The Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) conducted its monthly meeting on Thursday, June 25, its first in-person meeting since February due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven of the Commissioners were present while two participated virtually. The meeting began with a report from the Executive Director and staff and followed by hearings.

Education Director Ryan Adair reported that the company conducting licensing testing has opened all testing sites and is adding additional test times to make up for the backlog of applicants waiting to take the license exam. Mr. Adair reported that the backlog of test-takers is slowly clearing. As a reminder, AREC granted a six-month extension to anyone who was eligible to take a license exam on March 1, 2020 or later. Mr. Adair also noted that the virtual CE classes were going well, and they have not received complaints about the virtual offerings. 

Executive Director Vaughn Poe presented a revision to the pay scale for the positions of Executive Director and Assistant Executive Director, that would bring the Commission in line with the pay scale set forward by the State Department of Personnel for  state employees in similar roles at similar sized state agencies. The Commission approved the revised pay scale. 

The Commission held a public hearing for the proposed rule change on continuing education. No comments were made during the hearing or received in written form. The Commission approved the proposed rule change as presented. For more information on the proposed rule change, see AAR’s last update here.

During the hearings, the Commission made the following decisions: approved a request to hold a license after a prior revocation; denied a request to hold a license after a prior revocation; approved an application for a temporary salesperson license; approved two applications for determination of licensing eligibility; found a broker guilty of breaking license law resulting in a $5,000 fine ($2,500 to the broker; $2,500 to his company); and received a request for hardship extension to apply for a broker’s license. 

The next AREC meeting will be held via Webex on July 23 at 9 am. The AAR Public Policy team will continue to monitor AREC’s activities and meetings for its impacts on our members and the real estate industry.