Stephanie Walker: 2023 Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award Recipient

2023 Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award recipient, Stephanie Walker, with past award recipients (from left to right) George Bell, Kelly Allen, Len Elder, Travis Everette, Mel Black, and Matt Davies.

Stephanie Walker of Outer Banks is the 2023 recipient of the Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award. She is North Carolina Real Estate Commission approved instructor and education provider. An active member of both the North Carolina Real Estate Instructors Association (NCREEA) and the national Real Estate Educators Association (REEA), Walker has attained the REEA Gold Standard Instructor designation. She has been nationally recognized as REEA Educator of the Year in 2021 and received the NCREEA Program of the Year award in 2019.

The Larry A. Outlaw Excellence in Education Award is bestowed upon real estate instructors who have exhibited excellence in, and have made outstanding contributions to, real estate education in North Carolina.The Commission established the award in 2016 to honor the late former Director of the Education and Licensing Division of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. Larry A. Outlaw, both an attorney and licensed real estate instructor, served as Director of the Education and Licensing Division for 35 years, from its creation in January 1979, until his retirement February 1, 2014.

Outlaw continually worked to improve real estate prelicensing education and to expand real estate education, creating and implementing continuing education program in 1994 and a postlicensing education program in 2006. He advocated for and achieved minimum standards for approval of real estate instructors that included not only effective teaching skills, but real estate brokerage experience as well. He also worked to assure the excellence of the Commission’s licensing examination. Outlaw was a founding member of the REEA, serving as its National President in 1990-1991.

Any approved North Carolina real estate instructor may be nominated for the award. The Commission considers nominations from brokers, instructors, students, and the general public while evaluating the criteria of each nominee. As this year’s recipient, Walker exemplifies an instructor whose ongoing contribution to the profession honors the award’s eponym.