Obtaining your Alabama real estate license requires over 90 hours of high-quality pre- and post-licensing education and more for continuing education (CE) and broker licensing. To choose the right school, you need to evaluate the best online real estate schools in Alabama that provide engaging content, reasonable pricing, excellent ease of use, and course format variety to excel in your educational experience in the Heart of Dixie.
- Kaplan: Best for self-paced prelicensing education
- Fortune Academy: Best for broker prelicensing courses
- The CE Shop: Best for customizable CE and reciprocal education
- Colibri Real Estate: Best for a variety of learning formats
Best Online Real Estate Schools in Alabama at a Glance
School | Price Range | Career Assistance | Pass Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
 | $29 to $729 | âś“ | âś• |
 | $45 to $619 | âś“ | âś“ |
 | $39 to $729 | âś“ | âś“ |
 | $39 to $599 | âś“ | âś“ |
Kaplan: Best for Self-paced Prelicensing Education
Pros
- It has a reasonable price.
- It provides direct instructor access and 1:1 coaching and training.
- It has interactive study groups.
Cons
- It has no post-licensing and broker licensing courses.
- It has no live webinar learning format.
- It has no pass guarantee.
Kaplan is an excellent choice for online real estate courses in Alabama if you have a busy schedule. The 60 hours of required Alabama prelicensing education are available in various learning formats—self-paced and on-demand video. Kaplan also features a simple learning management system (LMS) platform that reduces all the difficulties when taking an online course.
The school provides interactive study groups—weekly live webinars covering the real estate exam’s state and national portions. Kaplan should consider offering post-licensing and broker licensing courses to improve its education quality.
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Kaplan’s additional study tools (Source: Kaplan)
- Accreditations: Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC), and Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC)
- PassProtection retake policy: Within six months of the date of purchase, students may retake the same programs if they fail to pass their license exam. Kaplan’s PassProtection Retakes are unlimited, although new course materials might be required.
- Virtual exam proctoring: The final exam will be proctored in Kaplan’s virtual classroom on the student’s LMS platform, allowing students to not worry about commuting and focus instead on passing their final exams.
- Exam prep tools and add-ons: Kaplan offers customizable drills, practice banks, a performance tracker, and additional study tools—math on-demand refresher courses, real estate flashcards, exam prep apps, and study packages—to help you ace the exam.
Kaplan provides tiered packaging, but on a simpler level than providers like Colibri Real Estate, making it easy to pick your courses and get the help you need.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $99 to $729 |
|
Continued Education | $29 to $58 |
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Exam Prep | $99 to $199 |
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Fortune Academy: Best for Broker Prelicensing Courses
Pros
- It has courses for every stage of your career.
- It offers self-paced education.
- It has 24/7 customer support.
Cons
- It has limited course formats in Alabama.
- It has no mobile app.
- It primarily offers course packages.
I named Fortune Academy one of the best real estate schools in Alabama because of its broker prelicensing education. It is one of the only schools on the list that provides full broker coursework for those who want to upgrade their license.
The two packages that Fortune Academy provides cover 60 hours of broker courses covering topics like fair housing, management, business planning, and broker administration. This will set you up to manage other agents and your own brokerage. Fortune Academy could improve by providing a mobile app so agents can complete coursework on the go.
Fortune Academy bookstore (Source: Fortune Academy)
- Accreditation: AREC
- Refund/cancellation policy: Refunds must be requested before course access; no refunds are issued after course login. However, there is a money-back guarantee for students who don’t pass the exam on their first attempt.
- Resources: Fortune Academy has a bookstore and podcast for free on its website with useful career resources for agents and brokers.
- Financial assistance: Financing options like interest-free payment plans, grants, long-term financing, and tuition reimbursement are available.
Course packages include all the required materials and topics to fulfill licensing requirements. Prelicensing packages include exam prep classes in higher-tiered packages.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $399 to $619 |
|
Post-licensing | $139 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $355 to $419 |
|
Continued Education | $45 to $125 |
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Exam Prep | $89 to $145 |
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The CE Shop: Best for Customizable CE & Reciprocal Education
Pros
- It has individual and bundled packages.
- It has downloadable content.
- It has an interactive platform.
Cons
- It has no live webinar course formats.
- It has no mobile app.
- It has no 1:1 coaching and training.
The CE Shop ranks first as the best online real estate school in Alabama for its customizable CE courses. Choose CE courses from a premade package or hand-pick from individual courses unique to The CE Shop to fulfill your Alabama license renewal hours. In addition, Alabama has reciprocity with all 50 states.
With the reciprocal courses at The CE Shop, you can easily earn your license in other states and Alabama. To improve, The CE Shop should offer a mobile app for more convenience and flexibility.
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The CE Shop’s Agent Essentials page (Source: The CE Shop)
- Accreditations: ARELLO and AREC
- Refund/cancellation policy: If you’re unhappy with a course, you can request a full refund 30 days from the date of purchase as long as you’ve completed less than 50% of the course.
- Course access and extension: The CE Shop offers access to prelicensing and CE courses for six or 12 months after the date of purchase. Students who don’t finish the course within the access period can repurchase it within 30 days after the expiration for 50% of the retail cost.
- Agent Essentials: It offers free materials for building a profession that can help you thrive in real estate. A few of these free resources are blogs, e-books, webinars, videos, and podcasts.
