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TOP-RATED 3 Real Estate Schools in Arizona in 2024

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss

If you have been considering a career in real estate, Arizona is one of the best markets to be in. The first step is to get a real estate license. The Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) is the agency that is in charge of overseeing all the requirements needed to obtain a real estate license in Arizona. They require you take 90 hours of pre-licensing education and complete a 6-hour Contracts Writing course. After that, you will need to pass a real estate exam at a testing center.

The next step is to find a real estate school approved by the ADRE to complete the coursework. Finding a good school isn’t as easy as you might think. Currently, there are over 200 approved education providers offering real estate courses in Arizona, but not all the schools have all the courses you need to get licensed. Some offer the 90-hour courses, but don’t have the 6-hour Contracts Writing course. Additionally, there are some schools that don’t have any courses, but only help you prepare for the exam at the end.

After going through extensive research reviewing all the different real estate schools in Arizona, we’ve compiled a list of the top three schools that will give you everything you need to get licensed.

1. Arizona School of Real Estate & Business (ASREB)

Arizona School of Real Estate & Business (ASREB) is currently the oldest and largest real estate school in Arizona. They also have the highest first-time pass rate of 77% on the real estate exam out of all the schools in the state. ASREB has one of the most extensive real estate programs in the state with over 300 continuing education courses available. You will be able to find any course you need throughout your entire real estate career here.

While ASREB offers an online program, what really differentiates them from other schools are their live classes. This is the traditional learning environment, where you are physically sitting inside of a classroom and listening to an instructor teach the lesson. This gives you the greatest amount of engagement but they are only offered in Glendale and Scottsdale. If you can’t make the class in person, they do have a livestream version available, where you can watch the instructor teach the class from your computer at home. This gives you the best of both worlds.

The packages at ASREB are quite a bit more expensive compared to other schools. However, they do try to include additional study aids to help you learn, such as hardcopy textbooks, vocabulary review and online practice exams. If you don’t feel you need all of these extra things, you can purchase the course separately.

Best suited for: Interactive Learning

ASREB has the largest real estate program in Arizona with the highest pass rate. Though they are on the higher end of the price range, they offer live classes that you can take in person or stream through online video. If you have a hard time staying focused or motivated when it comes to school work, this will be a great way to keep you engaged.

2. Aceable

Aceable is the new hot thing in the real estate education industry. They have been providing real estate courses around the country for a long time, but only recently started offering courses in Arizona. To give you a sense of how massively successful their program is, they originally started the school in Texas 7 years ago and now have the highest pass rate on the real estate exam out of all the biggest schools in Texas.

Aceable has achieved this feat not by copying what other schools are doing, but by coming up with their own innovative ideas to help their students learn better. The first major difference you will notice is the way the courses are written. They are not written like an old, dry college textbook. Instead, the writing style reads as if one of your friends were coaching you through the lesson. This makes learning less intimidating and easier to understand.

Another big difference with Aceable is the variety of multimedia tools they have to keep you engaged. You can listen to an audio version of the course, which is handy when you are stuck in rush hour traffic or taking the dog out for a walk. There are also targeted recorded videos that save you time by filtering out the most important concepts you need to know for you. Additionally, they foster an interactive learning environment by creating their own exercises and unique quiz formats that break up the monotony of studying.

Bonus: Aceable includes the 6-hour Contracts Writing course in their 90 hour bundle, so you don’t need to take any extra courses to satisfy this requirement! Most other schools make you take this as a separate course in addition to the 90 hours, so you end up with 96 total hours.

Best suited for: Busy People

Aceable brings a fresh approach to online learning, incorporating a variety of tools to keep you engaged and ultimately save you time. This works well for people who are interested in getting licensed quickly and at an affordable cost. If your schedule is already full and you will be doing this part-time, this will be a great fit to work around your schedule while still giving you the flexibility to move at the pace you want.

3. The CE Shop

The CE Shop is one of the largest real estate schools in the country, offering courses in all 50 states. They are a 100% online-only shop, meaning that they don’t have any live classes or hardcopy textbooks available. They have built their program from the ground up, optimized to adapt to today’s ever-evolving, internet-connected environment.

At the heart of The CE Shop program is their own custom-made learning system called LEAP 2.0. It has a very clean and sleek interface, giving off a modern vibe. You can easily access the course from your laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and switch between devices at any time. The streamlined navigation will keep track of your progress seamlessly for you. They have developed their courses to incorporate real life scenarios and bring their content to life through the use of revolutionary practice exercises.

But what makes The CE Shop unique is how they really try to get you to master the material. They don’t want you to simply memorize a bunch of facts. They use an inquiry-based model to get your constant feedback, which quizzes you in a variety of different formats to make sure you understand the material from all angles. This type of rigorous learning environment drills down the important concepts you need to know very thoroughly and allows you to recall the answers with ease when you actually take the exam.

Best suited for: Knowledge Seekers

If your main priority is to get licensed as fast as possible, then The CE Shop probably won’t be the best program for you. However, if you would rather go in depth and learn as much as possible about real estate laws and regulations, then this course will definitely put your studying skills to the test. The result? You will be better prepared to tackle the real estate exam and serve your future clients.

Real Estate School Reviews

Real Estate Schools with the Best Pass Rates in Kentucky in 2024

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss Leave a comment

If you want to become a real estate agent in Kentucky, you will need to obtain the Sales Associate license first. The Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) is the agency that regulates the entire real estate industry for the state, including licensing requirements.

KREC requires that you complete 96 hours of approved real estate education and pass the Sales Associate exam to get licensed. It’s a pretty simple process to obtain the license. However, that largely depends on which school you decide to go with. That’s why we have come up with a list of the best real estate programs in Kentucky to help you become a real estate agent.

1. Colibri Real Estate

Best School for Busy People

Colibri Real Estate currently holds the position as the largest online real estate school in Kentucky. They have a ton of options and a variety of different tools to help you study. This means that no matter your current situation, they will have a program that fits your schedule and your budget.

The pre-licensing course is in the standard online format, where you get to read through the material online at your own pace. There will be quizzes as you move through each section and final exam taken online at the end. This gives you the freedom to study at any time and anywhere. If you are juggling a lot of things at work or at home, this school will give you the maximum amount of flexibility.

