6 Best Online Real Estate Schools in Connecticut
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This article is part of a larger series on How to Become a Real Estate Agent.
Choosing a high-quality real estate school to complete your Connecticut (CT) real estate education is necessary to learn efficiently and enhance your career faster. To help you do so, we’ve identified the best real estate classes in CT based on factors like price, course format variety, and learning tools. These providers will assist you in completing the required 60 hours of prelicensing education, 12 hours of continuing education (CE) per year, and more to upgrade to a broker’s license.
Based on our evaluation, the best online real estate courses in CT are:
- The CE Shop: Top choice for agents wanting the most engaging self-paced education to earn or renew their CT real estate license
- Real Estate University: Best for current agents wanting to upgrade to a real estate broker’s license
- Freedom Trail Realty School: Ideal for aspiring agents looking to get a reciprocal real estate license in CT, Massachusetts (MA), and Rhode Island (RI) at the most affordable price
- National Real Estate Institute (NREI): Best for future agents wanting a live course with the widest variety of scheduling options and resources
- McKissock Learning: Best for agents seeking customizable continuing education for license renewal
- Connecticut Real Estate Institute: Great choice for aspiring agents wanting live courses from a local expert
Did you know? Connecticut’s reciprocity agreements offer a way to fast-track getting your initial license and starting your real estate career. For example, you can get your Massachusetts license first, which consists of 40 hours of education, as opposed to Connecticut’s 60 hours. Then, once you pass the Massachusetts exam, you can apply for your Connecticut license by submitting the Reciprocal Form. Learn more in our article Real Estate License Reciprocity & Portability Guide.
Best Online Schools in Connecticut at a Glance
Schools | Education Provided & Starting Price | Learning Formats | Pass Guarantee | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Prelicensing: $719 CE: $35 Exam prep: $75 |
| âś“ | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $535 Broker licensing: $275 CE: $35 Exam prep: $30 |
| âś• | Phone and email |
 | Prelicensing: $229 |
| âś“ | Live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $450 Broker licensing: $300 CE: $40 Exam prep: $69 |
| âś• | Phone and email |
 | CE: $44 Exam prep: $99
|
| âś“ | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $545 Exam prep: $30 |
| âś• | Phone and email |
Things you need to know before enrolling for your Connecticut 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 Connecticut to get started.
The CE Shop: Best Self-paced Prelicensing Education
Overall Score:
4.90 / 5
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Downloadable resources
- Interactive platform
Cons
- Limited course format variety
- No direct instructor access
- Exam prep course isn’t Connecticut-specific
The CE Shop’s real estate courses in CT are ranked as one of the best schools because of its engaging and interactive course platform and a wide variety of courses. All of its online real estate classes in Connecticut are self-paced and accessible on any device.
Its learning solution, LEAP, tracks your progress through the course, provides a streamlined navigation menu, tailors feedback to help you prioritize topics, and generates visual and interactive practice exercises. The CE Shop provides a Connecticut real estate license online course as well as an exam prep course and a variety of continuing education topics, from “Ethics at Work” and “Document Excellence” to “Technology Tools and Trends.”
Additional The CE Shop Features
LEAP Platform practice exercise (Source: The CE Shop)
- Customer support: Available seven days a week
- Length of course access: The CE Shop courses do not expire for 12 months
- Refund policy: Get a refund for the course within 30 days
- Course demo: Interactive course demo to test the functionality of the learning platform
- Additional resources: Agent essentials resource page with news and career tips
The CE Shop Reviews
The CE Shop has an overall customer review rating of 3.9 out of 5, with over 6,000 reviews. The vast majority of reviewers said they’ve chosen to take courses from The CE Shop at every opportunity because the course platform is easy to navigate, easily digestible, and customer service is easy to reach. In fact, The CE Shop states that they have a 96% student satisfaction rate.
A small percentage of unhappy customers had problems with the course expiration date and were not satisfied with customer service’s solutions. If you would rather choose a CT real estate license course with an in-person instructor to answer questions, try Real Estate University.
The CE Shop Pricing
The CE Shop’s pricing structure is straightforward and easy to understand. 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.
