Online real estate schools offer various courses for current and aspiring real estate agents and brokers in different states. These schools offer convenient classes that can be taken from the comfort of your home or in some cases on your mobile device. Real estate schools typically offer pre-licensure classes, post-licensing classes, and continuing education courses. The online real estate schools we reviewed offer courses in various formats and teaching styles with qualified and knowledgeable instructors. Most are accredited by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), the International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC), or other recognized bodies. To rank online real estate schools in our list, we developed a rating methodology that evaluated 14 different schools in five key areas: Reputation and Customer Satisfaction (8%), Customer Experience (24%), Courses Offered (13%), Costs and Fees (18%), Customer Support (40%). The 5 Best Online Real Estate Schools for April 2024 The 5 Best Online Real Estate Schools for April 2024 The Bottom Line Compare Providers How to Choose Comparing Online Real Estate Schools Why You Should Trust Us FAQs Investopedia's Rating 4.8 Key Specs Use promo code Dotdash30 to receive 30% Off The CE Shop. Why We Chose It Depending on your state and career stage, the CE Shop has something to offer including pre-licensing, exam prep, or continuing education. Classes are available in person and online, and the company's offerings stay current with trends in the real estate industry. Pros and Cons Pros Offers a free trial for pre-licensing courses Huge number of continuing education courses Individual CE courses as low as $9 Cons License upgrade courses not available in all states Overview The CE Shop offers a wide variety of pre-licensing, exam prep, and post-licensing classes. Content is available in all 50 states, but the availability of class types, like post-licensing, varies by state. Instructors are real estate industry veterans who have been in the business for several years. Accredited by ARELLO, The CE Shop shines in its continuing education courses, which are nationwide, although specific classes may vary from state to state. Courses are available 24/7, and real estate agents who are licensed in multiple states can take advantage of multi-state packages. Students can also create custom packages to fit their needs. Continuing education (CE) is essential for keeping your real estate license current. One of the many reasons we chose The CE Shop as our best overall is its robust catalog of CE courses. Keep in mind that the cost varies by the state, the course, the type of license you currently hold, and whether you take an individual course or purchase a package. Discounts and promotions may be available, depending on when you register for a course, and you can also take advantage of a free exam assessment. Investopedia's Rating Key Specs Use code INVESTOPEDIA25 for 25% off Why We Chose It Colibri Real Estate offers courses that are both affordable and comprehensive, like exam preparation, accredited pre-licensing, and career path information. It’s one of the most affordable options for those looking for career guidance pre- and post-exam. Pros and Cons Pros Offers a wide range of real estate courses Certified by ARELLO and IDECC Offers live Q&A via chat for some courses Cons License upgrade courses not available in all states Overview Founded in 1998 and part of the McKissock group of companies, Colibri Real Estate offers pre- and post-licensing courses throughout the U.S. The company is accredited by ARELLO and (IDECC, and the courses adhere to its legal and educational guidelines. It offers pre-licensing courses in 40 states and Washington, D.C., continuing education in all 50 states through a sister company, and license upgrades in nine states. Course offerings include four-tier options, but the price varies by state. For example, suppose you are looking for a real estate license course for the state of New York. In that case, you can select from a basic self-study course starting at $248.50 to the Ultimate Learning option, costing $429.10 which includes instructor Q&A sessions, a year of professional development membership, and a printed course textbook in addition to the pre-license and exam prep course. All tiers have expert instructors approved by each state that's available on Colibri Real Estate. Except for the basic package, the company offers a Pass or Don't Pay Guarantee, in which the company will refund your purchase price if you don’t pass your exam—Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and Tennessee are the only exceptions. Investopedia's Rating 3.5 Key Specs Why We Chose It Aceable offers great value for its pre-licensing courses, with an easy-to-use website and mobile app. But, state availability is limited, and accreditations are typically state-wide rather than national. Pros and Cons Pros Has some of the most affordable courses Variety of classes for different stages of your career Mobile app available Cons Limited state availability Overview You’ll find great prices with Aceable, but you might not find your state listed among the course offerings. Pre-licensing classes start at just $116 in Florida, though