Another notable difference with Colibri Real Estate is that they offer a complete solution to begin a new career. When you finish the course, they have additional video courses to help you pass the real estate exam and hit the ground running after you receive your license. This career booster helps newly licensed agents learn how to generate leads, negotiate contracts, and close deals.

2. Kaplan Real Estate

Best School for Video Classes

Kaplan Real Estate is arguably the biggest name in the education industry. This billion-dollar company has over 12,000 employees with programs in over 100 countries. They have a proven track record spanning 80 years of helping people launch new careers.

Kaplan Real Estate has recently upgraded to a full online video course program. This means you can watch the videos at any time and have up to 6 months to complete the program. This is a great option for people who want to stay more engaged during the course but don’t have as much free time to meet the rigid schedule of a live class. You get the best of both worlds.

If you need any help while taking the course, you will get access to their helpful Interactive Study Groups. These are live video webinars where you can join a lively discussion on a range of topics with instructors or your fellow peers. It’s like having a virtual study group where you can ask all your questions.

3. The CE Shop

Best School for Knowledge Seekers

If you are one of those people who genuinely enjoys learning, The CE Shop is the perfect school for you. While they do not offer any physical study materials such as hardcopy books, they designed their online platform to make sure you learn the material in multiple ways.

Although the course text-based, you are not just reading the whole time like at other online schools. They developed their own proprietary system called LEAP to give you scenario-based examples to make it as close to what you will experience in the real world as an agent. The LEAP system also encourages active learning with frequent multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and matching quizzes. This system seems to be working as 88% of their students pass the national portion and 70% of people pass the state exam. Compare this with the state average of 62% and 55%, respectively.

What really makes The CE Shop different from other programs is the level of difficulty. They don’t make it easy. That is done by design because they want you to master the material and genuinely understand the concepts. You get quizzed and tested more than other schools with this program. However, the result is that you will be better prepared to pass the exam successfully.

Real Estate School Reviews

TOP-RATED 4 Real Estate Schools in South Carolina in 2024

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss Leave a comment

Becoming a real estate agent is one of the most rewarding careers you can have. You get to be your own boss, make a lot of money, and help people realize their lifelong dream of owning a home.

The first step to become a real estate agent in South Carolina is to get licensed by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (LLR). This is the state agency responsible for regulating the entire real estate industry for South Carolina. They require that to obtain a real estate license, a person needs to complete 90 hours of approved education and pass the real estate exam.

Beginning a new career can seem like a daunting endeavor, but by choosing the right real estate school, you can make this transition a lot more smooth and seamless. After going down the entire list of approved education providers, we have handpicked the ones that will give you the best chance at becoming a successful real estate agent in South Carolina.

1. Aceable

Best School for Busy People

Aceable is one of the fastest growing online real estate schools in the industry. They have gone out of their way to make learning fun and engaging while giving you tools to focus on the most important concepts. Aceable has set up their program so that somebody who already has a full-time job, or simply a busy schedule, can quickly learn at their own pace but also receive help in targeted areas when they need it.

The course material is presented in an online text format. You are going through it as if you are reading an online book. Aceable stands out from other schools with their down-to-Earth style with which they have written their courses. It doesn’t read like a boring, old textbook that was written decades ago. Their writing style sounds conversational and relatable, as if one of your friends were teaching you the lesson. This makes the content easier to understand and digest.

Another key differentiator with Aceable are the over 70 audio and video lessons that are in the Deluxe and Premium packages. These supplemental learning tools target the most important topics you need to know and save you time by identifying the key concepts for you. This helps save you time by reinforcing important information faster and in a more engaging way.

If you do need help while taking the course, Aceable has among the most robust support options available in the industry. You can get an hour of a one-on-one private tutoring session with a real estate expert to cover any topic of your choice. There are group live webinar sessions held five times every week. If you can’t attend the live sessions, you still get access to hundreds of recorded videos that you can watch any time.

2. Colibri Real Estate

Best School with the Lowest Prices

Colibri Real Estate is the largest online real estate school in the country, having served over 350,000 real estate professionals nationwide. While their program doesn’t really stand out in any one particular area, they do give you the most options and tools out of any school in the industry. Also, Colibri Real Estate can leverage its large presence to provide great promotions on their courses.

All the packages they offer include the course in the traditional online book format, where you read the material online. There will be online tests at the end of each section to move forward to the next chapter. They do have physical copies of the hardcopy books available for purchase as well. You get 6 months to independently move at your own pace and finish the course. If you love to read, this format will be a great option.

One of the other major areas that distinguishes Colibri Real Estate from other schools is their exam prep for the real estate exam. Most schools will only give you multiple-choice practice tests. Colibri Real Estate offers that as well but goes the extra mile by also offering an optional video course specifically designed to help you pass the test called the Live Exam Crammer Series. This consists of six live webinars covering specific areas of the test and gives you a good foundation on what to expect.

3. The CE Shop

Best School for Knowledge Seekers

The CE Shop is one of the more established online real estate schools in the industry. Their philosophy of teaching is more data-driven and analytical. They want to see how their students are actually performing on the exams and track the results more than any other school. This allows them to fine-tune and update their courses as necessary. Boasting a national exam pass rate of 91%, their method seems to be working.

The CE Shop experience starts with their proprietary learning platform called LEAP, which they designed from the ground up. The course layout looks sleek and modern, allowing you to navigate and see your progress with ease. Although you are primarily reading the course material online, they incorporate a variety of content, such as interactive images, true/false scenarios, and matching terms/definitions, to make your learning experience more engaging and effective.

The biggest differentiator with The CE Shop compared to other schools is that they want you to truly master the material, not just learn it to pass the exam. There are no cutting corners or taking shortcuts with this rigorous program. The advantage with this approach is that passing the exam will be a walk in the park and you will be set up for success in every stage of your career. However, the downside is that it may take you longer to complete the course.

The CE Shop is 100% online only. This means that they do not have any physical study materials such as hardcopy books available. However, to make up for this, they do have mobile-friendly courses, so that you can seamlessly continue your studies on a tablet or your smartphone.

