Finding a high-quality real estate school is necessary to fulfill Hawaii (HI) licensing requirements, including 60 hours of salesperson prelicensing education, 80 hours of broker education, and 20 hours of continuing education. To make the most of your time and money, enroll in the best online real estate school in HI that offers features like flexible class schedules, various learning formats, and instructor and customer support.
We evaluated several Hawaii online real estate schools based on these features along with pricing, customer reviews, and our expert opinion to present the six best real estate schools in Hawaii:
- Best for direct instructor assistance: Colibri Real Estate
- Best for customizable continuing education (CE) courses: The CE Shop
- Best for locally focused courses: Abe Lee Seminars
- Best for prelicensing course features: Maui Real Estate School
- Best for customer support: Vitousek Real Estate School
- Best for affordable prelicensing courses: Seiler School of Real Estate
Best Online Real Estate Schools in Hawaii at a Glance
School | Education Provided & Starting Price | Learning Formats | Pass Guarantee | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Prelicensing: $377 CE: $49 Exam prep: $99 |
| ✓ | Phone, email, and live chat |
Use Promo Code: FSB30 for 30% off | ||||
 | Prelicensing: $419 Broker licensing: $699 CE: $45 Exam prep: $79 |
| ✓ | Phone, email, and live chat |
Use Promo Code: FSB30 for 30% off | ||||
 | Prelicensing: $475 CE: $33 |
| ✓ | Phone and email |
 | Prelicensing: $450 Broker licensing: $899 |
| ✕ | Phone and email |
 | Prelicensing: $475 Broker licensing: $799 Exam prep: $175 |
| ✕ | Phone and email |
 | Prelicensing: $345 Broker licensing: $645 Exam prep: $175 |
| ✕ | Phone and email |
Things you need to know before enrolling for your Hawaii 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 Hawaii to help you get started.
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Colibri Real Estate: Best for Prelicensing Courses With Direct Instructor Assistance
Pros
- Various learning formats
- Direct instructor access
- “Pass or Don’t Pay” guarantee
Cons
- No live chat customer support
- No broker licensing courses
- No 12 months of course access
Our Expert Opinion on Colibri Real Estate
Colibri Real Estate is the best Hawaii real estate license online course for its direct access to instructors, so students can get answers as needed. To contact a course instructor, click the “Tools” button in your course, and your instructor will respond within 24 hours. In livestream courses, you can get real-time answers directly from experienced instructors.
The school offers prelicensing and exam preparation tools, plus continuing education courses through a partnership with McKissock Learning. Course formats are available as livestream, self-study, and on-demand video.
The pass guarantee provides peace of mind for students. If they don’t pass the Hawaii real estate exam, Colibri will refund the total purchase price of its prelicensing course or exam preparation. Colibri could improve by providing brokers with a Hawaii real estate license course.
Example of its interactive dashboards (Source: Colibri Real Estate)
- Accreditations: The Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC), and Hawaii Real Estate Commission (HREC)
- Refund/cancellation policy: Students have 30 days from their purchase date to request a refund with online courses. For livestream classes, students may request a refund within 24 hours of the first class.
- Available on all devices: All Colibri courses are accessible from any device, so students can study anywhere, anytime.
- Instructor Q&A webinars: Students can ask instructors questions and get answers in a live setting five days a week.
- Professional development membership: Students can access blog posts and career guides through its Career Hub.
Colibri Real Estate has a score of 4.6 out of 5. Satisfied students appreciate how accessible their instructors are and the live Q&A with instructors. One student says the course will teach you everything you need to know to get started in real estate. Another student states that the course is clear, straightforward, and explains everything.
