6 Best Online Real Estate Schools in California 2023
This article is part of a larger series on How to Become a Real Estate Agent.
The best online real estate schools in California offer various course options, learning formats, and learning materials. They help agents complete 135 hours of prelicensing education, 45 hours of continuing education (CE), and 360 hours of coursework approved by the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) to upgrade to a broker license. To guide aspiring and experienced real estate agents, we identified the six best online real estate schools in California based on affordability, convenience, and overall value for students.
- California Realty Training: Best California-specific licensing education for all stages of your real estate career
- Colibri Real Estate: Best for aspiring agents seeking a self-paced learning environment for prelicensing education
- Kaplan: Best for experienced agents looking to upgrade to a broker license
- The CE Shop: Best CE for agents who need to complete license renewal education
- California School of Real Estate: Best for aspiring agents needing a California-focused licensing exam guide and learning materials
- Aceable Agent: Best text-based courses for future agents seeking their initial license or experienced agents who need CE
Best Online Real Estate Schools in California at a Glance
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Prelicensing: $154.99 |
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Visit California Realty Training | ||||
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Prelicensing: $129 |
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Visit Colibri Real Estate (Use Promo Code: FSB25 for 25% off) | ||||
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Prelicensing: $179 |
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Visit Kaplan (Use Promo Code: Kapre5 for 5% off) | ||||
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Prelicensing: $129 |
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Visit The CE Shop (Use Promo Code: FSB30 for 30% off) | ||||
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Prelicensing: $119 |
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Visit California School of Real Estate | ||||
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Prelicensing: $179 |
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Visit Aceable Agent (25% off, no promo code required) |
To find out which California real estate school will best suit your real estate needs, take this quick quiz:
Which online California real estate school is right for you?
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Things you need to know before enrolling for your California real estate license education: Along with education requirements, there are additional steps to completing your real estate licensure. Check out our step-by-step guide to becoming a real estate agent in California to get started.
California Realty Training: Best Overall for All Stages of Licensing
What We Like
- Accommodates multiple learning styles
- One year to complete from purchase
- Affordable individual courses
What's Missing
- Refund policy only for 14 days
- Videos don’t cover all of the textbook contents
- No post-licensing courses offered
Accreditation
- California DRE
The overall best online real estate courses in California come from California Realty Training, which, as its name suggests, is specific to The Golden State. Learners can pick from various course formats depending on their learning needs, such as live webinars, on-demand videos, and self-paced learning formats.
California Realty Training has you covered whether you’re looking for a self-paced option or an in-classroom feel. The school’s courses feature real-life scenarios to break down complex concepts so you’ll be prepared to take your exam and start a successful real estate career. In addition, each California Realty Training exam prep package includes tips and tricks on preparing for the state exam, access to 1,200-plus mock state exam questions, a customizable practice exam generator, and digital flashcards.
Additional California Realty Training Features
A walk-through of California Realty Training student’s dashboard
- Live and video training: Led by highly experienced and active real estate agents
- Customizable e-books: Allows you to highlight, search, make notes, and draw
- Job assistance: Provides students job assistance with select brokerages
- Exam logs: Contains a score breakdown, helping students know which topics they should focus on
- Course certificates: Easily accessible course certificates to submit to the DRE
California Realty Training Reviews
California Realty Training has excellent reviews garnering 4.9 out of 5 ratings, with customers raving about the instructors, especially the crash course review for exam prep. One student noted that he loves the platform’s setup and complete-as-you-go aspect, which increased his confidence in taking the state exam.
On the other hand, one student wished for California Realty Training to offer an in-person school rather than online and had audio of the book for those students who prefer listening over reading long chapters. If you’re looking for study aids that include audio and video lessons, consider PrepAgent.
California Realty Training Pricing
The affordable packages from California Realty Training school offer a mix of learning formats to choose from, so you can tailor your education to your learning style and preferences.