Real Estate School Reviews

Top 4 Online Real Estate Schools in Virginia in 2024

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss Leave a comment

Becoming a real estate agent can be a challenging but rewarding experience. You get to be your own boss, help people achieve their dreams, and are only limited by your own potential.

The first step to become a real estate agent is to obtain a real estate license through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation Real Estate Board. They require that you complete 60-hours of approved pre-licensing education and pass a real estate exam at a testing center.

Where you get your coursework done will play a critical role in how successful you will be when you first embark on this new career. We have reviewed all of the real estate schools in Virginia and selected the ones that will give you the best chance for becoming a real estate agent in Virginia.

1. Aceable Agent

Best School for Busy People

Aceable has re-invented online real estate courses by taking a fresh approach to learning. They don’t believe that learning has to be boring and are using technology to help make that happen. Their courses are designed by top-producing real estate agents, so they know what you really need to know and perhaps, more importantly, what you don’t.

Everything is laid out in a very simple and easy-to-use format. Even the three packages that are available for you to choose from are easy to understand and don’t use any obscure terminology. This personable approach translates into the course material as well. When you read the online book, the writing style makes you feel like you have an online coach helping you through the lesson.

One of the significant things that separate Aceable’s program from other schools are their time-saving tools for studying. For example, they have a narrated audio version of the course, so you can listen to it while you are commuting to work or exercising at the gym. They are also one of the few schools to have a mobile app that you can download to your iPhone or Android smartphone. The app shows you bite-sized pieces of material that you can digest quickly while you are waiting in line at the grocery store or sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office.

2. Colibri Real Estate

Best School with the Lowest Prices

Colibri Real Estate is by far the biggest online school in the real estate industry. They have a plethora of options available for you to choose from. While most schools offer two or three packages, they give you four packages to pick from depending on your needs. They also have frequent promotions so you can usually get the best deal.

You have two options to take the course: online or livestream.

The online course is text-based and self-paced, which means you are are reading an online book and taking quizzes along the way. They do offer a hardcopy version of the book as well for an additional fee. With this format, you are studying independently and can move as slow or as fast as you want for up to 6 months. If you need assistance, you still have access to their instructors via phone and email.

The other option is their livestream format. This is a live webinar over Zoom where you get to watch an instructor teach the course in real-time. This format provides the maximum engagement if you have trouble staying focused. However, with any live class, this means you do have to make sure you attend the class on time. They currently only offer the livestream format about once a month and sessions may be all day or evenings only, so you will have to make sure this limited availability fits your schedule.

3. The CE Shop

Best School for Knowledge Seekers

You are not just reading the whole time like at other online schools. They developed their own proprietary system called LEAP to give you scenario-based examples to make it as close to what you will experience in the real world as an agent. The LEAP system also encourages active learning with frequent multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and matching quizzes. This system seems to be working as 77% of their students pass the national portion and 74% of people pass the state exam. Compare this with the state average of 56% and 58%, respectively.

4. Kaplan Real Estate

Best School for Formal Training

Kaplan is the 800-pound gorilla of real estate education. This billion-dollar company has been around for almost 100 years, and is one of the most recognized brands in the world. Being such a well-respected brand with top-notch instructors, they do charge premium prices for their courses.

Kaplan takes on a more conservative approach to learning. You won’t find a bunch of flashy animations or high-tech apps to download. The tone and style of instruction is similar to that of sitting in a college classroom. If you prefer doing things the traditional way, this will be a great format for you.

The 60-hour course itself is presented in an online book format, where you read through the material online and answer multiple-choice questions at the end of each section. You can study at any time and move at your own pace. This course also includes access to their Interactive Study Groups, which are live webinar sessions that allow you to interact with faculty and your fellow students for questions.

Real Estate School Reviews

Top Real Estate Schools In Illinois Based On Your Personality in 2024

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss Leave a comment

There are a lot of real estate schools to choose from in Illinois, and each school has their own approach to learning. Some schools like incorporating a lot of repetitive exercises to help with memorizing a lot of facts while other schools focus more on understanding real estate law on a broader scope. Both methods can be successful, so it’s really going to depend on finding the school that matches the way you like to study that will increase your probability for success.

To find out which school is right for you, we’ll need to determine what kind of person you are. Below are the major personality categories from the well-known Myers–Briggs Type Indicator test. You will most likely associate with more than one category, so just pick the one that you feel is most dominant in your overall personality.

Extroverts love being around people all the time.
Introverts may enjoy being around other people but definitely need alone time as well.
Sensors prefer to see things with their own eyes. They stick to practical activities that engage their five senses.
Intuitives look at the big picture rather than small details. They are dreamers who see endless possibilities.
Thinkers love to analyze lots of data and numbers to form an objective opinion.
Feelers are a people-person who make decisions based on gut feelings and personal values.
Judgers are highly organized and prefer structure and planning.
Perceivers go with the flow. They are spontaneous, open-minded, and can adapt to their environment.

Now that you’ve identified the type of person you are, we can review the best real estate schools that match your personality that will help you successfully obtain your real estate license in Illinois.

Best School for Introverts, Intuitives, and Perceivers

Colibri Real Estate

Introverts
Colibri Real Estate is a great option for Introverts because of their comprehensive online resources and support for independent self-study. They have flashcards, study guides, recorded webinars, worksheets, and even hard copy books available to give you the freedom to study however you want.

Intuitives
As the largest online real estate school in the country, Colibri Real Estate offers the complete career solution for Intuitives. They have courses to help you in every step of your real estate career, from getting licensed all the way to closing more real estate transactions.

Perceivers
Colibri Real Estate caters to Perceivers by offering the most packages and resources of any school. You get the flexibility to explore various topics of real estate that you find interesting with complete independence. This open learning environment also helps people with busy schedules by giving them the flexibility to go at their own pace.

Best School for Extroverts and Feelers

Real Estate Institute

Extroverts
Extroverts will feel energized and motivated by attending one of Real Estate Institute’s live classes in the Chicago area. Their top-notch instructors will present and reinforce concepts from the course textbook to show you the ins-and-outs of the real estate market.

Their physical classrooms are located in Niles, Lincoln Park, South Loop, West Loop, and Wicker Park. The classes run all day long on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 2 weeks. They only offer these live classes once a month, so there may be scheduling conflicts for some people.

