By Pamela R. Rorie, Continuing Education Officer
An energetic crowd of real estate instructors, school officials, and publisher representatives attended the 2017 Real Estate Educators Conference held in Cary on March 23 and 24 at the Embassy Suites, Raleigh-Durham/Research Triangle. The Commission-sponsored meeting drew approximately 225 participants – a near record crowd – from across the state for this year’s event.
George Bell, Commission Chair, welcomed the group and recognized instructor Jim Hagan, who has attended every Educators Conference. Bell introduced new Education & Licensing Division Director Corean Hamlin, who briefly reviewed the division’s latest projects.
Miriam Baer, Commission Executive Director gave a State of the Commission presentation covering various topics, including licensing trends and new digital pocket cards.
Janet Thoren, Regulatory Affairs Division Director, and Hamlin jointly presented and answered questions about the newly reformed and adopted education rules which will be effective July 1, 2017.
During the first day’s luncheon, the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association (NCREEA) held its spring meeting under the direction of President Oscar Agurs, and Immediate Past President Arvil Price officiated the traditional awards presentation. The Association presented its Program of the Year award to Matthew Davies for his Real Estate Prelicense Math Book, and their Educator of the Year award to Travis Everette.
Commission Chair Bell presented the Commission’s Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award to Travis Everette. The award was established in memory of Mr. Outlaw, an attorney who served as the Director of the Commission Education and Licensing Division for 35 years from the position’s inception until his retirement in 2014.
Following the luncheon, Jake Gore, Commission Chief Technology Officer, and Diana Carnes, Systems Administrator, provided a demonstration of the Commission website, www.ncrec.gov, and webforms. Real estate attorney and Commission Vice Chair Robert J. Ramseur presented Confessions of a Real Estate Closing Lawyer (and other TRID Disasters).
The remainder of the day was devoted to Education and Licensing Program Updates. Legal Education Officer Tricia Moylan presented the topics for the 2017-2018 General and Broker-in-charge Update Courses; Continuing Education Officer Pamela Rorie alerted the educators to rule changes that will specifically impact continuing education; and Education and Examination Officer Deborah Carpenter discussed prelicensing and postlicensing changes and recognized prelicensing schools and instructors whose students had exhibited outstanding performance on the license examination.
The second day of the conference opened with keynote speaker Karel Murray’s presentation of The Language of Intent: How Self Talk Transforms Outcomes. Phillip Jordan, Executive Director of the NC Human Relations Commission, explained the meaning of “disparate impact” and discussed HUD’s policies regarding applicant screening.
The conference concluded with the Regulatory Affairs Forum in which the Commission’s attorneys – Thoren, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs Charlene Moody, Deputy Legal Counsel Fred Moreno, and Associate Legal Counsel II Robert Patchett answered questions received from the educators in advance of the conference.
The Commission thanks North Carolina’s real estate educators for their continued interest and support, and congratulates Matthew Davies and Travis Everette for their accomplishments.
This article came from the May 2017-Vol48-1 edition of the bulletin.