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If you’re returning to the classroom to launch a new career, this guide will help you find the best online real estate school and program for your learning style, budget, schedule, and career goals. We’ve thoroughly researched countless real estate schools across the country, evaluating course features, formats, study tools, pass rates, pricing, user experience, and value for money — narrowing it down to our top four online real estate schools for 2024.
Whether you want an audio course you can listen to on the go or a program you can complete on your mobile phone, these big players in real estate education offer the best programs, learning materials, and formats to help you meet your career goals.
Our top picks
| Upgrade Pick |
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Colibri |
Excellent student support, intuitive online platform, and package upgrades that feature instructor engagement, exam prep and career resources. |
Price range: |
$114 to $1,099 |
| Visit Colibri |
| Also popular |
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Kaplan |
Pre-recorded video content led by experienced industry leaders. Easy access to instructors to ask for help. Career mentoring opportunities. |
Price range: |
$240 to $909 |
| Visit Kaplan |
4 best online real estate schools for 2024
Top Pick
The CE Shop offers real estate courses in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, and boasts a 96% student satisfaction rate. Students attribute this to its engaging course features, student support, and a proprietary online learning platform called LEAP.
Our favorite feature is the online video format with self-paced delivery. You can complete your online real estate prelicensing coursework in as little as two weeks if your schedule permits and you power through it. The CE Shop regularly updates course content and every topic covered is based on commonly faced, real-life scenarios.
Prelicensing courses start at $105 and up to $1,795, depending on your state. If you’re concerned about investing in a course you’re not sure will be a good fit for you, keep in mind that a free 5-day trial is available for all prelicensing courses. What’s more, the CE Shop offers a money-back guarantee within 30 days of purchase, as long as your course is less than 50% complete.
The CE Shop’s product offerings includes prelicensing, post-licensing, continuing education and exam prep courses, depending on your state. In most states, the CE Shop offers exam prep and continuing education courses that can be bundled with prelicensing courses for convenience and significant savings.
When it comes to course format and content delivery, the CE Shop’s courses can be accessed through your tablet, computer, or smartphone 24/7 for on-the-go learning that is flexible and convenient. On the downside, the course can be heavy on text and light on video lessons. With certain packages, you get unlimited attempts at passing the course’s final exam.
Budget pick
While it doesn’t operate in all 50 states, Aceable Agents offers prelicensing courses in 14 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Built by learning science experts, Aceable Agent’s workshops, practice tests, and other study tools are designed to help you get your real estate license on any device, at your own pace. The school offers a first-of-its-kind mobile app from which students can complete their studies.
Our favorite feature is Aceable Agent’s mobile app and narrated audio. Hands-free audio narrations let’s you tune in as you would to your favorite podcast. We also love the Mastery Tracking algorithm. As you progress through your course, it learns where you need improvement and provides personalized exam prep. Students can switch between their browser and Aceable Agent’s mobile app, both of which track progress and save it — so you can stop and resume your studies when it’s convenient for you, on either device.
Depending on your state, prelicensing courses start at $116 and up to $779. The school also has an Ace or Don’t Pay Guarantee, so students who take one of AceableAgent’s prelicensing courses and don’t pass the licensing exam after three attempts are eligible for a refund.
AceableAgent’s product offering includes post-licensing courses, exam prep, and continuing education courses in most states, in addition to prelicensing courses.
When it comes to course format and content delivery, AceableAgent’s students have access to self-paced, online courses from a mobile device or computer any time of day. Aceable Agent’s courses feature interactive games, videos, and bite-sized lessons to help students successfully meet prelicensing coursework requirements and pass the state exam. While most students appreciate that course content is presented in a highly engaging way to help with retention, interactive courses may not be best for visual learners who prefer to read or see pictures.
Upgrade pick
Colibri Real Estate Education
Colibri offers real estate courses in Washington DC and 40 states, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
More than 500,000 students have enrolled in Colibri Real Estate’s courses to complete their education requirements and prepare for the license exam, and students give the school a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Our favorite feature are the upgrade options. Prelicensing course upgrades include Exam Prep Plus for instructor engagement and study tools, and Ultimate Learning for access to the school’s Career Booster. If you’re balancing completing your education requirements with work and family demands, you’ll appreciate being able to move through the online course at your own pace with the next-generation student dashboard.
Depending on your state, prelicensing courses start at $115 and up to $1099. Students enjoy the Colibri’s clear course format, real-world examples, and practice exams that simulate live tests and include assessments. Colibri offers a Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee. If you don’t pass the licensing exam within 30 days of completing your course, Colibri will reimburse the cost of the purchased package, unless state laws or regulations prohibit qualification for the guarantee.