Prelicensing: Starting at $154.99
- Online only bundled package: $154.99
- Online plus videos bundled package: $284.98
- Live training plus online bundled package: $399.99
Broker Licensing: Starting at $75
- Online individual courses: $75 each
Continued Education: Starting at $59
- First renewal 45-hour package: $59
- 45-hour package for second or subsequent renewal: $59
Exam Prep: Starting at $50
- Online state exam prep: $50
- Video crash course and state exam prep: $150
- Live crash course and state exam prep: $175
Visit California Realty Training
Colibri Real Estate: Best School for Self-paced Prelicensing Education
What We Like
- Offers post-licensing resources through its Career Hub
- Provides a Pass or Don’t Pay guarantee
- Includes a variety of course formats
What's Missing
- Does not include live instruction
- Pass guarantee is not available in the Basic package
- No physical school to visit for support
Accreditation
- Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO)
- The International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC)
With an assortment of packages and course formats at a lower-than-average price point, Colibri Real Estate is a great school to complete your California real estate prelicensing classes. While it is not as economical as some other school options, it allows you to pick packages that include additional post-licensing career resources not offered by other providers and from format choices with self-paced or on-demand videos.
Exam preparation and live instructor question and answer (Q&A) sessions assist new agents with passing their exam on the first try. Colibri Real Estate also offers a “Pass or Don’t Pay” guarantee in most packages to make you eligible for a refund if you don’t pass your exam. This can help give students peace of mind during a stressful time and is a guarantee not offered by other providers.
Discount: For Fit Small Business readers, use promo code FSB25 for 25% off your purchase of any Colibri Real Estate class. Click here to get started.
Additional Colibri Real Estate Features
Real Estate Coaching hosted by Buffini & Company
- Real estate coaching and training: Exclusive partners with Buffini & Company, a training and coaching business that provides a comprehensive and end-to-end approach to navigating a real estate career
- Smart Bites: Colibri Real Estate’s teaching methodology for increased knowledge retention
- Learning Management System (LMS): Allows students to easily navigate their dashboard and track progress
- Course access: Enables students to extend their course access at a cost for seven, 30, or up to 60 days
Colibri Real Estate Reviews
Students appreciate the flexibility of Colibri Real Estate’s self-paced online real estate courses and find them simple to follow and comprehend. According to one user, the representatives are helpful if you have any questions and are assigned a teacher for specific real estate questions. As a result, Colibri Real Estate obtained a 4.1 out of 5 customer review ratings.
However, some users complained that the learning materials have many typos, differ from the final exam, and must be updated. Even so, Colibri Real Estate does not provide in-person training, and some people find it easier to grasp real estate concepts in a classroom setting. If that sounds like you, consider Kaplan, which includes livestreaming classes and live interactive study groups in almost all of its packages.
Colibri Real Estate Pricing
Although the pricing may appear complicated, Colibri Real Estate differs from the other schools in giving you full-course packages with the ability to add features to enhance your learning experience further.
Prelicensing: Starting at $129
All packages include the 135 hours of California-required prelicensing classes, three real estate e-books, and state-approved instructor support
- The Basics: $129 includes the items listed above
- Exam Preparation: $229 includes everything in the Basics plus a “Pass or Don’t Pay” guarantee and exam prep
- Exam Preparation Plus: $349 includes everything in the packages above plus dictionary, exam-cram video, and instructor Q&A
- Ultimate Learning: $449 includes everything in the packages above, plus a printed textbook and one-year professional development membership
- Individual real estate courses in California: $99 each
Broker Prelicensing: Starting at $319
Both packages include the California-required 225-hour broker courses, e-books, instructor support, and a discussion board.