Feelers
By attending one of the live classes offered at Real Estate Institute, Feelers will be able to cultivate new relationships and form connections with their peers. Being able to make new friends in class will make learning a lot more comfortable and inviting. Role-playing scenarios, group discussions, and sharing stories can enhance the learning experience and make studying enjoyable.

Best School for Sensors, Thinkers, and Judgers

The CE Shop

Sensors
Sensors will thrive with The CE Shop’s structured learning environment. There are a wide variety of interactive exercises to help you learn through repetition and memorization. They have one of the hardest programs in the real estate industry, so it may take you longer to finish the course. However, you will come away having mastered the material and will be able to pass the exam with ease.

Thinkers
At The CE Shop, it’s all about analyzing data. That’s why this school is a perfect match for Thinkers. They built their own custom learning platform called LEAP 2.0 from scratch. It is an inquiry-based model that gets your feedback as you study. This helps it generate test questions tailored to you to make your learning experience as optimal as possible.

Judgers
Judgers may prefer the clean interface and organized format from The CE Shop. Everything is laid out clearly and neatly. They walk you through the material one slide at a time, and you can easily see your progress along the way. They have developed a thoughtful program from start to finish by closely monitoring how all of their students performed on the actual exam.

Real Estate School Reviews

Best Real Estate Schools In Ohio For Your Personality in 2024

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss Leave a comment

Choosing the right real estate school will set the tone for how you obtain the real estate license. Every school is different. They have different teaching styles, use their own textbooks, and go by their own methodology. That’s why the best school you can go with is the one that you click with and fits your own unique personality.

The first step we need to take before finding the right match is to determine the kind of person you are. Using the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator personality test, review the categories below to see which one you align with the most. You will probably have more than one, so just go with the one that is your dominant tendency.

Extroverts love being around people all the time.
Introverts may enjoy being around other people but definitely need alone time as well.
Sensors prefer to see things with their own eyes. They stick to practical activities that engage their five senses.
Intuitives look at the big picture rather than small details. They are dreamers who see endless possibilities.
Thinkers love to analyze lots of data and numbers to form an objective opinion.
Feelers are a people-person who make decisions based on gut feelings and personal values.
Judgers are highly organized and prefer structure and planning.
Perceivers go with the flow. They are spontaneous, open-minded, and can adapt to their environment.

Now that you’ve identified the type of person you are, we can take a look at the best real estate schools that match your personality to help you successfully obtain your real estate license.

Best School for Extroverts, Sensors, Intuitives, and Feelers

Hondros College

Extroverts
Extroverts will thrive learning in one of Hondros’ live classes. They have a staff of nearly 60 dedicated real estate instructors who are ready to educate new and seasoned industry professionals. They are Ohio’s largest real estate school, helping over 25,000 people with their real estate courses each year.

To attend classes in person, you will need to visit one of their locations in Columbus/Westerville, Cincinnati/West Chester, Cleveland South/Independence, Toledo/Maumee, or in Dayton. There are three class schedules available to choose from: Monday through Thursdays, weekends only, or evenings only.

If these times don’t work with your schedule, Hondros does offer a livestream option that you can take from home. You will just need a reliable internet connection and can virtually attend the class from anywhere on your laptop or computer. This alternative gives you the best of both worlds by giving you the real-time engagement of a classroom instructor without the hassle of the commute.

Sensors
Sensors will appreciate all the variety of tools that are available to help you learn better. They have simulated practice tests, math review, real estate dictionary, vocabulary flashcards, and even hardcopy textbooks. Hondros is so confident in these tools that they guarantee you will pass or they will give you your money back under their Don’t Pay Guarantee.

Intuitives
As the largest online real estate school in Ohio, Hondros offers the complete career solution for Intuitives. They will not only get you licensed, but they will be able to help you transition immediately to a broker by tapping into one of their existing relationships with 45 of the top 50 real estate brokerages in Ohio.

Feelers
By attending one of the live classes offered at Hondros, Feelers will be able to cultivate new relationships and form connections with their peers. Being able to make new friends in class will make learning a lot more comfortable and inviting. Role-playing scenarios, group discussions, and sharing stories can enhance the learning experience and make studying enjoyable.

Best School for Introverts, Thinkers, and Judgers

Davis College (Powered by The CE Shop)

Introverts
Davis College has the perfect program for introverts. The course is 100% online only, so you can study independently from home without having to talk to an instructor. If you have questions, they have chat, email, and phone support options available 7 days a week. While the bulk of the time you will be reading an online book, there area a wide variety of interactive exercises and video clips to keep you engaged.

Thinkers
Davis College is also a great option for Thinkers. They built their own custom learning platform called LEAP 2.0 from scratch. It is an inquiry-based model that gets your feedback as you study. This helps it generate test questions tailored to you to make your learning experience as optimal as possible. This means there are no shortcuts and you will genuinely have to master the material. You may end up spending more time to finish the course but the end result is you will be better prepared to pass the exam.

Perceivers
If your schedule is already busy with kids, a full-time job, or other commitments, Davis College will give you the flexibility you need to work around your schedule. You get 6 months of unlimited access to work on the course at your own pace. The platform has built to work seamlessly between all your internet connected devices like your smartphone, laptop, and tablet. You get full control to decide where, when, and how to study.

TOP-RATED 4 Online Real Estate Schools in Georgia in 2024

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss 2 comments

If you are tired of working for other people and ready to become your own boss, a real estate career is one of the best ways to do it. It doesn’t require any previous experience, doesn’t cost a lot of money to get licensed, and gives you the potential to make as much as you want. You just have to have a passion for meeting new people and helping others achieve their dream.

The Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC) is the government regulator that establishes all of the rules and licensing requirements for the entire state of Georgia. They require that you get a basic level of education on the real estate industry by completing a 75-hour pre-license course and taking a real estate exam at a testing center. After you get licensed, there is an additional 25-hour post-license course that must be completed within your first year of licensure. This only has to be done once and is really an extension of the pre-license course. From there, you just need to complete 36 hours of continuing education every 4 years to renew your Georgia real estate license.