Prelicensing: Starting at $719
- 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices: $719, includes courses, e-books, real estate glossary, flashcards, and downloadable resources
- Standard 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices: $779, includes everything above plus Exam Prep Edge and a pass guarantee
- Value 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices: $819, includes everything the Standard Plan plus business building courses
Continued Education: Starting at $35
- 6-hour electives package: $59, includes six elective hours of the 12 required hours National Realtors Association-approved ethics course
- Individual courses: $35
Exam Prep: $75
- Exam Prep Edge: $75, includes one hour of national exam prep assessment and dynamic practice exams
Real Estate University: Best for Upgrading to a Broker’s License
Overall Score:
4.53 / 5
Pros
- Live online and in-person classes
- Private tutoring option
- Affordable prices
Cons
- Limited course format variety
- Limited refund policy
- Only four months of course access
Accreditation
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP)
Real Estate University primarily offers livestreamed courses, which are held in the morning and evening. This allows students to get a classroom experience and a flexible course schedule. Every course is taught by a real estate instructor who can answer questions in real time. There are also in-class quizzes and projects to enhance your learning experience and understanding.
If you’re a real estate agent looking for the steps to become a real estate broker in Connecticut, Real Estate University is an ideal choice to help you upgrade your license. Its salesperson and broker prelicensing courses are offered live online or at its Norwalk location, which isn’t offered for brokers at any other schools except National Real Estate Institute (NREI). Although it has a smaller number of course offerings, its students rate the CT real estate classes very highly because of the high-quality real estate instructors.
Additional Real Estate University Features
CT real estate course schedule (Source: Real Estate University)
- One-on-one tutoring option: For an additional fee, get private tutoring to receive access to an instructor for questions and support
- Bilingual courses: The only school to offer courses in English and Spanish
- Career center: Includes a job board with local job postings and a bookstore
- Exam prep: Two-hour exam prep courses are live with an instructor
Real Estate University Reviews
Real Estate University has one of the highest customer review ratings, with a score of 4.9 out of 5. Students rave about this real estate school in CT, with many students saying they had an “amazing experience” and “the best real estate instructors.” Reviewers specifically say that classes were fun and that it was easy to learn from real-life examples.
Although there are an extremely small number of reviews under 5 stars, unsatisfied students say they had difficulty reaching customer support. One student said they received a refund for their class, but it took longer than expected. If you would prefer a school with highly accessible customer support, consider Freedom Trail Realty School.
Real Estate University Pricing
Real Estate University offers Connecticut online real estate courses for agent and broker prelicensing and continuing education. 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 offered online. In addition, there is also a two-hour exam prep session offered live.
Prelicensing: $535
- Virtual livestream classes: $535, includes 15 live sessions and varying schedules
- Bilingual virtual livestream classes: $535, includes everything in virtual classes offered in English or Spanish
- In-person classes: $535, includes Saturday classes held at the Norwalk location
Broker Prelicensing: Starting at $275
- Broker Mandatory Course Bundle: $515, includes a livestream of both 15-hour required courses
- Principles and Practices: $275, includes a livestream of all 15 required hours held in one week
- Legal Compliance: $275, includes a livestream of all 15 required hours held in one week
- Broker Appraisal Elective Course: $450, includes 30 hours of elective appraisal courses
- Broker Finance Elective Course: $275, includes 15 hours of elective finance courses
Continued Education: $35
- Individual Millennials course: $35, includes three hours of on-demand course material
Exam Prep: Starting at $30
- Live exam prep course (no math formulas): $30, includes two hours of live exam prep instruction and practice
- Live exam prep course (math only): $30, includes two hours of math-focused exam prep instruction
Freedom Trail Realty School: Best for Reciprocal Licensing in Multiple States
Overall Score:
4.48 / 5
Pros
- Affordable prices
- Variety of live and self-paced course formats
- Tiered course packages
Cons
- Eligible for a refund within 14 days only
- No continuing education courses available
- Some features are only offered with higher-priced packages
Accreditations
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP)
- Massachusetts Real Estate Board
Freedom Trail Realty School has a unique approach to CT real estate classes online. Its licensing course is a reciprocal class that gives you a real estate license in three states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Massachusetts requires only 40 hours of education but has full real estate reciprocity with Connecticut and Rhode Island.
In addition, getting your real estate license from Freedom Trail Realty is ideal for future agents wanting a variety of course formats and tools, including on-demand videos, audiobooks, livestreamed classes, online tutoring sessions, and a pass guarantee. Overall, the variety of features and course options makes Freedom Trail Realty one of the best online real estate courses in CT.
Additional Freedom Trail Realty Features
Course dashboard (Source: Freedom Trail Realty School)
- Easy to access: Online courses are accessible on all devices
- Length of course access: Freedom Trail Realty courses do not expire for 12 months
- Customer support: Live chat support and a help center with detailed FAQs
- 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 Reviews
Freedom Trail Realty School has an excellent customer review rating of 4.9 out of 5. Students say that the classes and video lessons are engaging, easy to follow and understand, and that the school provides everything they need to study and feel confident. Multiple reviewers credited its CT real estate classes for helping them pass the real estate license exam on the first try.
