CA Realty Training Review 2023: Features, Pricing & Courses
Gina is a licensed real estate salesperson, experienced trainer, and former high school educator of 1,000+ learners. She writes for Fit Small Business with a focus on real estate content.
Aloun Khountham is a contributor to Fit Small Business. Her real estate experience stems from over five years as a New York City real estate operations executive focused on implementing processes, procedures, and new technology solutions designed to help agents succeed.
This article is part of a larger series on How to Become a Real Estate Agent.
California (CA) Realty Training offers real estate licensing education for new and experienced real estate agents. It provides multiple course packages that fit various budgets and learning styles, and all licensing courses meet the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) requirements. CA Realty Training reviews and our analysis show that it is ideal for students who like to have access to both in-classroom and online course formats in preparation for passing the California real estate exam.
Pros
- No credit card required for the free trial
- 90% pass rate for students who enroll in exam prep
- User-friendly student portal to access course materials in one central location
Cons
- Pass guarantee has limitations for full refund
- State exam application assistance is not offered for the individual prelicensing course package
- Payment plan only offered for live in-classroom training course plan
Who CA Realty Training Is Recommended For
- Ideal for students who want to stick to one school for all education needs
- The two-day intensive cram course is best for busy students who don’t have time for a full exam prep course
- Excellent for students who need in-person live courses to absorb the course materials
Who CA Realty Training Is Not Recommended For
- Not for budget-conscious students who would like a lower-cost online program
- Students who would like a hardcopy textbook included in course purchase
- Not ideal for students who want to take longer than six months to complete the course
Quick Look at Starting Prices for CA Realty Training
- Prelicensing: $75
- Broker licensing: $75
- Exam prep: $59
- Continuing education: $50
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CA Realty Training Reviews: What Users Think
The CA Realty Training online reviews were mostly positive from students who passed the state exam and found the course to be an integral part of their success. Many students acknowledged that even though the online course was self-paced, students still needed to put in the time and work to comprehend the course materials. Other students found the instructor they received for in-classroom training was crucial to their success, particularly if students plan to take in-classroom sessions on the weekends.
- Trustpilot: 4.8 out of 5 rating based on 81 CA Realty Training reviews
- Yelp: 5 out of 5 rating based on CA Realty Training 87 reviews
Negative CA Realty Training online reviews emphasized the in-classroom training program. Some students were not located near a California Realty training location, and they had to travel long distances to review the same information they could have done on their own or through the video course. Other students mentioned the course was only a prerequisite and didn’t cover everything on the test. If you prefer a course focusing on test material, consider Colibri Real Estate for live webinars that focus on helping students pass the final exam.
Would Our Expert Use CA Realty Training?
Our CA Realty Training reviews solidified our opinion that it’s a great real estate education program for California. Although it does offer in-classroom sessions, students do not need to participate or purchase that plan if they’re confident in their self-learning and studying abilities. The learning dashboard is a centralized location where students can log in and find all the resources like e-books, flashcards, and quizzes—all in one spot.
The State of California requires real estate students to spend at least 54 days in a real estate program before taking the final state exam. Given these restrictions, we wish the CA Realty Training courses provided students with much longer access. For an affordable program with longer access, consider The CE Shop’s prelicensing program for 12 months of access.
Types of Education Available at CA Realty Training
CA Realty Training has courses for all stages of real estate education required in California. There are prelicensing and exam prep courses for aspiring real estate agents, and broker licensing and continuing education (CE) courses for experienced agents who want to grow their careers. Within each course, CA Realty Training offers course formats that allow students to choose from online, video, and live in-classroom training.
Prelicensing
The prelicensing program through CA Realty Training is designed with three course packages for aspiring real estate agents. Students have the option of choosing to complete the self-paced course through online-only or online and video packages. There is in-classroom training plus an online course package for students who would like to attend training sessions in person.
