benefit from the information throughout the entire year.

For the 2026-2027 license year, the Commission has incorporated engaging artificial intelligence videos throughout the course. These videos provide realistic scenarios and interactive learning opportunities designed to help brokers better understand important concepts and apply them in real world situations. The AI technology creates a more dynamic learning experience while helping instructors bring complex topics to life in new and innovative ways.

This year’s GENUP course includes important information on:

The BICUP course includes all GENUP topics, plus:

Finding a course is easy. Brokers can access a statewide list of continuing education (CE) offerings through the North Carolina Real Estate Commission’s website under the Education menu. Courses can be searched by:

You may complete your Update course anytime between July 1, 2026, and June 10, 2027.

CE Requirements for Active License Status

Under Rule 58A .1702, all brokers must complete 8 hours of continuing education each license year to maintain an active license.

Provisional Brokers and Non-BIC/Non-BIC-Eligible Brokers

Must complete:

Brokers-in-Charge and BIC-Eligible Brokers

Must complete:

Important: BIC-Eligible brokers who complete the General Update course instead of the BICUP course will maintain an active license but will lose their BIC/BIC-Eligible status.

For additional information about continuing education requirements and available course offerings, visit the Commission’s website and make plans now to complete your CE before the June 10, 2027, deadline.

Do You Know that Real Estate Appraisals Are Changing?

By: Steve Fussell, Chief Consumer Protection Officer

November 2, 2026, is the deadline for real estate appraisers to begin using a new appraisal form (UAD 3.6). Some lenders are already requiring the use of this new form. To complete the new form, it is possible that appraisers will contact listing agents more often than in the past to obtain information regarding properties.

To educate licensees on this change, the Commission has included a section on appraisals in its 2026-2027 Mandatory Update Course that will be available in July 2026. We strongly encourage you to take the course as soon as possible.

              Other important points regarding appraisals:

  1. A lender hires an appraiser to determine the value of the property for which a buyer wants to borrow money so that, in the event of the buyer’s default on the loan, the lender will know how much it can reasonably expect to recover through foreclosure. Even though a lender will collect money from a buyer to pay for an appraisal, the lender orders the appraisal and is the appraiser’s client. Therefore, if a lender orders an appraisal, brokers should never refer to the appraisal as the “buyer’s appraisal.” You should refer to the appraisal as “the appraisal performed for the buyer’s lender.” Alternatively, if a buyer is paying cash for a property and decides to order an appraisal, then the buyer is the appraiser’s client and the appraisal would be the “buyer’s appraisal.”
  2. A broker may provide any information or documentation requested by an appraiser. However, Rule A .0120(c) prohibits a broker from influencing or attempting to influence an appraiser’s decision of value.
  3. Buyer agents should make a habit of (1) asking their buyer-clients to obtain copies of the appraisal reports from their lenders as soon as the reports are available and (2) carefully reviewing the reports and disclosing material information, such as square footage and other information that a reasonable buyer would want to know. If the square footage in the appraisal report differs from the advertised square footage in the MLS, then a buyer agent should look for “below grade” square footage in the appraisal report to see if it explains the difference.
  4. Buyers who pay cash for properties rarely order appraisals, because there is no requirement to do so. However, an appraisal can provide useful information to a buyer, such as square footage verification and other property information. NC Realtors Form 760 (Professional Services Disclosure and Election) includes “appraisal” in the list of services. Brokers who represent and/or assist buyers should explain the value of an appraisal so that buyers can make informed decisions rather than dismiss an appraisal just because it is not required.

Fair Housing

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights law originally passed by Congress in July 1990, prohibits discrimination based on disability. To commemorate the passage of the ADA, July is recognized as Disability Pride Month. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 32% of adults in North Carolina have a disability. According to the National Fair Housing Alliance, more than 54% of all housing discrimination complaints involve disability, making it one of the most frequently cited protected classes under the Fair Housing Act.

For real estate professionals, understanding disability protections is essential. Disabilities vary widely and serving consumers effectively requires awareness, thoughtful communication, and a willingness to adjust assumptions. Brokers have a legal and ethical obligation to comply with both the ADAand theFair Housing Act’s disability protections, which ensure equal access to housing, provide for reasonable accommodations, and guarantee freedom from discriminatory practices.

By recognizing the unique needs of consumers with disabilities and understanding the laws that protect them, real estate professionals can create more welcoming experiences, support access to housing, and reduce the risk of discrimination claims.

To learn more, refer to the disability-related resources linked below:

Americans with Disabilities Act Title III Regulations | ADA.gov

Better Service for Clients with Disabilities (nar.realtor)

Disability & Health U.S. State Profile Data: North Carolina | CDC

Fair Housing Project — A Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina (fairhousingnc.org)

Housing for People with Disabilities & Their Families | The Arc

Housing Rights – DRNC (disabilityrightsnc.org)

Why and How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month – The Arc

2025-NFHA-Fair-Housing-Trends-Report.pdf