- Broker Basics: $319 includes only above
- Broker Ultimate Learning: $399 includes above plus printed textbook and one-year professional development membership
Continued Education: Starting at $68.95*
- 45-hour First Renewal package: $68.95 includes five three-hour courses
- 45-hour second and all subsequent renewals package (for salespersons and brokers): $68.95 includes five additional continuing education courses
- First Time Renewal Package plus optional NAR COE course not for CE credit (for salespersons and brokers): $68.95 includes all your required CE hours plus an optional Ethics course titled: NAR: May the Code Be With You
- 2023 License Expirations – First-time renewal package plus optional NAR COE course not for CE (for salespersons and brokers): $68.95 includes all your required CE hours plus an optional Ethics course titled: Ethics in the Age of Disruption
- CA McKissock CE PLUS Membership: $92 includes access to all CE courses in California, a real estate coaching tool, access to an extensive pro-series on-demand webinar library, how-to videos, Sherri Johnson 90-day Boot Camp, 100-plus job aids―worksheets, scripts, and checklists―product and service discounts, and knowledgeable education specialists
- Individual courses: From $18.95 to $99 based on credit hours
*Offered through its partner company, McKissock Learning
Exam Prep: Starting at $99
Kaplan: Best for Upgrading to a Broker License in California
What We Like
- Multiple course formats
- Free course demo
- Variety of packages available, including individual broker courses
What's Missing
- Does not offer budget-friendly pricing
- 24/7 customer service hours
- No pass guarantee nor 1:1 coaching and training
Accreditation
- ARELLO
- IDECC
- California DRE
When you are ready for a broker’s responsibilities and increased earning potential, check out Kaplan for the online post-licensing education needed to upgrade to a broker license in California. To complete the 225 required broker prelicensing hours, you can take courses via livestream, on-demand videos, or self-paced online classes, depending on your schedule and learning preferences.
Various course packages are offered, and you can combine classes and class formats to create a truly customized learning experience. Livestream courses for your post-licensing education benefits California real estate agents because you can also interact with other agents embarking on the next step in their careers. It is an excellent option for building your network and meeting licensing requirements.
Additional Kaplan Features
Kaplan’s real estate online continuing education course demo
- Accessibility: Courses are accessible on all devices, including phone, tablet, and desktop
- Kaplan’s faculty: Includes practicing real estate brokers, attorneys, appraisers, mortgage experts, certified public accountants (CPAs), writers of real estate literature, and advisers on pending real estate legislation
- Pass Protection Retake Policy: Eligible for a refund within 30 days of purchase
- Virtual classroom exam proctoring: Allows students to take the final exam in Kaplan’s virtual classroom on the student’s LMS platform
- Course access and extension policy: Allows students up to six-month course access and extend course up to 90 days for an additional fee
Kaplan Reviews
Kaplan received a 4.3 out of 5 customer review rating, where many reviewers praise the knowledge of the expert instructors, stating the instructor presented multiple memory aides and made explanations and analogies memorable and captivating. This helps them retain all their knowledge and pass their state exam.
Although many features are included, it comes at a higher price than competitors. If you are not comfortable mixing and matching course bundles or prefer not to livestream a class, try the education from Colibri Real Estate or The CE Shop for more reasonable costs.
Kaplan Pricing
As a national provider, Kaplan’s expansive online California real estate course selection offers tiered options that allow customers to choose classes based on format preferences, specific learning needs, and additional features.
Prelicensing: Starting at $179
All courses include 135 hours of courses, workbooks, real estate exam prep and materials, interactive study groups, and live sessions with a career mentor. Higher-tiered packages include extra features for career advancement.
Choose from On-demand (on-demand video), Home Study, or Live Online learning packages, which are further differentiated by the addition of extra features, such as textbooks, exam prep, and more, for each price option:
- On-demand packages: $399, $599, or $799
- Home Study packages: $179, $279, $479, or $679
- Live Online packages: $549, $749, or $949
Post-licensing: Starting at $59
- California 45-hour First Renewal OnDemand Package: $144.00
- California 45-hour First Renewal Home Study Package: $59.00
Broker Licensing: Starting at $93
- Courses can be purchased as a 360-hour bundle for $448
- Individual courses can be purchased from $93 to $439 based on credit hours and course format preference
Continued Education: Starting at $16
- Available for salespersons or brokers for first-time or subsequent renewals
- Full California 45-hour First Renewal OnDemand packages are available starting at $59
- Prices range from $16 to $49 based on credit hours
- Classes available for home study, live online, and on-demand formats
Exam Prep: Starting at $29
- Available for salespersons and brokers in OnDemand or Online packages up to $199
- Individual courses can be bought from $29 to $69
The CE Shop: Best for Customizable Continuing Education
What We Like
- CE for every stage of licensing
- Self-paced format
- Student forum
What's Missing
- Livestream and on-demand video learning format
- Direct instructor access
- 1:1 coaching, training, and a mobile app
Accreditation
- ARELLO
Renewing your real estate license can be pretty gnarly, whether it’s your salesperson or broker license renewal. With options to individually customize or purchase a complete package, The CE Shop is your best California real estate school for fulfilling license renewal hours for new or experienced agents.