prices vary by state. Basic packages include exam prep, but in most cases, you’ll have to pay for a deluxe package if you want additional features to help prepare for the test. Aceable offers a comprehensive suite of courses. Along with pre-licensing, you’ll find continuing education, post-licensing, and professional development courses. However, pre-licensing is available in only 14 states, with even fewer states available for the other class types. Instructors vary by state and class but may include industry experts. In states that use ARELLO and IDECC certifications, Aceable’s courses have earned those certifications. All courses are also accredited by state agencies, like the California Department of Real Estate and the New York Department of State. No matter where you live, if you don’t like your class you have 30 days to get your money back. And if you don’t pass the exam after three attempts, you can get a refund as well. Investopedia's Rating 4.0 Key Specs Why We Chose It Kaplan offers pre-licensing courses in many states and a wide range of course options. We like the eight-hour bootcamp, but Kaplan has a higher price point compared to a few others on our list, and the website is not as user-friendly. Pros and Cons Pros Instructors are practicing real estate agents Access and interact with instructors Continuing education classes are competitively priced Cons Pricing is higher compared to other companies Interface is slightly dated and not as user-friendly Shipping of learning materials not included in course prices Overview Founded in 1938, Kaplan is one of the largest online education companies, with a presence in over 28 countries. Its online courses are mostly instructor-led in a mix of live and on-demand formats. It’s a great fit for those who prefer a more traditional approach to studying but also want the flexibility of online learning. Pricing for Kaplan pre-licensing courses varies depending on your state—for instance, courses for pre-licensing in New York start at $379, whereas pre-licensing in Georgia starts at $299. Online options include home study (the self-study option), on-demand, and live classes. All courses include an interactive study group feature that covers all national and state content in a live webinar format, in which you can join in on a discussion with students and Kaplan’s instructors. The online live course includes an interactive exam prep module. Kaplan demonstrates success in the competitive Texas market with an overall pass rate of 55.32%. Investopedia's Rating 3.5 Key Specs Why We Chose It If you’re looking for the least expensive real estate courses, RealEstateU is worth checking out. It’s only available in 14 states, but prices start at just $69 in Florida and are quite low across the board. Pros and Cons Pros Inexpensive course pricing 30-day money-back guarantee Real estate investing classes are available Cons Limited state availability Not many continuing education or post-licensing courses Not accredited by IDECC Overview RealEstateU has the lowest prices for pre-licensing and exam prep among online real estate schools we reviewed. Besides the low fee for Florida, you’ll pay only $99 for classes in states like California, Michigan, and Virginia. The highest price is just $199, in Wisconsin. Whatever you pay, you’ll have 30 days to get your money back if you don’t think the course is right for you. Although prices are low, RealEstateU is limited in several ways. It only offers classes in 14 states, there’s only one post-licensing course (for Florida residents), and there’s only one continuing education course (for New York residents). Unfortunately, there’s no pass guarantee either, which means you won’t be able to get a refund if you fail the exam. If you live in one of the states where RealEstateU is available and find the course you need, you’ll pay an exceptionally low fee. Just take note that not all RealEstateU courses are accredited by ARELLO. Some are accredited by state agencies, while others may not be fully accredited. The school also offers real estate investment courses, covering topics like multi-family homes and raising money from private investors. All of the online real estate schools that made our list are reputable, with robust course offerings. Some have apps that can be used on the go, others offer videos and practice tests, and others are designed for real estate agents and brokers who are already licensed and want to enhance their careers. Overall, we recommend checking out The CE Shop. They offer a broad variety of classes in multiple states and have plenty of career path information available to students. All About Real Estate Agents and What They Do If you’re interested in becoming a licensed real estate agent, there are two powerful reasons to take classes online: Online real estate classes tend to cost less than in-person classes, often by hundreds of dollars; this is generally true for online vs. in-person education. You’re not paying for the use of a classroom, only the digital components and the teacher’s time. In-person classes may require expensive textbooks, which could be replaced by inexpensive or free ebooks when learning online. Plus, you’ll save more money by avoiding the time and cost of traveling to and from classes. Online