Similar to Kaplan and Colibri Real Estate, as a national provider, The CE Shop offers tiered packages tailored to your educational needs.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $329 to $729 |
|
Post-licensing | $189 to $265 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $335 to $399 |
|
Continued Education | $39 to $199 |
|
Exam Prep | $79 to $135 |
|
Colibri Real Estate: Best for a Variety of Learning Formats
Pros
- It provides career and direct instructor assistance.
- It has an instructor Q&A.
- It offers pass and money-back guarantees.
Cons
- It has no broker prelicensing courses.
- It has no interactive study groups.
- It has no mobile app.
The Alabama real estate classes in various online formats from Colibri Real Estate provide the educational support you need to get your real estate license. If you feel you can tackle the requirements independently, the self-paced courses allow you to navigate the classes and contact instructors for support only if needed.
The live stream courses can help hold you accountable by engaging with classmates and dedicated instructors. Colibri Real Estate could enhance its services by offering interactive study groups to make classes more entertaining and engaging.
Use Promo Code: FSB30 for 30% off
Visit Colibri Real Estate
Colibri Real Estate’s Exam Prep Master (Source: YouTube)
- Accreditations: ARELLO, IDECC, and AREC
- Pass or don’t pay guarantee: Students may submit their test results to Colibri Real Estate for a refund of the purchased package if they fail the state exam.
- Course extension: Colibri Real Estate enables you to extend the course, giving you access for an additional seven, 30, or 60 days, all for an additional cost.
- Exam prep resources: There are numerous practice examinations and flashcards included in the exam preparation. The Exam Prep Master course offers study materials, additional practice tests, and exam prep courses for students needing extra assistance with exam preparation.
Although the pricing may appear complicated, Colibri Real Estate differs from the other schools in that it offers not only packages but also individualized courses.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $342 to $599 |
|
Post-licensing | $143.20 |
|
Continued Education | $39 to $119 |
|
Exam Prep | $115 to $399 |
|
How to Get a Real Estate License in Alabama
Step 1: Meet Alabama Requirements |
|
Step 2: Complete Prelicensing Courses |
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Step 3: Take the Real Estate Exam |
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Step 4: Pick a Sponsoring Brokerage |
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Step 5: Get Fingerprints & Background Check |
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Step 6: Apply for Your Alabama License |
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Step 7: Start Your Real Estate Career |
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How We Evaluated the Top Real Estate Schools in Alabama
Earning your real estate license in any state is a challenging feat. With online real estate schools, you can enhance the learning experience as these education providers include interactive features, live virtual instruction, self-paced options, and customer service accessibility right from your favorite spot on the couch. National and local online providers offer Alabama Real Estate Commission-approved (AREC) courses to ensure you fulfill the state’s requirements and are well on your way to starting or continuing a promising real estate career.
Further criteria we used to determine the best online real estate schools in Alabama are as follows:
25% of Overall Score
These consist of various formatting and learning styles for each course to meet the specific needs of the agent as well as ease of course accessibility.
20% of Overall Score
Pricing is based on the cost and availability of pre- and post-licensing, CE courses, and exam prep for each online institution.
15% of Overall Score
The availability of each level of education for different stages of licensure. This would include pre- and post-licensing, CE courses, broker prelicensing, and exam prep.
15% of Overall Score
Extending services past licensure such as coaching and training and career assistance. Also, whether the provider offers pass or refund guarantees for its courses.
10% of Overall Score
Based on customer feedback for each program, with particular attention given to reviews of the product and popularity of the provider, to certify the course meets user satisfaction.
10% of Overall Score
Expertise in the field and firsthand experience with the providers allow us to evaluate the standout features, value for the money, and ease of use for each school.
5% of Overall Score
We looked into the convenience and attainability of customer service for technical support and instructor assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can complete almost all the requirements for obtaining a real estate license online. You can take and finish your prelicensing courses online and pass your final exam at home with an online proctor. However, the real estate license state exam must be taken in person, but you can submit your application online.
Getting a real estate license in Alabama can be challenging. But follow these nine easy steps, and you’ll launch your career in Alabama real estate in no time.
- Complete a 60-hour salesperson prelicensing course.
- Preregister with the Alabama Real Estate Commission.
- Pass the prelicensing course final exam (passing rate: 70%).
- Schedule and pass the Alabama Real Estate Exam (passing rate: 70%).
- Complete a background check.
- Find a sponsoring broker to hire you.
- Apply for a temporary Alabama real estate license.
- Complete 30-hour post-licensing education.
- Apply for a real estate salesperson’s original license.
To obtain and become eligible to get a real estate license in Alabama, you have to meet all the following requirements below:
- You must be 19 years of age and above.
- You must be a citizen of the US or have documentation from the federal government establishing a permanent resident status.
- You must be a resident of the State of Alabama or agree to other provisions, which can be explained upon request.
- You must not have been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or been nolo contendere of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
- You must be a high school graduate or the equivalent.
- You must complete a 60-hour salesperson prelicense course before applying for a temporary license.
Bottom Line
Finding a top-notch school is not only the first step in getting your real estate license in Alabama, but also one of the most important. The education you receive from your prelicensing coursework and beyond will give you the foundational knowledge you need to succeed in the real estate industry. Figure out the best way to learn and get to work.
