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Current Stats: Monthly Licensee Count as of September 1, 2021

Do you have ideas for Update course topics?

The Commission welcomes your ideas and suggestions.

The Commission will discuss topics to be included in the 2022-2023 General Update and BICUP courses during their October and November 2021 business meetings. If you have a suggestion, please send it via email to educ@ncrec.gov.

For more information about the Update Course, contact the Education and Licensing Division at educ@ncrec.gov or 919.875.3700.

Update Courses for Specialty Practice

Do you specialize in commercial brokerage or residential property management?  Did you know that there specialty versions of the Update course that focus on these practice areas?  

Each year, the Commission determines what topics will be addressed in the next license year’s General Update (GENUP) and Broker-in-Charge Update (BICUP) courses, and Commission staff develops course materials based on the Commission’s directives.  Once the course materials are finalized, Commission Rule 58H .0403(f) permits education providers (EPs) and approved instructors to create specialty versions of the content. 

Per the rule, the development of a specialty Update course is a joint effort between the EP/instructor and the Commission, and all content is jointly owned.  The EP or instructor must receive the prior written consent of the Commission to make modifications to the content, and all modifications must relate to the same subject matter and educational objectives as the prescribed Update course content.

When developing a specialty version of the Update course, an EP or instructor must evaluate the subject matter to determine if the prescribed Update course content meets the needs of their targeted group of brokers.  For example, if the prescribed course includes a topic like cybersecurity, the topic would be applicable to brokers in all specialty areas, so it would remain in the specialty versions.  However, the examples and/or discussion questions might be altered to make the topic discussion more relatable to a targeted group of brokers.  

In contrast, if one of the topics in the prescribed Update course is not directly applicable to the targeted group of brokers, an entirely different topic may be substituted.  For instance, if a prescribed Update course focuses on home inspections, the subject matter may not be applicable to commercial brokers. Therefore, another “commercial-specific” topic would be substituted in the commercial specialty version.  

Commission Rule 58H .1702(a) requires brokers to complete eight credit hours of real estate continuing education (CE) courses each year, comprised of a 4-hour Update course, either GENUP or BICUP, and a 4-hour elective course.  

Whether a broker takes the standard version or a specialty version of the Update course, the broker must ensure they are taking the appropriate version based on their license status.  Provisional brokers and “full” brokers who do not have BIC Eligible Status must take a GENUP course.  A broker with BIC Eligible Status must take a BICUP course to retain BIC Eligible Status.

Currently, there are two specialty versions of the Update course, Commercial and Property Management, and there are GENUP and BICUP versions of both.  

Brokers may choose to complete multiple versions of the Update course in a license year, but they will receive credit for only one Update course. The completion of additional Update courses will not satisfy the elective course requirement or provide “rollover” credit.

Are you interested in registering for a specialty version of the Update Course?   Go to the CE Course Schedules page on the Commission’s website to search for upcoming courses.  Update courses are delivered in-person and via synchronous distance delivery (aka, “live-online”).

The current GENUP courses are titled:

The current BICUP courses are titled:

Commission rules do not limit the number of specialty versions that can be created. EPs and approved instructors who are interested in developing a specialty version of the Update course should contact the Education & Licensing Division at educ@ncrec.gov or 919.875.3700.

Why Test Your Well Water? – New Brochure

The Commission is pleased to make available the new “Why Test Your Well Water?” brochure.  The brochure was created by the UNC School of Law, Law Student Well Water Pro Bono Project in conversation with the UNC Superfund Research Program, the NC Department of Health & Human Services (NC DHHS) Division of Public Health – Private Well & Health Program, and the NC Real Estate Commission.  It describes relevant laws, possible well water contaminants, testing resources, and recommended testing schedules, and provides links to online resources where homeowners and home buyers can get detailed answers to their questions about private well water issues. The brochure is available on the Commission’s Publications page: here. Look for the Spanish language version coming soon!

Employment Opportunities Available

Are you interested in joining the staff of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission? From time to time, employment opportunities become available. They are posted on the Commission’s website under the “About Us” tab.

We currently have opportunities available for the following positions:

Click here for more information.

Staff Appearances

Sheryl Graham, Consumer Protection Officer, spoke at The Real Estate Group’s meeting on September 8.

Jean Hobbs, Auditor/Investigator, spoke the Charlotte NARPM’s Chapter Meeting on September 15.

Disciplinary Actions

PATRICIA FRITZINGER (GOLDSBORO) – By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Ms. Fritzinger effective September 14, 2021. The Commission found that Ms. Fritzinger acted as the listing agent for residential property. After a buyer terminated their contract to purchase, they shared their home inspection report with Ms. Fritzinger. The owner of the property addressed some, but not all, of the material issues noted on the inspection report. Ms. Fritzinger failed to advise the owner to update the property disclosure form to include items that were not repaired and failed to otherwise disclose the non-repaired items to subsequent buyers prior to offers being made. Ms. Fritzinger did provide the home inspection reports to the subsequent buyers during their due diligence period.

JAMES GARLAND HARRIS III (ROXBORO) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Mr. Harris III for a period of 30 Days effective September 10, 2021. The Commission found that Mr. Harris III used an Instagram account that was tied to his real estate business, to comment on an Instagram post unrelated to real estate. Mr. Harris III’s comment was inappropriate and not professional in nature. He has since deleted his comment to the post.

PHILLIP M PRICE (GREENSBORO) – The Commission accepted the voluntary surrender of the broker license of Mr. Price effective September 8, 2021. The Commission dismissed without prejudice allegations that Mr. Price violated provisions of the Real Estate License Law and Commission rules. Mr. Price neither admitted nor denied misconduct.

ODELL WILLIAMSON JR (DURHAM) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Mr. Williamson Jr for a period of 36 months effective January 31, 2020. The Commission found that Mr. Williamson Jr acted as the listing agent in a residential purchase transaction. Mr. Williamson Jr failed to provide and review a Working with Real Estate Agents brochure with an unrepresented buyer at first substantial contact. Mr. Williamson Jr acknowledged on the purchase contract that he received the $6,000 due diligence fee from the buyer, however he failed to deliver this check to his seller client. Instead, the check was made out to an unlicensed person who cashed the check, keeping 1/3 of the fee for himself, remitting 1/3 to the seller, and disbursing the remainder to Mr. Williamson Jr. The buyer also entered into a lease, which listed Mr. Williamson Jr’s company as the agent, although rent payments were made to an unlicensed person who never remitted rent proceeds to the seller.