Colibri’s product offering includes post-licensing courses, exam prep, and continuing education courses in most states listed above, in addition to prelicensing courses.
When it comes to course format and content delivery, Colibri’s self-paced and livestream courses are designed to allow you to study on any device with internet access and a browser, including your smartphone or tablet. With 24/7 access to the dashboard, you can stop and start your course anytime without losing track of your progress.
Also popular
Kaplan Real Estate Education
Kaplan offers real estate courses in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
While Kaplan does not publish pass rates, the school reports that a quantitative survey found that 89% of students recommend Kaplan. Additionally, the school boasts more than 50 years of experience and has helped thousands of students begin and advance their real estate careers each year.
Our favorite course feature is the video segments with expert instructors. Kaplan is a powerhouse in education, providing prep courses for the LSAT, MCAT, and so many other major exams. Created by real estate experts to mirror licensing exam topics, Kaplan’s real estate course content combines solid industry fundamentals with the latest state-specific information needed to pass your state’s licensing exam.
Depending on your state, prelicensing courses start at $249 and up to $909. Kaplan’s self-paced, online prelicensing offerings let you start, stop, and resume your course when it’s convenient for you. In addition to prelicensing courses, the school offers continuing education packages and exam prep courses in most states. Full tuition refunds are available within 30 days of purchase for web-based courses and online classes that have not been completed.
Kaplan’s product offering includes prelicensing courses in over 40 states, post-licensing courses, exam prep, and continuing education courses in many of those states.
When it comes to course format and content delivery, you can access your courses through a tablet or mobile device. Kaplan’s online video courses complement text-based course content to reinforce key concepts.
Methodology
We’ve chosen schools with video content, hand-free audio, mobile learning and other convenient formats that will help you fit your studies into your busy schedule. To find the best online real estate school, we have evaluated dozens of national and state-specific real estate schools, reviewing both online and in-person programs.
Across dozens of articles, we’ve gained in-depth knowledge of real estate licensing and online courses, evaluating real estate licensing programs based on pricing, course packages, course materials, teaching styles, online user experience, exam success rates, customer reviews, and more.
Don’t believe us? Check out our real estate education page for more information about getting licensed and the best real estate schools available in your state. Armed with this depth of knowledge, we narrowed this list down to the top four most widely available real estate schools in the country. We recommend the schools on this list for their convenience, value for money, excellence in course materials, and thoughtful user experience.
The best online real estate schools on our list are not only widely available — they offer economies of scale that make their course packages affordable — using tech that makes their online courses way more convenient than having to commute to attend in-person classes at a brick-and-mortar location. Unlike your local school, they have the scale to invest in leading-edge technology that makes getting prepped for your state real estate exam a snap.
Best online real estate schools: FAQs
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If I already have a license from another state, do I need real estate school?
Each state has its own license reciprocity and portability rules, and many have license reciprocity agreements with other states. If you have your real estate license in one state and want to conduct business in another, check with the state you are not licensed in to see if they will waive your prelicensing education requirements based on a license reciprocity agreement.
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How do I know if online real estate school is right for me?
In-person real estate classes can be beneficial if you prefer a traditional learning atmosphere and have an incredibly flexible schedule. But for anyone pursuing a real estate license who has to juggle a full-time job, family, and other obligations, a school offering 100% online real estate classes is a much more convenient option.
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What is the average cost of online real estate school?
For the purposes of this real estate school guide, we priced out four of the industry-leading schools, based on their offerings in different areas of the country to determine an average cost of $1,291.75.
The following states were reviewed to determine the average cost of online real estate school prelicensing programs: Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. It’s important to remember that prices vary greatly from state to state, and each school has budget-friendly course options.
Costs are dependent upon the number of course hours required by your state, which varies greatly. In Texas, you’ll need to complete 180 hours of study while other states require just 50 hours.
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How do I sign up for online real estate school?
The schools featured in this guide make it easy to sign up for your online real estate classes. Just click the website of the school of your choice below, select the package you want from the school’s catalog, add it to your cart, checkout, and wait for the school to deliver your course (typically as a link, email, or both).
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How much do real estate agents make?
According to Indeed, the average salary of a real estate agent in the United States is $96,597 annually, making it a lucrative career to pursue. Apart from the high earning potential, being a real estate agent offers a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home (or your office on four wheels — your car). Excellent client service, market knowledge, a bit of hustle, marketing skills, and consistency are the key elements to success.
The full picture — Choosing the right online real estate school
Now that you know what the industry-leading online real estate schools have to offer, you can make the most informed decision to launch a new career, get your continuing education requirements, or pursue your broker’s license. No matter where you are in your real estate journey, HousingWire provides the information and insights you need to succeed as a real estate professional.
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