By Mary Frances Whitley, Director of Administration

Each year, the Real Estate Commission reviews what it has done during the 12-month period from May 1 to April 30. And each year, the result is an impressive array of statistics that together speak to the breadth and complexity of its role in working with the North Carolina real estate industry.

Here's a sampling of Commission activity from May 1, 2000 to April 30, 2001:

• 159,000 telephone calls (a 49% increase over the previous period)
• 19,482 information requests via its "Interactive Voice Response" and "Fax on Demand" systems...
• 86,630 website "hits" (a 144% increase)

• 550,000 publications distributed to licensees, consumers, applicants (See photo and story, page 8)

• Image 151,389 records
• Register persons for the Broker-in-Charge Course and Trust Account Course via the Commission's website
• Enable continuing education course providers to electronically transmit their student course completion information to the Commission
• Make license applicant and licensee information available on the Commission's website Continued conversion of the licensee database to Oracle for improved access and more efficient storage

• 213 applications for employment received
• 71 applicant interviewed
• 16 positions filled

• 9,000 applications processed for licenses by examination
• 8,290 license examinations administered (6,558 by paper and 1,732 by computer)
• 4,778 licenses by examination issued
• 2,630 broker licenses issued without examination (since October 1, 2000)
• 332 licenses issued by reciprocity
• 614 firm licenses issued
• 128 expired licenses reinstated
• 52 license applicant conferences conducted
• 17 new and 38 renewed private real estate school licenses

• 160 pre-licensing instructors issued regular or temporary approvals
• 65 new continuing education elective courses approved (for a total of 334 courses)
• 7 new continuing education Update Course instructors approved (for a total of 116)
• 24 Broker-in-Charge Course sessions conducted for 1,469 licensees

• 101 case investigations completed
• 102 trust accounts examined
• 549 persons interviewed
• 28 trust account courses conducted for 961 students
• 32 "spot inspections" performed on 47 different trust accounts

• 818 case (complaint) files opened and 864 closed
• 29 licensees reprimanded
• 29 licenses suspended
• 25 licenses revoked
• 15 licenses surrendered
• 42 cases utilized conditional remedies
• 1 Recovery Fund hearing conducted
• 12 license application hearings held

• 34 projects renewed
• 7 new projects registered