Its online real estate courses in California are self-paced via The CE Shop’s LEAP 2.0 platform so that you can access your course 24/7. It includes interactive activities and a student forum for live conversations with other course participants. The customizable aspect is perfect for agents looking to learn about various real estate industry topics.
If you want to know more about how to renew your California real estate license, here are the five easy steps to successfully renew your California real estate license.
Additional The CE Shop Features
The CE Shop’s exam prep edge
- Custom LEAP 2.0 platform: Provides intuitive dashboards that gauge students’ competency
- Free trial: Five-day free trial on selected prelicensing courses
- Exam prep edge: Includes a free initial assessment and unlimited exams
- State-approved curriculum: Developed by highly experienced and knowledgeable real estate professionals
The CE Shop Reviews
Users find The CE Shop platform intuitive and easy to navigate, and students love the self-paced class format. Another user noted that the course content and setup are conducive to an effective learning experience. As a result, The CE Shop acquired a 4.2 out of 5 customer review rating.
Others had a few issues regarding customer service communication. A student claimed that the support team hadn’t responded when she asked for assistance and asserted that the platform deleted a ton of exams she took even though she bought extensions. If you’re looking for a school with customer service representatives and the best real estate school in California with access to online trainers, check out California Realty Training.
The CE Shop Pricing
As one of the best real estate schools in California and a national real estate education provider, The CE Shop offers tiered packages and individual courses tailored to your educational needs.
Prelicensing: Starting at $129
All prelicensing packages include the 135 required hours of California prelicensing education, business e-books, career resources, downloadable resources, digital flashcards, a real estate glossary, and study schedules.
- Basic: $129 includes the above only
- Standard: $199 includes everything in the Basic package plus exam prep and pass guarantee
- Value: $249 also includes everything in the packages above plus a building business course
- Premium: $445 includes everything in the packages above plus a 45-hour first renewal package and three California real estate edition textbooks
Broker Licensing: $105
- Includes 135 hours of broker prelicensing education purchased in separate packages for $105 each
Continued Education: Starting at $15
- Full 45-hour packages can be purchased for $69 for salesperson and broker courses
- Individual courses can be purchased from $15 to $39 based on credit hours
Exam Prep: $125
California School of Real Estate: Best California-focused Licensing
California School of Real Estate is one of California’s best real estate license courses, focusing on the California real estate sales agent and brokers exam. The school provides students with a focused exam review guide that consists of a 178-page outline form with all the information on what will be on the state exam, like the property ownership and land use controls and regulations topics.
The school provides a complete online study program called “POWERPREP ONLINE.” This allows you to add all the hardcopy materials to the program, such as the DVD, practice tests, and audio CD, so you can watch and learn from the convenience of your home. If you have any problems or questions, you can call the state’s top instructor and leading expert on a direct line seven days a week.
Additional California School of Real Estate Features
California School of Real Estate interface on all devices
- Money-back guarantee: Provides a 200% double money-back if failing
- Accessibility: California School of Real Estate interface is available on all devices
- Instructor access: Provides a free consultation with the head instructor and one-on-one coaching and training
- Add hardcopy versions: Includes an exam review guide booklet, practice testing booklet with 900 Q&As, and lightning review CD
California School of Real Estate Reviews
California School of Real Estate got a 4.5 out of 5 customer reviews online, showing that users are satisfied and love the highly experienced and knowledgeable instructors. Aside from these, students also praised the affordable course pricing and flexible class hours that enable them to study anywhere, at any time.
Regardless, the school doesn’t offer various real estate education courses like post-licensing and broker licensing. In addition, the school provides a livestream learning format, interactive study groups, and career assistance. If you wish to have all the features mentioned earlier, consider Kaplan for its comprehensive licensing courses, learning formats, and study aids.