Finding the right real estate school will play a crucial role in your success. Not only does it help you fulfill all of the state’s requirements, but it will build your confidence as you embark on this new endeavor. We’ve saved you the hassle of doing the research and reviewed the top real estate schools that will guarantee your success.

1. Aceable

Best School for Busy People

Aceable is one of the fastest growing real estate schools in the industry. While they are still relatively young, you wouldn’t know that by taking their courses. That’s because they have leveraged technology more than any other school to make education feel more engaging and convenient. If you already have a full-time job or simply a busy schedule, Aceable gives you the tools you need to stay on track.

One of the ways they have done that is in the way they have written their courses. Although you take their course by reading an online book, Aceable injects a lot of personality and interactive exercises into their content. The language in the course is very friendly and down-to-Earth, as if one of your friends is coaching you through the lesson. This personable approach makes the material easier to digest and learn.

Another significant thing that Aceable does differently from other schools is provide you with targeted video and audio lessons to cover the most important concepts. This saves you a great deal of time by identifying need-to-know items for you and then allowing you to watch, and re-watch, the recorded media content as needed until you know it like the back of your hand.

If you ever feel overwhelmed, Aceable has a robust support system to put your fears at ease. They are one of the few schools that has a private tutoring service available. You get an hour of one-on-one tutoring with a expert to talk about anything you need help with. There are also live group sessions held five times a week that you can attend. If this doesn’t work with your schedule, there a hundreds of recorded webinars you can watch at any time.

2. Colibri Real Estate

Best School with the Lowest Prices

Colibri Real Estate is the largest online real estate school in America and a one-stop shop to get all the courses you will ever need throughout your entire career. They have the most well-rounded program, giving you access to all kinds of tools and extra courses to attack the subject matter from multiple directions. They also usually have really big promotions listed on their website, which can save you a lot of money.

Colibri Real Estate has recently raised the bar by giving you the option to take the course through livestream video. This means you get to see the instructor’s face as they teach the class in real-time from the comfort of your couch at home. There is no better format to keep you engaged and motivated than a live class. The drawback is that you need to make sure that you have enough availability in your schedule to attend these meetings. Fortunately, they have sessions that are morning-only, evening-only, and full-day to accommodate a variety of different schedules.

If you are unable to make the live classes due to scheduling conflicts, Colibri Real Estate also offers the conventional text-based courses. This is where you take the course by reading the material online and complete online quizzes at the end of each section. If reading on the computer is uncomfortable, they do have printed books available as well. This format allows you to study at your own pace and learn independently.

Another big update that Colibri Real Estate made with their program is that they just launched an optional live video course to prepare for the real estate exam called Live Exam Crammer Series. These are live webinar sessions where an instructor targets key areas on the exam. Combined with their online practice tests, this will give you the best chance at passing the test.

3. The CE Shop

Best School for Knowledge Seekers

The CE Shop is one of the leading online real estate schools in the country and has their own unique approach to learning. They leverage the massive amount of data available to develop courses with measurable results. This means they closely monitor and analyze how students are doing and make necessary updates as needed to maximize a person’s chance of success. The result? 75% of their overall students pass the real estate exam on their first attempt.

The CE Shop achieved this by creating their own course platform called LEAP, where they make sure your entire learning experience is intuitive and seamless. You notice this as soon as you login to the course. The layout looks clean and efficient. Although you are primarily reading the course material online, they incorporate a variety of content, such as interactive images, true/false scenarios, and matching terms/definitions, to make your learning experience more engaging and effective.

The biggest differentiator with The CE Shop compared to other schools is that they don’t want you to just learn the material, they require that you master it. They have designed their quizzes and tests to be as rigorous as possible, so that you can’t “fake it until you make it.” You will genuinely have to learn and understand the material. This may mean that you spend more time to complete the program. However, when you do finish, you will be able to pass the exam with flying colors.

The CE Shop platform is 100% online only, which means that you will not be able to request any physical study materials such as printed textbooks. However, they do have mobile-friendly courses, so that you can seamlessly continue your studies on a tablet or your smartphone.

4. Kaplan Real Estate

Best No-Nonsense School

Kaplan has been the long-standing leader in education longer than anybody. With millions of students from dozens of countries around the world, they are widely recognized as the #1 trusted brand. They adhere to the more of the traditional tone of learning. If you aren’t interested in marketing gimmicks, don’t want the courses to look too flashy, and just want a more formal way of learning, this is the perfect school for you.

Although there are two packages listed on their website, they really have one package to help you get licensed. The second package just adds on some extra training to launch your real estate career after you get licensed to help you hit the ground running. Regardless of which package you choose, you will get access to their proprietary exam prep called QBank. This is a sophisticated practice test engine that allows you to simulate any type of test condition you want. This really allows you to target your weak areas while spending less time on your strengths.

There are plenty of supplementary study materials available that you can add-on if you want, such as hardcopy books, flash cards, etc… The nice thing about Kaplan is that they include Interactive Study Groups with all their programs at no additional cost. These are live webinar sessions at pre-determined date and times that are held regularly, where you can ask the faculty questions directly. These small group study sessions serves as a powerful support system to help you succeed.

Real Estate School Reviews

4 TOP-RATED Courses To Get A California Real Estate License in 2024

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss Leave a comment

If you are looking to start a new career or just want an additional source of income, becoming a real estate agent is one of the best ways to do it. You get to meet new people every day and help them achieve their dream of buying a new home. That big commission check that you get is also a good source of motivation.

The first step to becoming a real estate agent is to get licensed. This license is officially called the Salespersons license. This is an easy process which involves taking three real estate courses and a real estate exam. It is important to find the right school that will adequately prepare and help you succeed.

At the time of this writing, there are currently 146 accredited schools providing California real estate courses. On the surface, they all appear to be offering the same thing. However, that could not be further from the truth. Every real estate school has their own approach and personality when it comes to teaching courses. Some schools develop their own courses while others are merely reselling the courses from other schools. Some schools only have an online book while others offer video and audio options. There are ones that offer interactive live stream courses while others do not have that available.

After researching through the entire list of schools, here are our top picks that will help you obtain your real estate license in California.

1. Aceable

Aceable is one of the most innovative real estate schools on the market and their courses definitely have the most personality. Instead of reading a course textbook that is dry and boring, they try to liven up the content by making it sound conversational. The sentence structure and examples they use are very relatable and easy to understand.

