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Tennessee Real Estate Commission approves three license applications despite past convictions
Summary
At its Dec. 17 meeting in Nashville, the Tennessee Real Estate Commission unanimously approved three license applications — including two applicants with past criminal convictions and one applicant seeking to be a principal broker — after candidates and sponsoring brokers described rehabilitation and remediation steps.
The Tennessee Real Estate Commission voted unanimously Dec. 17 to approve three license applications, including two applicants who described past criminal charges and rehabilitation efforts.
Sean Lynch, who told the commission he was convicted as a young adult of attempted robbery and reckless aggravated assault and served time, said he has worked toward stability since his release in 2020. "I faced adversity since I've been out of prison... I've been out for 5 years," Lynch said during his informal appearance. Principal broker Karen Hoff told commissioners she had supervised Lynch in coursework and property management and said she planned to provide contract‑writing and transaction support once he becomes licensed.
Commissioners asked candidates to describe the underlying incidents and subsequent steps they had taken. Matthew (Matt) Merriam told the body his out‑of‑state aggravated driving charge was reduced to a driving infraction after he paid outstanding fines; his principal broker, Jennifer Kavanaugh, said she has worked with Merriam for more than 20 years and vouched for his character. Jared McDonald, seeking to open his own firm as a principal broker, described prior California audit findings that he said were corrected and said his California license is currently unrestricted.
The panel confirmed the formal motions on each application and recorded unanimous approvals for Lynch, Merriam and McDonald. Commissioners discussed supervision plans for applicants who will work under principal brokers and, in McDonald's case, reviewed the basis for reciprocal principal‑broker eligibility based on his established out‑of‑state license.
The commission provided each candidate the option to stay for the remainder of the session. Chair Diaz and staff noted the approvals were recorded on the meeting record and encouraged new licensees to participate in the board's forthcoming education and onboarding opportunities.
What happens next: licensed applicants will be issued credentials and are subject to the commission's ongoing supervisory and audit authority. The commission did not impose additional discipline as part of these application approvals; licensing conditions and supervisory plans were described verbally on the record.
