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.