Referral-only brokerage · North Carolina
Keep your license active. Keep earning from the people you already know.
Carolina Home Bridge is a home for North Carolina brokers who don't want to carry a full-time real estate business. Hang your license with us, send us your referrals, and get paid when they close. No MLS dues, no REALTOR® dues, no annual fees. You keep the full 33% referral fee, minus $395 (or 20%, whichever is less) when your referral closes.
- You keep the full 33% referral fee, minus $395 or 20%, whichever is less
- Licensed NC brokers only, referral basis only
- Every referral is placed with Century 21 New Beginnings, a full-service brokerage in Clayton
- Paid to you through our broker-in-charge, as NC rules require
Who it's for
You worked hard for that license. Don't let it sit idle.
If you know people who will buy or sell a home, a referral license lets you get paid for the introduction without running a full business.
Agents stepping back
Retiring, slowing down, or tired of the dues and the 9 p.m. showing requests. Keep your network working for you.
Licensed, with another career
You got licensed but kept your day job. Friends, coworkers and family still ask you for help. Now that help can pay.
Brokers on a break
New baby, caring for family, health, school. Stay active and stay connected until you're ready to jump back in.
Non-producing agents
If you close a deal or two a year, the costs of a full-service brokerage may eat most of what you make.
Investors and builders' reps
You hold a license for your own deals and meet buyers and sellers constantly. Refer the ones you won't work yourself.
Newly licensed brokers
Not ready to go full-time yet? Start earning from your sphere while you decide. Provisional brokers are welcome.
How it works
Four steps from "I know someone" to a check in your hand
- STEP 01
Affiliate with us
Sign our independent contractor and referral agreements. We file your license activation with the Commission (Form REC 2.08) under our broker-in-charge.
- STEP 02
Send a referral
Submit the client's name, contact info and what they need. It takes about two minutes online.
- STEP 03
We place it with a pro
Century 21 New Beginnings, our full-service partner brokerage, assigns a producing agent who reaches out quickly and keeps you posted.
- STEP 04
Get paid at closing
Century 21 New Beginnings pays the referral fee to Carolina Home Bridge, and our broker-in-charge pays it to you, minus our $395 fee (or 20% on smaller referrals).
The math on staying active
What it costs to stay active, side by side
A full-service brokerage makes sense when you're producing. When you're not, many of those costs are paying for tools you don't use.
| Cost | Typical full-service brokerage | Carolina Home Bridge |
|---|---|---|
| MLS subscription | Required | Not required |
| REALTOR® association dues | Usually required | Not required |
| Desk, tech or monthly brokerage fees | Common | None |
| Referral fee on a closed referral | Often 25% | 33% |
| Annual or monthly fees | Common | None |
| Per-transaction fee | Varies | $395 or 20% of the referral fee, whichever is less, only when a referral closes |
| NCREC renewal + 8 hrs of CE | Required | Still required (it's what keeps you active) |
Estimate a referral
What could one referral be worth?
Change the numbers to match a deal you have in mind. This is an estimate only. Actual fees depend on the commission the receiving agent earns and your signed agreement.
What you need
The short list to stay eligible
North Carolina only allows referral fees to brokers whose licenses are on active status. Here's what that takes.
- A North Carolina broker licenseBroker or provisional broker. Provisional brokers still complete postlicensing on schedule.
- 8 hours of CE each license yearDue by June 10. Miss it and your license goes inactive, and you can't be paid for new referrals.
- Annual license renewalPaid to the NC Real Estate Commission by June 30.
- Referral-only activityYou make the introduction. You don't show homes, write offers or negotiate. The receiving agent does that work.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I just put my license on inactive and still get referral fees?
No. Under NC Real Estate Commission rules, a broker on inactive status can't be paid for referring buyers, sellers, landlords or tenants. Your license has to be active, which means it's affiliated with a firm and your CE is current. That's exactly what Carolina Home Bridge gives you.
Do I need to join the MLS or a REALTOR® association?
Not with us. Because you only refer and don't list or show property, Carolina Home Bridge doesn't require MLS or association membership.
Why does the fee go through Carolina Home Bridge instead of straight to me?
North Carolina rules say an affiliated broker can only be paid commissions or referral fees by their own broker-in-charge. So Century 21 New Beginnings pays the firm, and the firm pays you.
What does it cost?
There’s no annual fee, no monthly fee and no desk fee. When a referral closes, we keep a $395 transaction fee, or 20% of the referral fee if that’s less, and pay you the rest of the 33% referral fee. If nothing closes, you pay nothing. You still pay your own NCREC renewal and CE.
Who takes care of my client?
Every referral is placed with Century 21 New Beginnings, a full-service brokerage in Clayton that matches your client with a producing agent who knows the area and the property type, whether that's a first home, a 55+ community, land or an investment property. You'll get updates as the deal moves.
What if my client lives outside our area?
Send it anyway. Tell us where they're buying or selling and we'll work with Century 21 New Beginnings to place them with a qualified agent in that market.
Can I go back to full-time later?
Yes. When you're ready to list and sell again, you can transfer your license to a full-service firm. We'd love to introduce you to Century 21 New Beginnings when that day comes.
How long does it take to get set up?
Most brokers are affiliated within a few business days once the agreements are signed and the activation form is filed with the Commission.
Get started
Hang your license with us, or send us your first referral
Tell us a little about yourself and we'll reach out within one business day with the agreements and next steps.
- Call(919) 848-9227
- Emailcarolinahomebridgellc@gmail.com
- Office897 Town Centre Blvd., Clayton, NC 27520