The small handful of negative reviews noted that the pass guarantee requires students to pass six practice tests, which can be challenging. Another review shared that they felt the classes were not engaging and took too long to watch. However, Freedom Trail Realty School fully refunded their purchase. If you’d prefer a school with an interactive course platform, try The CE Shop.
Freedom Trail Realty School Pricing
Although Freedom Trail Realty doesn’t offer standalone exam prep courses, its tiered licensing packages include 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.
Prelicensing Reciprocal Courses: Starting at $229
- Base plan: $229, includes on-demand access, audiobook, e-book, and 25 hours of livestreaming access
- Ridgeline plan: $299, includes everything in Base Plan plus 40 hours of livestreaming access and real estate forms course
- Peak plan: $359, includes everything in Ridgeline plus 60 hours of livestreaming access, pass guarantee, unlimited practice tests, and 12 months of course access
- Summit plan: $499, includes everything in Peak Plan plus 100 hours of livestreaming access and three online tutoring sessions
Visit Freedom Trail Realty School
National Real Estate Institute: Most Course Schedule Variety & Additional Resources
Overall Score:
4.30 / 5
Pros
- Livestreamed courses with a variety of schedule options
- Direct instructor assistance
- Large bookstore with additional resources
Cons
- Requires textbooks for additional cost
- Limited refund policy
- Only six months of course access
Accreditation
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP)
The National Real Estate Institute (NREI) offers Connecticut licensing classes in a live online format, with schedules to complete the material in five, seven, or 10 weeks. For aspiring real estate brokers, the licensing course is only two days long. Although Connecticut Real Estate Institute also provides livestreamed real estate license CT online courses, NREI is the only one that gives you a wide variety of scheduling options.
NREI also provides many resources for current Connecticut sales agents, including required continuing education courses, exploratory courses, and a real estate bookstore. You can study topics like real estate finance, business planning, property management, and appraisal, which will enhance your knowledge, improve your skills, and help you grow your business.
Additional National Real Estate Institute Features
Connecticut licensing course schedule (Source: NREI)
- High-quality content: Courses designed by real estate experts to incorporate real-life scenarios and local real estate information
- Continuing education courses topics: 23 different course topics to choose from to individualize your education
- Customer support: Available through email, phone, or online ticket
National Real Estate Institute Reviews
NREI has a relatively small number of online reviews and an overall customer review rating of 4.5 out of 5. Almost every review is enthusiastic, with students specifically crediting their instructors for being extremely knowledgeable, thorough, and helpful. Reviewers consistently noted that courses were well-organized, easy to understand, and ultimately helped students pass their licensing exam.
While there are a small number of low ratings for the National Real Estate Institute, none of them include comments and were written over three years ago. However, if you’d prefer to take your online real estate courses in CT from a school that has been providing education for many years, check out McKissock Learning.
National Real Estate Institute Pricing
The National Real Estate Institute offers prelicensing courses to become a CT real estate agent or broker, as well as continuing education courses, non-credit exploratory courses, and an exam prep question bank.
Prelicensing: $450
- Real Estate Principles and Practices: $450, includes 60 hours of livestreamed classes in a five-week schedule
Broker Prelicensing: Starting at $300
- Broker’s Real Estate Principles and Practices: $300, includes 15 hours of livestreamed education offered in two days
- Legal Compliance Course: $300, includes 15 hours of livestreamed education offered in two days
- Property management course: $540, includes 30 hours of livestreamed education in four sessions
Continued Education: Starting at $40
- Individual courses: $40 to $80, includes on-demand course access
- Exploratory courses: $560 to $600, includes courses in property management, finance, or income property
Exam Prep: $69
- Connecticut Real Estate Drill and Practice Qbank: $69, includes online Qbank and a national state test simulator
Visit National Real Estate Institute
McKissock Learning: Best Customizable Continuing Education
Overall Score:
3.34 / 5
Pros
- Purchase packages or individual customizable courses
- Variety of relevant course topics
- CE membership with additional resources
Cons
- Pre- and post-licensing courses only available through partner
- Mid-range pricing
- Only 6 months of course access
To renew your real estate license in Connecticut, you’re required to complete 12 hours of education every year. McKissock Learning offers the largest library of CE courses, with topics including educating homebuyers, investing, niche marketing, distressed properties, and real estate market cycles and trends.
It also uniquely offers a CE Membership, which gives you access to all the CE topics in your state and additional resources like videos, a webinar library, job aids, and product and service discounts. Make the most of your required education by taking the best real estate classes in CT and learning about the most relevant and important topics for agents.
