Having the inside scoop on the best online real estate schools is critical for a successful career. Whether you’re looking for a real estate school to help you get your license, manage your continuing education credits, or become a broker, our list will help you select the best school for your needs.
We evaluated these online real estate schools based on pricing, course offerings, teaching styles, user experience, and exam success rates and came up with our top five. Need a little more information about what it actually takes to get a real estate license? Start with our comprehensive guide on how to get a real estate license.
We chose the front-runners for our list of the best online real estate schools across several categories and narrowed it down to our five favorites.
| Providers | Best Features | Promo Codes |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall: Colibri Real Estate | Great pricing options + a premium tier that offers real-life preparation for a future in real estate | TheClose30–Save 30% |
| Best All-in-One: The CE Shop | With extensive continuing ed and exam prep options, it’s a one-stop shop for a new real estate career | TheClose35–Save 35% |
| Best Mobile: Aceable Agent | Designed for students who want education on the go, its excellent mobile interface is second to none | Click our Aceable Agent link–Save 25% |
| Best Live Instruction: Kaplan | This is the pick for students who want to learn directly from an instructor with live classes | KAPRE5–Save 5% |
| Best on a Budget: RealEstateU | A bargain, straightforward option that won’t break the bank | TheClose10–Save $10 |
Colibri Real Estate has paid for this placement. However, our team of experts approved Colibri Real Estate as an appropriate product and our content remains editorially independent.
Use Our Code “TheClose30” to Get 30% Off on All Colibri Real Estate Prelicensing Courses.
Since each state determines local licensing rules and accredited providers, our advice may differ depending on where you’re looking to practice real estate. For tailored suggestions and resources, select your state below.
The prelicensing courses that Colibri Real Estate offers are designed for students with little or no business experience. Its program includes material that sets them up for a smooth transition into real estate. Some of Colibri’s package options also include exam prep courses and continuing education (in partnership with McKissock Learning). The added assurance of Colibri’s Pass or Don’t Pay guarantee is also helpful, but it’s not available in all states or all class tiers.
Colibri Real Estate offers prelicensing courses in most states, exam preparation in all 50, plus continuing education and broker licensing courses in selected states. The company is continuously expanding its coverage, so we’ll make sure to update this page regularly.
In each school review, we priced out four of the most populous states in different areas of the country to give you an idea of what the program might cost you. As with other institutions below, Colibri usually has many package options with different offerings—basic to premium—so we’re providing you the price ranges for the programs in each of these four states. Make sure to check with Colibri Real Estate for the exact pricing in your state, as well as any discounts or promotions currently available.
| Texas | California | New York | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelicensing | $627-$949 | $141-$499 | $355-$613 | $147-447 |
| Exam Preparation | $115-$609 | $115-$219 | $115-$219 | $115-$329 |
| Continuing Education Courses* | $159-$199 | $69-$99 | $159-$199 | $29-$40 |
*CE courses offered by McKissock Learning
Use promo code TheClose30 at checkout and SAVE 30% on all Colibri Real Estate prelicensing courses.
The Colibri Real Estate courses are definitely text-heavy and a lot of reading is involved. Students who need a more interactive experience might prefer a school such as Kaplan.
We also feel that Colibri Real Estate could improve its mobile interface. As mobile learning edges closer to the norm, students are looking for easy, streamlined offerings on their phones. While you can take their courses on a phone or tablet, Colibri Real Estate recommends using Google Chrome as your browser, and you must take final exams and unit quizzes on your desktop computer or laptop for optimal functionality.
Colibri Real Estate’s premium courses offer not only everything soon-to-be real estate professionals need to launch their careers, but they have also expanded their offerings of broker courses, in case you’re already looking to further your real estate career. They’re now available in nine states, including New York, Illinois, California, Texas, and Georgia.
If you want to learn more about what Colibri Real Estate has to offer, check out our full review of their platform, including a behind-the-scenes video walk-through. Visit their website to find out about course availability and pricing in your state.
The CE Shop offers a wide variety of courses and packages for real estate professionals, including prelicensing courses, exam prep, and post-licensing requirements. Also, with its custom Leap 2.0 system, The CE Shop optimizes your real estate courses for delivery on just about any platform, so you can knock out education requirements on the go.
The CE Shop offers prelicensing courses directly in many states (see below). But also, they partner with other schools to provide at least some form of real estate education in all 50 states. Even Maine students, for example, can take their exam prep courses through the company.
The CE Shop offers some outstanding continuing education courses in unique niches. Assistance Animals in Fair Housing, Marijuana Laws in Real Estate, and Land Contract Details are just some of the topics you can learn about while fulfilling your continuing education requirements.
