6 Best Online Real Estate Courses in Connecticut (CT) 2024

Connecticut licensing course schedule (Source: NREI)

• Accreditation: Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP)
• Refund/cancellation policy: You can only receive a tuition refund before classes begin, and a 10% service charge will be deducted from the refund amount.
• High-quality content: Real estate experts design courses that incorporate real-life scenarios and local real estate information.
• Continuing education course topics: There are 23 topics to choose from to individualize your education.

NREI has an overall customer rating of 4.6 out of 5 from about 50 reviews. It has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with commendations for its personable, knowledgeable, patient, and professional instructors who are easily reachable. Customers reported passing their exams on the first attempt, attributing their success to the well-explained and efficient learning process. The well-prepared curriculum, clear material presentation, and evenly paced, interactive sessions further contribute to the school’s reputation.

While there are a small number of low ratings for the National Real Estate Institute, none include comments and were written over three years ago. However, if you’d prefer to take online real estate courses in CT from a school that has provided education for many years, check out McKissock Learning.

The National Real Estate Institute offers prelicensing courses to become a CT real estate agent or broker, as well as CE courses, non-credit exploratory courses, and an exam prep Question bank.

Course dashboard (Source: Freedom Trail Realty School)

• Accreditation: Connecticut DCP and Massachusetts Real Estate Board
• Refund/cancellation policy: You can get a refund within 14 days after registration if you have yet to start any classes or log any class time. If you ask for a refund after starting classes but still within 14 days after registration, you can get a refund minus the time you spent in class.
• Easy to access: Online courses are accessible on all devices.
• Exam prep and support tools: Extensive features and tools, including a job board and recruiting, digital real estate flashcards, and online tutoring with Summit plan.

Freedom Trail Realty School has an excellent rating of 4.9 out of 5 from more than 100 reviews. Students praised the exceptional instructors who go the extra mile, addressing questions, providing real-life examples, and ensuring each student understands the material before progressing. Working individuals also liked how the platform makes fitting classes into their busy schedules convenient. Including class recordings, study guides, and comprehensive whiteboard notes have proven valuable in helping students prepare for their exams.

One notable issue involved a system glitch wherein, despite completing 80% of the 40-hour course, a student was required to start over from the beginning. The said student reported receiving a discount offer and credit but without total compensation or assistance until actively advocated for. This experience raised issues of accountability and support in such situations. Another student said the classes were not engaging and took too long to watch. However, Freedom Trail Realty fully refunded their purchase. If you’d prefer a school with an interactive course platform, try The CE Shop.

Although Freedom Trail Realty doesn’t offer standalone exam prep courses, its tiered licensing packages incorporate various exam prep tools and support, like real estate practice exams with over 1,700 questions, a how-to study guide and planner, and digital flashcards.

LEAP Platform Practice Exercise (Source: The CE Shop)

• Accreditation: Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) and CDCP
• Refund/cancellation policy: The CE Shop offers a refund of the course purchase price if the refund request is submitted within 30 days of purchase, before the course expiration, and the course completion is below 50%. Additionally, refunds are applicable if the live class has not commenced.
• LEAP platform: Tracks your progress, presents a streamlined navigation menu, tailors feedback to help you prioritize topics, and generates visual and interactive practice exercises.
• Course demo: An interactive course demo lets you test the functionality of the learning platform.
• Agent Essentials: This resource page provides real estate news, trends, and career tips to assist in the growth of your real estate business.

The CE Shop has an overall customer review rating of 3.2 out of 5, based on over 6,000 reviews. Many users praised the software’s user-friendly interface, easy navigation, and excellent features, such as storing results and saving progress. These facilitated a positive online learning experience for students. Moreover, the exam prep class has proven to focus on areas where students may need improvement and guide them toward correct answers.

Negative feedback suggested a proofreader must address typos in the materials. Some users expressed frustration over discovering they only have three chances to pass the final exam. If unsuccessful, they must redo all the course hours, which can be a significant inconvenience. Other reviewers reported problems with the course expiration date and were unsatisfied with customer service solutions. If you prefer a CT real estate school with an in-person instructor to answer questions, try Real Estate University.

The CE Shop’s pricing structure is straightforward and comprehensible. It offers one 60-hour real estate course in CT online, one national exam prep course, an elective CE course package, and a variety of individual CE courses.