Students have the ability to further customize their prelicensing education a la carte with individual course options. However, the individual courses are not recommended if you haven’t started your real estate education previously, since the cost for three required courses individually exceeds the online prelicensing package price. All courses provide access to a student dashboard, practice tests, quizzes, and e-books, with the option to upgrade to add video and in-classroom training later.
Plans | Individual Courses | Online Only | Online + Videos | Online + In-classroom Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Features |
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Pricing | $75 per course | $154 | $284.98 | $399.99 |
CA Realty Training Alternatives
If CA Realty Training doesn’t seem like the best fit for you, there are alternatives to consider. Compare CA Realty Training to a few other schools offering in-person and online real estate education:
Schools |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best For | Instructor-led livestream course formats | Self-paced courses with a money-back guarantee | Access to online courses for 1 year after purchase date | Interactive learning platform with easy-to-use navigation |
Key Features |
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Starting Prelicensing Cost | $119 | $179 | $100 | $129 |
Learn More | Visit Aceable Agent or Read our Review |
CA Realty Training Pricing & Plans
Each real estate education course at CA Realty Training has tiered pricing packages that accommodate a student’s budget and learning styles. The courses, which begin at $50, satisfy all stages of real estate career development—starting with prelicensing and exam prep to broker licensing and continuing education. All courses have a self-paced online offering with access to course quizzes and e-books, but the licensing courses provide students with access to a student portal with flashcards, online trainer support, and job assistance.
Plans | Prelicensing | Broker Licensing | Continuing Education | Exam Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Who Plan Is Best For | Agents who would like both in-classroom and online training | Agents who want to obtain their course certificates in as little as 90 days | Experienced agents who would like to quickly complete their continuing ed requirement for license renewal | Students who want the option of adding on a two-day crash course to help them pass the state exam |
Price Range | $75 to 399.99 | $75 to $270 | $59 | $50 to $175 |
E-books | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Online Course | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Live Training | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Flashcards | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
Online Trainer Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
Printable PowerPoint Slides | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
Job Assistance | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
General CA Realty Training Features
- Printable chapter PowerPoint slides
- State exam pass guarantee
- Printable flashcards
- Access to the CA Realty Training YouTube channel
- Payment plan for some course packages
CA Realty Training is a one-stop shop for any student interested in obtaining or furthering their real estate education. Students are provided with all the resources necessary to not only complete their course but also to retain the real estate topics and pass the state exam. The pass guarantee allows students to receive a full or partial refund if they don’t pass on the first attempt.
The on-demand course feature allows busy students to complete licensing requirements independently. However, students who want to fully immerse themselves in completing the course can opt for live in-person training.
Student dashboard for course access (Source: CA Realty Training)
The following are the key features to a successful real estate education with CA Realty Training:
Course Videos & Live In-classroom Training Add-ons
- Provides a classroom experience
- Must still review state-mandated textbook material
- No elective course selection in live in-person and video training packages
Students can choose to have in-person training or the video course to add on to their classroom experience. The live in-person courses will cover one real estate topic per month and meet for the first three weeks of the month. During the last week of the month, students will have to review the online coursework through the student portal and complete the course’s final exam.
The in-person course will last a total of three months. For the video course, students will have access to 15 chapter videos for each course. The online video course will provide approximately 36 hours of video for each course. Like the in-person course, students will still need to review online coursework and complete the final course exams.
Video training course screenshot (Source: CA Realty Training)
However, the in-person and video courses do not allow students to choose an elective. They must complete the three preset courses, two of which are required by the DRE. Those courses are real estate practice, real estate principles, and real estate finance. Students can start these courses in any order.
Student Portal
- Centralized location to access course resources
- Shows overall course completion rate
- Graphics illustrate course performance and scores
The student portal is the core of all licensing courses provided by CA Realty Training. The portal is the central location to access all course material, such as quizzes, practice tests, flashcards, and e-books. Within the portal, students have access to a navigation pane for easy access to courses, live in-person training locations, exam prep, course certificates, and course resources.