Every three years, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) requires its members to take a refresher course in the NAR Code of Ethics. The CE Shop offers a great course that fulfills this requirement called Code of Ethics: Good for Your Clients and Your Business.
The CE Shop’s courses are all online and the interface can feel a little clunky. It can be hard to navigate backward and forward within the courses. We would really like to see The CE Shop put more effort into embedding videos and links as well. The material can be dry and text-heavy.
We’re impressed with The CE Shop’s affordable and comprehensive prelicensing packages. But what really makes it stand out is the library of interesting CE courses that will fulfill your state’s requirements year after year.
Students looking for flexible options for completing their real estate prelicensing education should definitely consider Aceable Agent. Their mobile-first online platform is ideal for students fitting in classes between other priorities. Their PDF-based, long-form course is also an excellent choice if you learn best by reading.
Aceable Agent offers real estate prelicensing in the teal-colored states in the image below. They also offer continuing education in New York, Texas, and Georgia, and post-licensing education in Texas.
Aceable Agent’s platform was developed for a digitally savvy audience. Its clean, modern interface is easy to navigate and makes working and learning on the go a real possibility. So if you want to complete your classes online (either from a computer, tablet, or phone), you can.
But you can also work from well-written PDFs. You decide day-to-day how you want to consume the content. These methods clearly work for students who choose Aceable, as the school advertises an outstanding national pass rate of 91%.
We commend Aceable Agent for their singular approach and focus on excellence in mobile prelicensing courses, but we know that budding real estate professionals have to think about more than just prelicensing. The company’s exam prep packages and continuing education have very limited availability, and they offer no broker preparation whatsoever.
If it’s time to take the next step in your career and add “real estate professional” to your business card, we recommend Aceable Agent as it’s easy to fit their mobile courses into your schedule. They’re an ideal provider if you’re looking for an affordable, flexible course that makes it easy to balance other priorities.
If you’re looking for a company that is synonymous with quality instruction, look no further than Kaplan. The company has a long track record of preparing students for standardized tests across a variety of industries. It’s also a long-time provider of prelicensing courses for students fulfilling their state requirements and preparing for their real estate license exam.
Kaplan either offers prelicensing courses or partners with local schools in the states below. They also offer continuing education, broker licensing, and exam prep courses in some states.
Kaplan‘s best feature is its ability to cater to a variety of learning styles. In most states, you can choose from three different online formats: Home Study, OnDemand, and Live Online.
Another feature we love is Kaplan’s Real Estate Accelerator. It’s a professional development course led by a highly qualified real estate agent with a ton of experience and knowledge to share. This accelerator program isn’t part of the required prelicensing course hours, but it can help you jump-start your business plan and marketing strategy.
Kaplan’s interface for their OnDemand and Live Online formats is a little dated compared to what you’ll find at other online schools we’ve reviewed. Students reported having trouble running Kaplan’s programs on various web browsers, so a little bit of technology troubleshooting might be necessary.
If a live, instructor-led online experience is what you’re looking for, Kaplan is often your best option. Visit their website today to find out which courses are available in your area.
RealEstateU launched in 2013 in New York and has since expanded to 14 states, including Texas, California, Florida, Washington, the Carolinas, and Michigan. Designed for budget-conscious consumers, this is one of the least expensive programs on the market. If you put in your time and the format works for your learning style, it’s an excellent, affordable option.
RealEstateU offers prelicensing courses in the following states:
Overall, RealEstateU is consistently one of the most affordable options on the market. Pricing varies by state, ranging from $99 to $500 for prelicensing, which is a real bargain compared to other providers. Exam prep is an additional cost of about $125. Make sure to check with RealEstateU for the exact pricing in your state, as well as what current discount promotions are available.
| Texas | California | New York | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelicensing | $299-$473 | $149-$453 | $199-$503 | $99-$253 |
| Exam Preparation | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 |
| Continuing Education Courses | N/A | N/A | $149 | N/A |
RealEstateU’s greatest strength is in the support it provides students. While most online schools just focus on helping you pass the exam, RealEstateU offers plenty of resources to assist you before you start and after you’ve passed.
For example, they have an excellent and regularly updated blog, plus their FAQ section for each state is one of the most comprehensive we’ve seen. RealEstateU also offers some amazing investment courses such as Real Estate Accounting for Beginners, Motivation From a Proven Investor, and a free nine-chapter course called How to Be a Successful Real Estate Agent.
We hope that RealEstateU will incorporate more inventive and innovative approaches to teaching that work for a wider range of learning styles. Currently, they offer mostly audio classes, which may work for some students, but not others. If interactive courses with a live instructor are important to you, consider Kaplan.