The format of their online course is in PDF format. This allows you to quickly scroll through the pages instead of having to click through slides one-by-one. You can also save the PDF files to your computer, so if you are going somewhere with no internet signal, you can easily study offline as well. There are quizzes at the end of each section that still need to be completed online.

What makes Aceable courses different is they have targeted video and audio lessons that will save you a lot of time on studying. Rather than you trying to figure out what you really need to know and what’s important, they have taken the guesswork out for you and hit the key areas that you need to know. If you feel you will need more support, they do offer one-on-one tutoring and live webinars, where you can ask questions to a live instructor.

Best suited for: Busy People

Aceable has the complete program if you are starting out new to get your real estate license. They incorporate their own proprietary activities and exercises to help keep you engaged and interested the whole time. Where they really shine is the way their course is written. It sounds very personable, like one of your friends talking to you and will allow you to breeze through the course quickly.

2. Colibri Real Estate

Colibri Real Estate is the biggest real estate school in the nation. They have real estate programs in virtually every state and have the most courses available to help you in every aspect of your career. Whether you are completely new to real estate or a seasoned veteran looking to renew your license, they have all the courses you will ever need.

One of the things they offer that most other schools don’t have are livestream courses. These are video courses where you get to watch a live instructor teach the class. This is the best way to keep you engaged and motivated. Because they are live courses, you will need to have a reliable internet connection and make sure the class fits your schedule. Fortunately, they offer a variety of flexible times, including evenings, to accommodate most people’s busy schedule.

If you can’t make the livestream courses, they also offer your typical online format, where you are reading an online book and answering multiple-choice test questions. If prefer to read out of physical book, you can get one mailed out to you. The great thing about this format is that it gives you the freedom to study at your own pace, and you have up to 6 months to complete the program.

Best suited for: Live Video Courses

Colibri Real Estate is the biggest and arguably the most comprehensive real estate school in the industry. They offer every course you will ever need throughout your entire real estate career and then some. They are one of the few schools to offer a live video course, where you can watch the instructor from the comfort of your home. This program is perfect for people who want to have a more interactive experience.

3. The CE Shop

The courses from The CE Shop are unique from other schools in that they require active learning. They are text-based, so you are reading an online book. However, the quizzes and final exams have a variety of question formats (i.e. matching, multiple-choice, fill in the blanks, etc…) This has been shown to help you retain the information better, but you may find yourself spending more time in the course. This is simply because you can’t cut any corners and have to read every question and answer carefully.

The content in the course is based on real-life scenarios and actual situations that real estate agents have encountered. This will not only prepare you for the state exam but also after you get licensed. The CE Shop boasts a pass rate of over 90% on their website. This is based on their own self-reported surveys, so you should take this information with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, after personally seeing how rigorous and thorough the program was, I am entirely confident in the integrity of their high pass rate.

The CE Shop also provides industry-leading support hours, covering all 7 days of the week via phone, email, and live chat. Their certified instructors comes with decades of experience to guide you in the right direction.

Best suited for: the Knowledge Seeker

This is great for people who genuinely want to take their time to learn as much as possible so they can set themselves up for a successful career in real estate. There are no shortcuts with the program. You will be required to truly master the material. The CE Shop is the perfect program for the book worm.

4. Allied Schools

Allied Schools is actually owned by Colibri Real Estate. But the Allied Schools brand has been the #1 leader for online real estate courses in California for over 20 years. They have had over a million enrollments into their real estate courses over their 30 year history and if you talk to any real estate agent in California, they will have either taken Allied courses themselves or know someone else who has.

Because Colibri Real Estate and Allied Schools are the same company, they give you the same two options for taking the course: online or livestream. The online course is where you read the real estate textbook and answer multiple choice questions at the end of each chapter. You can work on this at any time of the day and are given up to 6 months to complete the program. This is great if you are busy with an unpredictable schedule and want full flexibility to learn at your own pace.

Allied Schools still offers the full suite of real estate courses that a real estate agent may ever need. They have all the brokers courses available if you are salespersons looking to upgrade your license. Or, if it is time for you to renew your license, they can help you meet the continuing education requirements.

Best suited for: Formal Training

Allied Schools has been the top choice for real estate agents in California for a long time and it’s easy to see why. They are owned by Colibri Real Estate now, but people who have been using Allied Schools for their real estate courses will be able to return to a familiar name.

Real Estate School Reviews

Best Schools For Renewing Your Texas Real Estate License

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss Leave a comment

If you are like most people, you view continuing education (CE) like going to the dentist for a checkup. You don’t really want to do it, but you know it is for your own good.

As a licensed real estate agent in Texas, the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) requires you to renew your license every 2 years by completing continuing education and paying the appropriate renewal fee.

There are different CE requirements depending on your situation, so let’s take a quick moment to review what you will need to do.

Texas Real Estate Renewal Requirements

	First-Time Renewal	Second and All Subsequent Renewals
Sales Agent	90 hours of Sales Apprentice Education (SAE) 4 hours of Legal Update I 4 hours of Legal Update II	10 hours of Elective CE* 4 hours of Legal Update I 4 hours of Legal Update II
Broker	10 hours of Elective CE* 4 hours of Legal Update I 4 hours of Legal Update II	10 hours of Elective CE* 4 hours of Legal Update I 4 hours of Legal Update II

*Your elective course must include a 6-hour Broker Responsibility course if you have sponsored any sales agents, served as a designated broker for a business entity broker that sponsors sales agents, or have been made a supervisor for six or more months.

Now that you know how many hours you need, the next step is to choose the right school. With nearly 1,000 education providers approved to provide CE courses in Texas, this can seem like a daunting task.

Which one is the best school?

We don’t believe there is a single school that will be perfect for everyone. Everyone has a different learning style, budget, and studying habits. Furthermore, every school has their own strengths and weaknesses in their course offerings.

As a result, we have gone through the list and selected who we think are the top real estate schools that will accommodate the unique learning preferences of most individuals to renew your Texas real estate license.

McKissock Learning (Colibri Real Estate)

This list would not be complete without mentioning the biggest name in real estate education: Colibri Real Estate.