California School of Real Estate Pricing
Like Aceable Agent, the California School of Real Estate offers straightforward packages with little customization available.
Prelicensing: Starting at $119
- Sales Agent – Qualification Program and PowerPrep Online: $119
- Sales Agent – Qualification Program and PowerPrep Online plus Hardcopy Prep Versions: $169
Broker Licensing: Starting at $79*
- 1 Course: $79
- 2 Course: $114
- 3 Course: $149
- 4 Course: $192
- 5 Course: $235
- 6 Course: $270
- 7 Course: $287
- 8 Course: $320
*Shipping cost is $3 per course
Continued Education: $69.50
Exam Prep: Starting at $79
- Sales Agent – PowerPrep Program (Online): $79
- Sales Agent – PowerPrep Program (Online) with Hardcopy Versions: $128
Visit California School of Real Estate
Aceable Agent: Best Self-paced & Text-based Prelicensing & CE Courses
What We Like
- Budget-friendly pricing
- Career mentors available seven days a week
- Downloadable portable document file (PDF) format
What's Missing
- Comprehensive real estate education provided, including post-licensing and continuing education courses
- Interactive study groups
- Package variety and individual courses for purchase
Accreditation
- California DRE
For real estate agents who need to save up money, Aceable Agent is your best bet for affordable online real estate education. The self-paced course is text-based but still packed with information, and perfect if you need to fit learning around a busy lifestyle. Aceable Agent’s instruction style focuses on setting agents up for success with real-world scenarios and practical coursework they can apply daily in their business.
Furthermore, the mobile application will sync with all other devices, allowing you to immediately pick up where you left off without losing any completed progress. If there are any problems with the app, Aceable Agent’s student concierge is available seven days a week to help you with mobile app troubleshooting. It also offers free exam prep on the school’s website to see if you’re ready to tackle the California real estate exam.
Additional Aceable Agent Features
Example of Aceable Agent pop-up questions for retention
- Interactive learning: Includes advanced video technology that keeps students engaged and helps them retain information better
- Mastery tracking feature: Tracks course progress and identifies areas of improvement
- Slide-based lessons: Allow you to move through the materials easily, answer course questions, watch videos, and pause when necessary
- Student support: Provides a student concierge team and private tutoring
- Pass and refund guarantee: It has a 92% student pass rate and offers a refund within 30 days of purchase
Aceable Agent Reviews
Customers of Aceable Agent gave the platform a 4.9 out of 5 rating for the organization and convenience of courses and liked that they could be completed anywhere. Aside from these, a student commented that Aceable Agent provides a highly engaging and stimulating presentation of course material, which helps them to keep their focus.
A few customers didn’t enjoy the supplemental materials included in the course. One user said that the review handouts do not cover some vital material for the exam, so if you’re looking for more robust downloadable content, look at The CE Shop.
Aceable Agent Pricing
Aceable Agent does not offer tiered packages like the other best California real estate school, but its simple and affordable packages include the required courses to fulfill your real estate prelicensing requirements.
Prelicensing: Starting at $179
- Basic Package: $179 includes a complete 135-hour real estate course, self-paced online PDF format, instructor support, and 30-day money-back guarantee
- Deluxe Package: $299 includes everything in the Basic package plus PrepAgent state exam prep
- Premium Package: $399 includes everything in the Deluxe package plus live tutoring and webinars
How We Evaluated the Best Online Real Estate Courses in California
Since California requires so many course hours to become a real estate agent or upgrade to a broker license, it’s necessary to find schools with the best real estate courses in California and flexibility to fit your schedule and learning needs. We examined course features, cost, type of education, support, and customer reviews to rank the best online real estate schools in California. These schools differ from others due to their affordability and various course formats to match the learning preferences of different online learners.
Through our research, we found California Realty Training, with a score of 4.88 out of 5, to be your overall best California real estate license course provider. It earned this score due to its variety in course formatting, reasonable pricing, and career assistance.
Additional categories we used to judge which accredited schools provide the best California real estate courses are as follows:
25% of Overall Score
Consists 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, continuing education 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, continuing education 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.