classes are more convenient, too—you can work on your lessons anywhere you have an internet connection, anytime (although, depending on the course, there may be scheduled live online events as well). You can typically go at your own pace, which is good if you like to take your time or you end up flying through the material. In general, you don’t have to worry about sacrificing quality by going with an online real estate school. The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) publishes a list of real estate schools and pass rates, and you can see that many online schools have excellent pass rates (a high pass rate doesn’t necessarily guarantee a high-quality school, but you shouldn’t pick a school with a low pass rate). Online schools typically offer many of the same features as in-person classes, like the ability to speak with industry experts, plus more in some cases. See the schools listed above for some high-quality options. In-person classes have some merits, as well. You’ll likely have more opportunities to interact with the instructor and other classmates. If you have trouble self-motivating to sit down at a computer on your own time, it may also be better to have scheduled weekly meeting times in an actual classroom. Some people learn better face-to-face rather than staring at a screen. So, although online classes are usually cheaper and more convenient, in-person classes could be right for some aspiring real estate agents. Think about the following when looking for the right online real estate school; the main points to consider are availability, accreditation, courses offered, and fees. Signing up for an online real estate school is easy. Register a new account, providing your personal details and email address. Then you’ll be able to select the course(s) you want and submit payment information. After that, simply follow the instructions on the website, which will be unique to each school. You’ll likely have access to course materials through an online dashboard, and certain resources (like ebooks) may be sent by email as well. To make sure that our findings offered the best opportunities for pre-licensing classes in as many states as possible, we used a methodology that involved examining 14 online real estate schools on factors such as price, support, availability, post-licensing opportunities, strong pass rates, and length of the program so that you can find the course that's right for you. Investopedia launched in 1999 and has helped millions of readers around the world become educated on personal finance. As a team of experienced writers and editors, we make sure to assess all products, including online real estate schools, from the consumer’s point of view. That’s so we can point out features and potential drawbacks to help you make the best decision when you start or continue your real estate career. To become a realtor, pre-licensing hours are required in order to obtain your real estate license, all of which can be completed by an online school. Depending on your state, you’ll need to complete a pre-license education course—you’ll need to meet a certain number of hours from schools that are approved by the state. For example, real estate agents and brokers in California need to complete a pre-licensing course that’s a minimum of 135 hours and is approved by the Department of Real Estate. To meet the credentials of pre-licensing, real estate schools must go through an accreditation process (your state should have a list of schools that are approved). Keep in mind that online schools often have state limitations. That means you’ll need to do some research to see what’s available in your state and familiarize yourself with any requirements you need to meet before enrolling. It’s also probably a good idea to check your state’s licensing requirements before signing up. Online real estate schools have a range of prices that vary based on whether you sign up for the pre-licensure class only or tack on an exam prep course. Depending on where you reside and whether you opt for test prep, online classes can range from $69 to $900. This is generally compared to at least several hundred dollars to attend a live, in-person class—not including exam prep. Each state has different requirements, but the time to complete pre-licensing work can range from 24 to 180 hours. Remember, you'll go through the course at your own pace, but that doesn’t change the required pre-licensing hours. You may exceed the minimum required hours to get a better handle on the material, as necessary. Depending on state requirements where you live, it can take anywhere from four to six months to become a real estate agent. The timeline also depends on how long you take to pass the real estate exam and the number of courses needed to meet your state’s licensing requirements For instance, those who want to be licensed in Florida will need to complete 63 hours of state-approved pre-license education classes before sitting for the exam. Compare this to the state of California, where you're required to complete 135 hours. Online test prep for a real estate license is a review course in preparation for the real estate license test. Every state requires some kind of pre-licensing education to get your real estate