Colibri Real Estate and McKissock Learning are actually subsidiary brands under the same parent company called Colibri Group. They use Colibri Real Estate for all pre-license and post-license education, while McKissock is the platform used for continuing education.

If you need SAE courses, then you would get them from Colibri Real Estate. They only have one online package that includes courses in Marketing, Property Management, and Brokerage. The courses look fresh and modern looking. Plus, they just started including free proctoring on their final exams.

If you are looking for CE courses, including Legal Update I and II, then you would get them through McKissock Learning. They have a long list of elective courses to choose from, and they allow you to customize your package.

What separates them from every other school is their annual membership program. This not only covers all of your CE requirements, but it also provides you with a plethora of options for professional development. There are hundreds of how-to videos, webinars, and job aids to help you bring your game to the next level.

Recommended for: the Value Shopper

Aceable

If you are looking for the best real estate courses from a school in Texas, you need look no further than Aceable. Based in Austin, they started as a small online school and have since become a powerhouse in the industry. In fact, they now have the #1 overall pass rate on the Salespersons exam out of all of the biggest schools in the state.

One of the ways they were able to achieve that is by developing their own approach to courses. Rather than sound like an old college textbook, Aceable courses have been written in a style that sounds more conversational and friendly. This makes learning new concepts less intimidating and easier to digest.

Aceable also incorporates a lot of technology into their courses. While the course itself is simply online reading, they offer a balanced mix of short video clips and interactive exercises throughout to keep you engaged. There is also a mobile app that you can download on your phone, which makes studying on-the-go very convenient.

Everything is already setup for you as a 90-hour or 98-hour bundle, depending on your renewal needs. The SAE topics are in Real Estate Marketing, Investments, and Law. If you are looking for a no frills solution to getting your renewal done, Aceable makes the whole process as painless as possible.

Recommended for: Busy People

Champions School of Real Estate

Champions School of Real Estate is the 800-pound gorilla of real estate education in Texas. They are the biggest and most well-known education provider in Texas. More people have taken their award-winning courses to get licensed than any other real estate school.

Champions School of Real Estate offers a variety of formats to take the courses. You can drive to one of their seven campuses (Austin, Dallas, Houston Galleria, Houston North, West Houston, Fort Worth, and San Antonio) and sit in a classroom. You have the option to attend one of their ChampionsLive! Broadcasts and live-stream it so that you can watch it from home but still get that classroom feel. You can also choose to take the regular online courses, which are available in both PDFs and hardcopy books.

After you complete the courses, they will typically notify TREC within 24 hours.

Champions School of Real Estate is perfect for someone who wants to satisfy their CE requirements in a classroom. However, they are on the high side of the price range. They give you a decent selection of course topics to choose from and do a great job of providing their students with an immersive, learning experience.

Recommended for: Learning in the Classroom

The CE Shop

The CE Shop has one of the most comprehensive and rigorous programs in the real estate industry. They are a 100% online-only shop and offer programs in all 50 states. This is really geared for people who are genuinely interested in learning first, satisfying CE requirements second.

The CE Shop only has one SAE package that includes the Appraisal, Brokerage, and Real Estate Investment courses. They have their own online proctoring service and charge $17.50 per test. There’s some funny fine print that you should be aware of. If you don’t pass the final exam, you can only re-take it once within 90 days. If you fail the second time, you must re-take the entire course again.

Besides their frequent promotions, what really stood out with The CE Shop was their course selection for continuing education. They currently have 26 elective CE courses to choose from, not counting the Legal Updates. They also offer the Code of Ethics training if you are a realtor looking to satisfy the bi-annual ethics CE requirement.

The CE Shop is a great choice for people who actually want to learn something and grow their knowledge of real estate. They offer a huge and growing selection of topics that will satisfy anyone’s appetite for knowledge.

Recommended for: the Knowledge Seeker

Is there another school that you think deserves to be on the list? We are always on the lookout for the best providers. Let us know in the comments section below.

Real Estate School Reviews

Top 4 Washington State Online Real Estate Schools in 2024

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Real Estate Like a Boss

There are over 40 proprietary education providers that offer real estate courses that have been approved by the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL).

When you start going down the list, you begin to notice a pattern: they all sound the same.

They all say, “we have the best program,” “our courses get the highest pass rates in the industry,” or “look at our long list of glowing recommendations from our students.” Some schools will even post reviews on themselves. And wouldn’t you know it? They always come back with the highest ratings.

To make matters more complicated, everyone has different study habits. So, what may be a great school for one person is not going to necessarily be a good fit for another person.

Having researched through the entire list, we have narrowed down our picks on who we feel are the 4 best real estate schools for obtaining your broker license for the state of Washington.

1. Aceable

Aceable has solidified its position as one of the top real estate schools by quickly adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the education industry and finding new innovative ways to help people learn. They don’t believe that studying has to be boring and leverage technology to not only keep you engaged, but study more efficiently. The result is that you finish your courses faster and get your real estate license sooner.

Right when you open up their online courses, you will notice that their course material doesn’t read like your standard textbook. Instead of being dry and sounding monotone, Aceable has incorporated a down-to-Earth writing style so it feels like a real estate instructor is talking to you and not at you. This makes studying a lot less intimidating and easier to understand.

Aceable’s program filters out the most important topics you need to know for you and then provides you with audio and video lessons to cover them in greater detail. You can play these recorded content as much as you need until you feel like you have an adequate understanding of the material. This allows you to focus your time on things you need to know and less on time on things you don’t.

If you still feel like you may need more help, Aceable has a robust support options that can work with anyone’s schedule. With their Premium package, you get access to a 1-on-1 private tutoring session for an hour to discuss any topic of your choice at a time that is convenient for you. Aceable also provides live webinar sessions 5 times every week, where you can virtually join with a group of other students to ask your questions.

Best suited for: Busy People

While most other real estate schools make you feel like you are receiving a mass-produced course, Aceable has put in the extra effort to create a thoughtful, personable program that keeps you motivated. They have a variety of time-saving tools to help you study more efficiently. If you have a busy schedule or working a full-time job, this program will help you stay focused and finish at a good pace.

