Best Online Real Estate Schools

If you’ve ever studied for the SAT, ACT, or AP exams, you may have used a Kaplan workbook or taken a Kaplan class. But it turns out Kaplan also offers real estate education.

There are a few different ways the course is structured. You can interact with your fellow students in the live online courses with a fixed lecture schedule. It’s worth noting that this type of class is not available in all states. But if you prefer a more flexible study program that goes at your own speed, you can use the home study method, which includes self-paced reading from an e-textbook. You can also get the best of both worlds using the OnDemand structure, where you can watch videos of previously recorded lessons.

Prices vary from state to state. We’ve seen pre-licensing classes for as low as $149 and a separate Broker Drill and Practice Question Bank exam prep class starting at $69. With your class registration, you have access to a test-question database, enabling you to simulate nearly every test environment. Also, the database is online, so you can access it anytime.

Pre-licensing courses in the states we checked ranged between 40 and 180 hours, and prices vary from state to state; the company's courses are available in nearly every state. Prices start at $129 for an introductory course.

Real Estate Express has a rich library of content for students and even a live Q&A program for students to chat with real estate professionals. In addition to pre-licensing courses, the school offers an Exam Prep course, which you can buy separately from the pre-licensing course for $99. You'll learn everything it takes to pass your exam and what it'll be like as a real estate broker or agent.

Real Estate Express also offers packages ranging from basic lower-tier courses to professional development coaching. Agents and brokers can also take continuing education courses through a sister school, McKissock Learning, to help maintain annual licensing requirements. We've seen prices for continuing education as low as $68.95.

If you want to upgrade your license with additional certification, including as a certified buyer or seller's agent, the school has courses for that, too. It has a high rating from consumers, and if you fail the exam and are unsatisfied, there is a pass or don't pay guarantee.

The CE Shop runs its courses on proprietary software, Leap 2.0, which lets you learn on your phone, tablet, or laptop. The app and video design are streamlined for easy learning, and industry experts with combined decades of experience created the curriculum.

Continuing education courses start at around $9, and exam prep starts at $75, making it a great value. And if you practice in multiple states, CE can do a cost-effective bundle, so you get your requirements through multi-state qualifying courses.

Also, 93% of The CE Shop’s students gave it a “great” or “excellent” rating on Trustpilot. The pre-licensing and CE classes are available in all 50 states.

This is the educational arm of the National Association of Realtors, with an extensive library of classes that will help you specialize in areas like military relocation and real estate for seniors. 

The Center serves as an online space for classes from a variety of organizations, such as The Certified International Property Specialists and Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager.

The prices for individual courses start at $29, and bundled classes can go up to nearly $1,250. The goal of these certifications is to build consumer confidence in the real estate transaction by giving real estate agents and brokers designations. For example, getting a designation to work with senior citizens gives property owners confidence that their agent is thinking about things from a senior’s perspective.

Some courses are only available for members of the National Association of Realtors. The company also frequently runs sales and promotions, so you may be able to get a discount on your courses.