An online real estate course is designed to help you do two things: complete pre-licensing education requirements in your state, and pass your state’s real estate exam.
Fit Small Business recently looked at three of the best online real estate schools that cover multiple states. This report doesn't cover local universities and colleges, since those vary by state and don't typically offer national-focused courses.
Kaplan won Fit Small Business's top recommendation by providing a top of the line learning experience by simulating live classroom instruction. Every year, Kaplan teaches nearly 34,000 licensed and prospective real estate professionals, and it gets good reviews from former students.
We want to be straightforward. You don’t need to take a Kaplan course to pass the licensing exam. In fact, Real Estate Express has a higher first-time exam pass rate than Kaplan in some states. It’s not just about the exam though — it’s also about whether the course is engaging and helps you absorb and retain information that you will use as a real estate agent. We think Kaplan excels in these respects.
On the downside, Kaplan is more expensive than Career Webschool and Real Estate Express. Its online courses begin at $199, while the other two begin at $99. However, Kaplan includes exam prep, study groups, and other useful features into that $199 package. Kaplan does not offer a payment plan or a money back guarantee for online courses if you don’t pass the exam.
If you’re on a budget, Career Webschool and Real Estate Express offer some cheaper options. Our top pick for best budget real estate school is Career Webschool because it has better student reviews than Real Estate Express and a good approach to learning and retention.
Career Webschool’s courses start at $99, while Kaplan’s start at $199. For $99, you can get a basic course that fulfills your required prelicensing hours and gives you all the information you need to pass the exam. However, there are no video lectures or study groups, so the quality of instruction isn’t as good as Kaplan’s.
For more in-depth information, check out the full review at FitSmallBusiness.com.
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