The jurisdiction of the Real Estate Commission is established by the NJ Real Estate Licensing Act, N.J.S.A. 45:15-1 et seq., which requires the Commission to administer and enforce real estate licensing laws and establish standards of practice for real estate professionals in this state.     

If you feel you have a complaint against a real estate licensee that falls within the jurisdiction of the Real Estate Commission, there is a complaint process by which you can bring the matter to the Commission’s attention.  The complaint must be put in writing.

Please note that the complainant must provide the REC with contact information to receive further communication from the REC staff with regard to the complaint.

Once the complaint is received by the REC, a letter of acknowledgment with further information will be sent to the complaining party.  An initial review by REC staff will determine if the complaint falls within the jurisdiction of the REC. If the issue does not fall under REC jurisdiction, the complainant will be advised and directed to another agency or course of action which may be more appropriate to address the issue. 

If the matter is retained by the REC, it will be assigned to an Investigator who will contact all concerned parties and obtain any documentation necessary to thoroughly investigate the complaint. Depending on the complexity of the case, the investigation can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months for assignment to, and investigation by, our staff.

After the investigation has been concluded, the case may be referred to our legal staff for further administrative action. As a result of that action sanctions may be imposed, which can include a fine and/or suspension of a license.  If the evidence is insufficient to establish a prosecutable offense under the Real Estate Licensing Act, no further action will be taken and the matter will be closed.  In either event, the complainant will be notified at the conclusion of the process.