2. Colibri Real Estate

Colibri Real Estate, who recently rebranded from Real Estate Express, is currently the nation’s top real estate educator and was established almost 30 years ago. They have a refreshingly modern website loaded with tons of content. Being a big school, you get a sense that they have a system in place for everything, with a track record of success to back it up.

They list 4 different packages on their website that you can pick from. The Basics package covers the bare minimum requirements of the 90 hours of pre-license education. The next package called Exam Preparation includes practice tests and a money-back guarantee that you will pass the state exam. If you want to be able to ask a live instructor questions, you’ll need to get the Exam Preparation Plus package. The top package, Ultimate Learning, gives you all of the above plus hardcopy textbooks.

The Colibri Real Estate online courses look nice and clean. However, it is just reading the text. There are no videos or interactive exercises. You really have to have the discipline to study on your own to succeed with this format. They do offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for the first 7 days. If you are not happy with it, they will give you your money back. No questions asked.

A key differentiator with Colibri Real Estate is the massive amount of content they have available for when after you get licensed. They have a Career Hub which contains hundreds of useful blog posts that will help you hit the ground running. Also, if you subscribe to their Professional Development program, you get access to webinars, video tutorials, job aids, and more.

Best suited for: Getting a Good Deal

Colibri Real Estate gives you the best overall value at a great price. They score top marks in pretty much every category. The online courses can be a bit dry at times, so you do have to be diligent in your study habits. If you are looking to get the most bang for your buck, there is no better choice.

3. The CE Shop

The CE Shop is one of the largest real estate providers in the country. They are a 100% online school, so they don’t have any physical study materials available. Their approach to learning is heavy on data and analytics. They like to monitor their student’s performance closely and fine-tune their courses to get the optimal results. With an overall satisfaction rate of 96%, their method seems to be working.

The CE Shop built their own custom platform, called LEAP 2.0, to deliver their courses. The interface looks clean and simple, making it very easy to find what you need in the system. It is also very mobile-friendly, allowing you to seamlessly transition from any internet connected device, such as your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Although the course consists primarily of online reading, they also include a healthy dose of video clips and interactive activities.

What makes The CE Shop different from other schools is how difficult their courses are. There are frequent quizzes to test your knowledge all throughout the program. There are no shortcuts here. This program will force you to genuinely learn the material inside and out. This may cause some people to spend more time to complete the course. However, mastering the course material will also give you a better chance of passing the real estate exams.

If you need any help along the way, The CE Shop is one of the few schools that offer support 7 days a week. You can contact them through phone, email, or chat. They also have a self-help resource that you can access if you want to try to find the answers for yourself.

Best suited for: the Knowledge Seeker

The CE Shop not only arms you with the knowledge needed to get licensed, they require that you master it. Their learning system follows a rigid format that will most likely have you spending more than 90 hours to complete the program. However, you will come out of it knowing the material like the back of your hand, and ultimately, you will be able to pass the test with ease.

4. Kaplan

Kaplan Real Estate Education is one of the more well-known names in the education industry. They have an online program that is second to none. However, the courses are only available online, so it is like reading a book on the computer.

There are 3 packages available to obtain the Washington broker license:

The 90-hour Licensing Package fulfills the basic requirements of the 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course and the 30-hour Real Estate Practices course.

The next package at Kaplan Real Estate Education adds on the Master Exam Prep, which gives you access to two of the industry’s most powerful test engines: the National PSI Real Estate Drill and Practice QBank and the Washington Real Estate Drill and Practice QBank. These advanced testing platforms are interactive and allow you to simulate nearly any testing scenario. You also get access to the Interactive Study Group which covers the national portion of the state exam through live webinars with other students and faculty.

The Career Launcher Package is the top package. This includes everything mentioned above plus additional state exam prep for both the national and state components through video courses that you can watch at any time. Kaplan Real Estate Education also gives you the Real Estate Accelerator course, which is also in video format. This 16-hour program teaches you everything you need to know after you get licensed so you can launch your real estate career quickly.

Best suited for: the Independent Learner

Kaplan Real Estate Education offers one of the most comprehensive state exam prep materials in the industry. They will be able to diagnose and analyze the areas that you need to work on the most and provide you with all of the tools. However, you will be the one to have to put it together.

Notable Mention | Rockwell Institute

UPDATE: Rockwell Institute was acquired by Colibri Real Estate.

Rockwell Institute is based in Washington and has been around since 1974. They used to have a really strong program. However, real estate education is fiercely competitive and rapidly evolving. They are one of the smaller schools and haven’t been able to keep pace with the other real estate schools on the market. Still, if you haven’t found a school to your liking, they have a pretty decent program that you may consider.

The live classes are led by instructors who present complex materials in a way that is easy to understand. Throughout the lecture series, students are quizzed with questions that will prepare them for the state exam. Instructors encourage active participation and classroom discussion during the course.

Rockwell Institute offers only one location in Bellevue for the live lectures. They are held during regular business hours from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. There are new classes that start every 2 to 3 weeks, and you can complete all 90 hours of pre-license coursework plus the state exam prep in 3 weeks.

If you can’t make it to the class, they offer an online program as well. The interface is a bit antiquated, but if you can look past the appearance, it delivers reliable content. There are hundreds of challenging exercises and quizzes, along with thousands of sample state exam questions.

Rockwell Institute backs their programs with a guarantee, provided that you have completed the courses with them and passed their Cram course with a score of 80% or better. They will refund you the test fee if you fail on your first attempt.

Notable Mention | Mbition

UPDATE: Mbition was acquired by The CE Shop.

OnCourse Learning is the company behind Mbition and is one of the fastest-growing online real estate schools in the market. While the company was officially founded in 2007, they have acquired well-established brands over the years that bring more than 40 years of experience.

Mbition has 3 simple packages for obtaining the Washington Broker’s license. The Silver package gets you the two required online courses. The next level up is the Gold package, which adds on their proprietary Exam Prep to help you study for the state exam. If you want to study out of hardcopy books, then you will want the top package called Platinum Solution.

All of their packages include flashcards, some exam prep, and live instructor support.

OnCourse Learning gives you a clean interface and deliver high-quality content. They don’t do anything flashy or have a bunch of bells and whistles. They focus on delivering the information you need in a way that is easy to digest.

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