license. Online real estate schools may also offer online test prep services, which are different than classes for pre-licensing hours. Test prep is typically voluntary and has an additional charge on top of the pre-licensing course. Some real estate schools offer more personalized approaches to test prep by having you go through the course with an instructor. Test prep courses are usually much shorter than pre-licensing courses because they focus on reviewing the material to pass the test. Although course names and state requirements differ, you’ll find that real estate classes teach topics like the principles of real estate, real estate practice, law and ethics, and the legalities such as the types of contracts needed in a transaction. For instance, students will learn about theFair Housing Act, which prohibits sales discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and nationality. Classes will also cover the practical skills necessary to conduct a successful closing, such as the realtor's responsibilities when it comes to the contract, writing listings, showing properties, and writing an offer. Andy Smith, a Certified Financial Planner and licensed realtor, told Investopedia the "overall course curriculum has to conform to theindividual state requirementsfor licensing.Each course in the curriculum should have a well-defined structure laid out in a course syllabus or similar document and include overarching course objectives; topic learning objectives; instructional methods used; materials the student must obtain, including software and hardware; along with contact information for technical support and the instructor's name and contact info." No, a college or university degree isn't required to sell real estate. Most states require that you are at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma (or equivalency), and take a certain number of hours of real estate education before you can get your real estate license. Check with your state to find out what the minimum requirements are to get licensed. Keep in mind, though, that a specialized degree in a field like marketing, finance, or accounting may help you in your career. Yes, you can be licensed to sell real estate in more than one state. You must ensure that you meet the requirements and are licensed in each state where you intend to do business. It's also important to keep up with any continuing education and license renewal requirements if you want to keep selling real estate in multiple states. Article Sources Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in oureditorial policy. The CE Shop. "Real Estate." The CE Shop. "Find Your Real Estate Market." The CE Shop. "Licensed in Multiple States." Colibri Real Estate. "The online real estate school committed to total flexibility." Colibri. "About Us." Colibri. "New York Real Estate License Courses Online." Colibri Real Estate. "Our Pass or Don't Pay Guarantee." Aceable Agent. Become A Real Estate Agent." Aceable. "State-by-State Real Estate Exam Pass Rate." Kaplan. "Real Estate Licensing." Zippia. "Kaplan History." Kaplan. "New York Real Estate Licensing Courses for Salesperson." Kaplan. "Georgia Real Estate Licensing Courses." TREC. "Provider Exam Passage Rates for Sales Agents and Brokers." RealEstateU. "Get your real estate license online at your own pace." RealEstateU. "Get Your Florida Real Estate License - 100% Online Classes at Your Own Pace." RealEstateU. "Online Real Estate License Pricing." RealEstateU. "Is RealEstateU legit and Accredited?" California Association of Realtors. "Pre-License Training." California Department of Real Estate. "Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Salesperson License." Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. "Sales Associate Initial Application (RE 1)." U.S. Department of Justice. "The Fair Housing Act."The 5 Best Online Real Estate Schools for April 2024
Best Overall and for Continuing Education : The CE Shop
Best Runner Up : Colibri Real Estate
Best Value : Aceable
Best Interactive Courses : Kaplan
Best on a Budget : RealEstateU
The Bottom Line
Compare the Best Online Real Estate Schools
School Accreditation Pass Guarantee License Prep State Coverage CE State Coverage The CE Shop Best Overall and for Continuing Education ARELLO Yes, varies by state 50, Including Washington D.C. 50 Colibri Real Estate Best Overall Runnerup ARELLO & IDECC Yes, varies by state 41, Including Washington D.C. 50 Aceable Best Value Varies by state Yes, varies by state 14 3 Kaplan Best Interactive Courses No No 29 27 RealEstateU Best on a Budget ARELLO, Various No 14 14 Guide to Choosing the Best Online Real Estate Schools
Determine Your Need for Online Real Estate Classes
Comparing Online Real Estate Schools
Signing up for an Online Real Estate School
Why You Should Trust Us
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Get a Real Estate License Online?
How Much Does It Cost to Go to School for Real Estate?
How Long Does It Take to Get a Real Estate License Online?
What Is Online Test Prep for a Real Estate License?
What Do You Learn in Real Estate School?
Do You Need a College or University Degree to Sell Real Estate?
Can I Be Licensed to Sell Real Estate in More Than One State?
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