How to become a real estate instructor in NC

Are you interested in teaching real estate Prelicensing, Postlicensing, or Update courses in North Carolina?   If so, you must first be approved as an instructor by the Commission.  Commission Rule 58H .0302 dictates the process and requirements for instructor approval. 

To qualify for instructor approval, you must:

1. hold a North Carolina real estate broker license that is not on provisional status;
2. be up-to-date on continuing education;
3. have completed 60 semester hours of college-level education at an accredited institution by the U.S. Department of Education; and
4. within the last seven years, have EITHER:
   • two years of full-time experience in real estate brokerage with one year in NC;
   • three years of instructor experience at a secondary or post-secondary level;
   • real estate Prelicensing or Postlicensing instructor approval in another jurisdiction; or
   • qualifications found to be equivalent by the Commission.

If you meet the qualification criteria, the first step towards approval is completing the New Instructor Seminar (NIS).  The NIS is a two day course that is taught by Commission staff.  On day 1 of the seminar, you will receive an overview of the Commission’s education programs, an explanation of the Commission’s requirements and expectations of approved instructors, and resources for and examples of effective instruction and classroom management skills. On the second day, you will be required to deliver a 15-minute presentation, as dictated by Commission Rule 58H .0302. 

Once you have successfully completed the NIS, you may submit an application to be approved as an instructor. 

Approved instructors may only teach Prelicensing and Postlicensing courses on behalf of approved or licensed schools, and they may only teach Update courses on behalf of approved sponsors.  Please note that, before teaching the Update course in any license year, approved instructors must complete the Update Instructor Seminar. 

If you have further questions about the instructor approval process, please contact the Education and Licensing Division at 919.875.3700.