Commission Spotlight: Education and Licensing Division

This is the third of three articles highlighting the North Carolina Real Estate Commission’s staff and structure. 

The principal purpose of the Real Estate Commission is to protect the interests of members of the general public in their dealings with real estate brokers throughout the state. This is accomplished through:

1. Licensing real estate brokers and brokerage firms, and registering time share projects;
2. Establishing and administering prelicensing education programs for prospective licensees and postlicensing and continuing education programs for licensees;
3. Providing education and information relating to the North Carolina Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules; and
4. Regulating the business activities of brokers and brokerage firms, including disciplining licensees who violate the License Law or Commission rules.

As dictated by N.C.G.S. § 93A-3(a), the Real Estate Commission consists of nine members who serve three-year terms. Seven members are appointed by the Governor and two are appointed by the General Assembly. 

The Commission’s staff is tasked with implementing rules and policy set forth by the Commission. 

As of December 1, 2019, there are 56 Commission staff members, divided between three divisions, Executive & Administrative, Education & Licensing, and Regulatory Affairs.  Miriam Baer is the Executive Director.

This month’s Commission Spotlight is on the Education and Licensing Division.

Corean Hamlin, Director of Education and Licensing, supervises staff and all programs within the division.

The division is supported by seventeen staff members. Six of the staff members are dedicated to the Education section of the division, and ten are dedicated to License Services.

Education staff members focus on:

• administering and monitoring the Prelicensing, Postlicensing, and continuing education programs;
• administering the real estate license examination;
• developing the annual Update course;
• updating the Real Estate Manual;
• developing and delivering the 12-hour Broker-in-Charge Course;
• instructing the New Instructor Seminar; and
• coordinating and delivering the annual Educators Conference.

License Services staff members focus on:

• responding to phone and email inquiries from prospective licensees and brokers;
• processing applications for real estate licenses;
• maintaining records on real estate brokers, brokerage firms, brokers-in-charge, and time share projects; and
• overseeing annual license renewal.

To learn more about the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, go to ncrec.gov.