Additional McKissock Learning Features
McKissock Learning course platform
- Course format options: McKissock offers self-paced and livestreamed CE course options
- Membership option: The CE membership uniquely provides access to all materials and tools for one year
- Package options: Purchase courses individually or in packages
- Customer support: Multiple methods to contact customer service
McKissock Learning Reviews
McKissock Learning has a good customer review rating of 4.5 out of 5, with students unsurprisingly saying they love the additional resources included in the membership package. Reviewers also consistently say the platform is easy to navigate and the material is easy to understand, which is why they continue to use this school to complete their requirements.
A few of the unsatisfied reviewers noted that the expiration date could come quickly, and they weren’t prepared for the additional fee. Another reviewer also said that you must be self-motivated to complete all your education on time since there are no scheduled classes. If you’d prefer to have a live class taught by an instructor, check out the National Real Estate Institute or Connecticut Real Estate Institute.
McKissock Learning Pricing
McKissock Learning’s pricing structure is very simple because it only offers continuing education courses. You can purchase courses individually, within a designated package, or opt for a membership with additional resources.
Continued Education: Starting at $44
- CT McKissock CE Plus Membership: $189, includes all CE courses, professional development tools, webinar library, and education specialists
- 9-hour elective package: $109, includes three separate three-hour courses that can be customized with your ideal topics
- Individual courses: $44 to $54
Exam Prep: Starting at $99
- CT Exam Prep: $99, includes test simulator, audio playback, and a pass guarantee
- CT Exam Prep Live: $219 everything in exam prep course plus animated learning videos, instructor Q&A sessions, and a live exam crammer series
Connecticut Real Estate Institute: Best for Live Courses With State-specific Exam Prep
Overall Score:
3.18 / 5
Pros
- Live online courses
- Four Connecticut locations
- Financing options
Cons
- No course format variety
- Lacks post-licensing courses for brokers
- Website isn’t intuitive
Accreditation
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP)
The Connecticut Real Estate Institute is a small real estate school that offers prelicensing and exam prep courses and materials for aspiring agents. All real estate classes in CT are offered live online, with multiple daytime and evening schedule options. Connecticut Real Estate Institute’s standout feature is its exam prep course, which includes national and state-specific material to prepare you for the exam.
Another unique offering from The Connecticut Real Estate Institute is its financing options, which assist aspiring real estate professionals who don’t have a lump sum of money to sign up for classes immediately. There are three financing options with varying amounts of down payments and interest-free options if paid within six months.
Additional Connecticut Real Estate Institute Features
School locations (Source: Connecticut Real Estate Institute)
- 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
- Additional courses: Provides courses in real estate finance and real estate math
Connecticut Real Estate Institute Reviews
The Connecticut Real Estate Institute has a good 4.3 out of 5 customer review rating. Most reviewers use words like “amazing,” “wonderful,” “fantastic,” and “excellent.” Almost all students raved about the teacher’s ability to organize course material and prepare them for the real estate exam.
Some unhappy students said that the course requires additional time reading and studying to stay on track. There were also some notes that it’s difficult to reach anyone at the school with questions by phone. For a school with highly accessible customer support, try Freedom Trail Realty School.
Connecticut Real Estate Institute Pricing
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.
Prelicensing: $545
- Real estate principles and practices: $545 with textbooks, includes 60 hours of live course instruction
Exam Prep: Starting at $30
- 5-hour National and State Exam Prep: $109, includes topic overviews, over 700 practice questions, and build-your-own-exam tool
- 4-hour National Exam Prep: $99, includes topic overview and practice questions for the national portion of the real estate exam
- 1-hour Connecticut Exam Prep: $30, includes topic overview and practice questions for the state portion of the real estate exam
Visit Connecticut Real Estate Institute
How We Evaluated the Top Real Estate Schools in Connecticut
Becoming a real estate agent and maintaining your license in Connecticut is relatively simple, especially when compared to other states. To take advantage of your licensing requirements, choosing a top real estate school will help prepare you for the real estate exam and for a successful career. We evaluated several of the best online real estate courses in CT based on criteria like customer reviews, learning formats, and customer support to determine the schools that will kick your real estate education into high gear.
With an overall score of 4.9 out of 5, our research found The CE Shop to be the best overall accredited online real estate school in Connecticut. It earned the top spot with its interactive and engaging course platform, a pass guarantee, and a variety of CE course topics.
Additional criteria we used to assess each online school include the following:
25%
Learning Style/Course Features
20%
Pricing
15%
Education Provided
15%
Additional Features
10%
Customer Reviews
10%
Expert Score
5%
Help & Support
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, 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.
*Percentages of overall score