There’s really no downside to trying RealEstateU if they have courses in your state. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee* so you can try it out and decide if it’s the right format for you. If it is, you’re getting your courses at a real bargain!
*Some states, such as Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and Tennessee, prohibit guarantees on passing the licensure exam. Students will still be able to pick and enroll in their desired course, but the money-back guarantee won’t be honored by real estate providers from the aforementioned states.
It might seem like a simple decision—choosing the best school—but there are many factors to consider for your real estate education.
Signing up for an online real estate school is as easy as creating an account when you’re shopping online. Selecting the courses you need to take is just like adding items to your cart. Of course, the number one step is to check that you’ve selected the right state when signing up. From there, you will only need to provide your personal information, email address, and payment details.
The registration terms vary per school, so make sure that you’re 100% decided on where you want to enroll. If not, then make sure that you’ve read your chosen school’s refund policy.
| School | Texas | California | New York | Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall: Colibri Real Estate | $627-$949 | $141-$499 | $355-$613 | $147-$447 |
| Best All-in-One: The CE Shop | $595-$1,185 | $139-$469 | $315-$735 | $139-$369 |
| Best Mobile: Aceable Agent | $449-$749 | $179-$399 | $239-$469 | $116-$329 |
| Best Live Instruction: Kaplan | $389-$1,089 | $179-$949 | $509-$909 | $249-$599 |
| Best on a Budget: RealEstateU | $299-$473 | $149-$453 | $199-$503 | $99-$253 |
(Prelicensing packages as of August 2023)
This list did not just appear overnight. At The Close, we have a team of licensed real estate professionals, writers, and editors who research and score the best real estate schools using a weighted rubric according to the following criteria:
The answer to this question depends on your learning style and what you need to master new material. If you’re someone who needs face-to-face interaction in a classroom setting, away from obligations and distractions at home, an in-person class might be the best bet. For that, consider checking out the local real estate schools in your area.
However, if you’ve got some experience with online learning or are willing to try something different, the online real estate school experience is often more convenient. Online courses offer the benefit of flexibility with self-paced courses as well as massive online resource libraries where you can find answers to your questions in real time.
Also, if you have a question that you can’t answer yourself, most major online real estate schools offer instructor support through email, live chat, or even video chat.
If you’ve never participated in an online learning environment, it can sound a little intimidating at first, but we assure you it isn’t. If you’ve ever gone to YouTube to find out how to change a headlight or fix a leaking sink, you’ve already attended a short online class.
The live stream classes you’ll take through any of our five recommended online real estate schools will be involved and interactive. Self-paced learning via video and audio courses are more flexible, but you’ll be more accountable for setting aside time and energy to engage with them. Regardless of the method you choose, online real estate education will require your time and attention, but if you can watch and learn from a video on YouTube, you’ll be fine.
According to the National Association of Realtors’ data, there are more than 1.5 million Realtors in the 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. This is a very slight increase from the previous month, and a 1% decrease from this time last year. The top 10 states (FL, CA, TX, NY, NJ, NC, AZ, IL, GA, PA) boast the vast majority of agents (940,353).
It all depends on the number of deals and the commission splits, but according to The Close’s salary database, the average real estate agent in the United States makes $73,985. If you want to know how much real estate agents in your area make, check out our state-by-state analysis here.
According to Zillow, home prices in America rose 1.2% over the past year, reaching an average of $348,853. Texas saw a slight decrease, with home values down 0.4% to $303,971. Average home values in New York are $441,462, and in California, that number hovers around $743,362. Florida had a slight increase (1.6%) in home values over the last year to reach an average of $390,856.
Picking a real estate school is just the first step in your journey to a new career. We stand behind all the schools on this list and hope we’ve helped you find the best online real estate school to meet your state’s requirements, budget, and learning style. Have you taken courses with these schools or others? Do you have any advice for prospective students? Please leave a comment below and let us know.
Chris LinsellChris is a writer, coach, speaker, and technology analyst specializing in marketing, lead generation, transactional best practices, and everything in between.
hello i am a curious prospective Nevada real estate agent. I require a self paced online course with lots of video-based teachings, i learn best with real life situation examples and broken-down material. which school would yoo recommend. please and thank you kindly
Gina Baker Reply Hi ToniMichelle – I would recommend taking a look at Aceable Agent or Colibri Real Estate. More commentsIf you’re searching for the best real estate schools in California, we've evaluated the ones with feature-rich, comprehensive, and convenient packages to suit every type of learning style.
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