CT real estate course schedule (Source: Real Estate University)

• Accreditation: Connecticut DCP
• Refund/cancellation policy: Real Estate University will issue refunds minus a $35 administration fee only before login credentials are provided. No refunds will be given for books or course materials received.
• One-on-one tutoring option: For an additional fee, you can get private tutoring to receive access to an instructor for questions and personalized support.
• Bilingual courses: The only school to offer courses in English and Spanish.
• Career center: Includes a job board with local job postings to help you kickstart your real estate career.

Real Estate University has one of the highest customer ratings, scoring 4.8 out of 5 based on more than 100 reviews. Students rave about this real estate school in CT for its outstanding instructors, who bring their diverse backgrounds and real-world experiences. Many users find the material easy to grasp, thanks to real-life examples, and appreciate the flexible class schedule. The school fosters a supportive environment where everyone, from instructors to staff, makes students feel important and invested in their success.

On the downside, there’s negative feedback regarding the disparity between the practice test given and the actual questions on the license test. Although there are only a few reviews under five stars, unsatisfied students say they had difficulty reaching customer support. One said he received a refund for his class, which took longer than expected. If you would prefer a school with highly accessible customer support, consider Freedom Trail Realty School.

Real Estate University offers CT online real estate courses for agent and broker prelicensing, CE, and exam prep. For prelicensing courses, the price remains the same whether you choose the live in-person or live online course. There is only one CE course, and it is accessible online and only for even years. In addition, there is also a 2-hour exam prep session available live.

School locations (Source: Connecticut Real Estate Institute)

• Accreditation: Connecticut DCP
• Refund/cancellation policy: If a class is canceled by the school, students will receive a full refund. Withdrawals 14 days before class commencement receive a 50% tuition refund (minus a $40 admin fee). Withdrawals 7 days before class receive a 30% tuition refund (minus the admin fee). Cancellations made five days before the class starts will not receive a refund.
• Financing options: There are three financing options with varying amounts of down payments or interest-free options if paid within six months.
• Real estate instructor: All courses taught by a local real estate expert.
• Eight-week course schedule: Complete all Connecticut real estate licensing requirements within two months.

Based on about 70 reviews, the Connecticut Real Estate Institute has a good 4.2 out of 5 customer review rating. Positive feedback highlights the well-structured courses that presented concepts to students engagingly. This kept them attentive and ensured a solid understanding of the material. Students also appreciate the entertaining yet informative approach, emphasizing the importance of reading the required books for effective learning.

However, negative feedback centers around students having problems with certain instructors, noting their insufficient effort to ensure everyone comprehends the course materials. This suggests improving the instructor’s teaching method and communication to enhance the overall learning experience. Moreover, some users found it difficult to reach anyone at the school with questions by phone. For a school with highly accessible customer support, try Freedom Trail Realty School.

The Connecticut Real Estate Institute offers a 60-hour live prelicensing course with multiple schedule options and a real estate finance course. It also provides national and state-specific exam prep, which you can purchase as a bundle or individually.

McKissock Learning course platform

• Accreditation: ARELLO, Connecticut DCP, International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC)
• Refund/cancellation policy: Students can request a refund within 30 days starting from the date of purchase.
• Membership option: The CE membership uniquely grants one year access to all topics, materials, and tools.
• One-on-one instructor assistance: Students can enjoy individualized instructor support to supplement their online learning.
• Learning hub: Keeps all courses in one place and helps you stay on track of your progress.

Based on over 200 reviews, McKissock Learning earned an impressive customer rating of 4.8 out of 5. Many users commended the platform’s exceptional customer service, which promptly responded to their concerns and supplied additional links to address them thoroughly. Most students found the course materials informative and the software user-friendly. Users also appreciated the self-paced study format and the option to print materials to easily retain important information.

However, a few students left negative reviews due to inaccurate links and misspelled or duplicated words in the provided information, which raised doubts about the course’s accuracy. In addition, McKissock does not offer livestream course formats. If you’d prefer a live class taught by an instructor, check out the National Real Estate Institute or Connecticut Real Estate Institute.

McKissock Learning’s pricing structure is simple because it only offers continuing education courses. You can purchase courses individually, within a designated package, or opt for a membership with added resources.