Student portal walk-through (Source: CA Realty Training)
A prominent dashboard line graph outlines your course performance for each course you’re enrolled in, along with a graph showing overall course completion. The portal is set up with an achievement area that unlocks as you complete each task, like passing quizzes in a specific sequence. And lastly, the portal is where students can access helpful CA realty training videos and articles.
Customizable Coursework
- Option of elective course selection for online-only packages
- Ideal for students needing to complete just one course to finalize education
- Available for prelicensing or broker license education
The DRE requires students to complete the Real Estate Practice and Real Estate Principles courses as part of their real estate prelicensing education. In the online-only course prelicensing package, students do have the option of selecting a third elective of their choice. This elective is not offered for students participating in the in-classroom or video prelicensing plans.
Image of individual course selection (Source: CA Realty Training)
Additionally, if students have completed their required courses elsewhere, they can also choose to purchase an individual course to complete their education requirements. Individual courses are priced at a flat $75 per course, providing access to all the resources like quizzes, flashcards, and a final course exam.
Free Course Trial
- Try before you commit to a course package
- Three-day free trial
- Attend a free webinar session
Individuals who are curious about real estate education or want to test out CA Realty Training courses have the option of accessing a three-day free trial. The trial gives students access to a mock state exam to simulate the test-taking experience and gauge an individual’s real estate knowledge.
Free trial course selection (Source: CA Realty Training)
Other resources provided with the free trial are a chapter of the e-book, prerecorded video lecture, a chapter quiz, and a sample practice test. All these course materials can be completed online and are self-paced, so students can get a feel for what they would receive if they purchased a package. If students don’t want to sign up for the free trial, they can access a free recording of an introductory real estate practice class.
Job Placement With Select Brokerages
- Partnership with Keller William and Coldwell Banker
- Immediate assistance once you pass the state exam
- Assistance with setting up interviews with partner brokerages
Job placement partnership FAQ (Source: CA Realty Training)
To be able to practice real estate after receiving a license, agents must find a sponsoring California real estate broker. CA Realty Training assists with this process through its job placement program. The valuable partnerships that CA Realty Training has developed with top brokerages allow their students to find job placement shortly after completing the courses.
The benefit to having these connections available is that you don’t have to compete directly with other students who have completed courses elsewhere to obtain an interview at brokerages like Keller Williams and Coldwell Banker.
Exam Prep Crash Course
- Two-day intensive course
- Live in-person crash course available
- Two months of access to crash course videos
The CA Realty Training state exam prep course gives students access to unlimited practice exams and digital flashcards to review materials that will be on the state test. Students can upgrade to add a video or live in-person exam crash courses for supplemental learning.
Screenshot of online video crash course (Source: CA Realty Training)
The crash course reviews items that will likely be on the state exam, reviews sample questions, and allows students to ask questions of instructors. The live in-classroom crash course is held over two days on the weekend but will still give students two months of access to the crash course resources like PowerPoint slides and quizzes.
Ease of Use for CA Realty Training
Enrolling in any course with CA Realty Training is simple to complete. When students are ready, they just need to click the enroll button at the upper right of the website and select the desired course they would like to complete. Once they choose the course, students will be directed to choose which course format they would like. They can choose between in-person, video, and online.
Available enrollment programs (Source: CA Realty Training)
After choosing the course format, students can select any additional add-ons like textbooks or videos. The program total is clearly displayed at the bottom of the screen, so students understand the final price of their selections. There is an informative video and detailed description provided for every course, so students are aware of the program they are enrolling in. Once sign-up is complete, students get immediate access to their student portal to access the courses and resources purchased.
Bottom Line
CA Realty Training provides the resources necessary to help its students have a successful real estate career. Whether you are a new agent or experienced, having the flexible learning styles offered by CA Realty Training, along with their pass guarantee, mitigates some of the risks of opting for more costly course packages. The provided state exam application assistance and job assistance will help students start off their careers on the best footing.