Some unhappy students report that customer service could use improvement. One student says she noticed errors regarding the dates on her transcripts and certificates, contacted Colibri, and received no help. Another dissatisfied student stated that she was one module away from completing her course requirements, and the school restarted her course without notice. If you want a more favorable customer service experience, choose The CE Shop
Colibri Real Estate’s prelicensing course provides tiered pricing with a choice of four different packages. CE pricing includes individual classes or two different packages. Exam prep has two package options.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $377 to $698 |
|
Continued Education* | $49 to $249 |
|
Exam Prep | $99 or $219 |
|
*Offered through a partnership with McKissock Learning
Visit Colibri Real Estate- Use Promo Code: FSB30 for 30% off
The CE Shop: Best for Customizable Continuing Education
Pros
- “Pass or Don’t Pay” guarantee
- Direct instructor assistance
- Available on all devices
Cons
- No livestream
- Six months of course access
- No mobile app
Our Expert Opinion on the CE Shop
With options to customize or purchase a complete package individually, The CE Shop is the best Hawaii real estate course for continuing education for license renewal. In addition to CE, it provides broker and salesperson prelicensing and exam prep in self-paced and on-demand video options.
Its online real estate classes in Hawaii are delivered via The CE Shop’s LEAP 2.0 platform so that students can access their courses 24/7. It includes interactive activities and a student forum for live conversations with other students. The course customization is excellent for students learning about state-approved real estate industry topics. The school could improve its services by offering livestream courses for students who perform better in a live classroom.
Free sample questions and free readiness assessment registration (Source: The CE Shop)
- Accreditations: ARELLO and IDECC
- Refund/cancellation policy: Refunds of the purchase price on any course if the refund request is submitted within 30 days of purchase, before course expiration, and the course is not more than 50% completed.
- Career assistance: Agent Essentials is a comprehensive database of blogs, e-books, videos, podcasts, and webinars, that cover all things real estate related.
- Intuitive database: In its user-friendly, intuitive database, students can track their progress and work at their own pace.
- Free trial: Students have a five-day risk-free trial to check out the course and see if it’s right for them.
The CE Shop has a 3.6 out of 5 rating. Students find The CE Shop platform intuitive and easy to navigate and love the self-paced class format. One student says the course materials are clear, in-depth, engaging, and enjoyable while developing high memorization skills. Another student reports that her preparation for her career has expanded in real estate law, banking, federal policies, and general consumer information.
Negative reviews showed a few issues with customer service communication. A student claimed that the support team hadn’t responded when she asked for technical assistance and asserted that the platform deleted some of her exams. If you’re looking for a school with a quick-response support team that will support you until you pass your exam, check out Vitousek Real Estate School.
The CE Shop broker and salesperson prelicensing courses have tiered pricing, with each package adding more features. Continuing education pricing is based on individual classes or packages. Students can purchase exam prep for the state or national portion of the exam or a combination of both.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $419 to $685 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $699 to $839 |
|
Continued Education | $45 to $325 |
|
Exam Prep | $79 to $136 |
|
Abe Lee Seminars: Best for Locally Focused Courses
Pros
- “Pass or Don’t Pay” guarantee
- 12 months course access
- Instructor assistance
Cons
- Various course packages
- Live chat customer support
- Phone and tablet compatibility
Our Expert Opinion on Abe Lee Seminars
Abe Lee Seminars offers locally focused Hawaii real estate classes online and is an excellent choice for students looking for education from experienced local instructors, with additional opportunities to succeed in real estate. Course formats include livestream, self-paced, and on-demand video, so students can choose which option best supports their learning style.
The school provides a “Pass or Don’t Pay” guarantee, instructor assistance, and access to the class audio archives. However, it only directly offers prelicensing and continuing education. The school could improve by including local broker prelicensing and exam preparation directly from the school instead of a national school.
Interview about the school’s courses with founder Abe Lee (Source: KHON2 News)
- Accreditation: HREC
- Refund/cancellation policy: No refunds will be given once materials have been shipped.
- “Pass or Don’t Pay” guarantee: If you don’t pass the final exam by 70% or better, you can attend one additional time free of charge. Must be completed within six months from the failed final exam.
- Instructor assistance: Students can contact their instructors via phone, voicemail, fax, email, and regular mail. Instructors may provide an orientation call upon request. They also contact students periodically during the course.
- Class audio archive: Students in the self-study course can access all audio archives for free.
Abe Lee Seminars has a rating of 4.9 out of 5. One student says they took their prelicensing classes in February, finished the book in March, took their exam in April, and passed on their first attempt. One long-time school student took her CE classes from different instructors over the years and said they are all excellent, knowledgeable, and clear, lively speakers. She enjoyed the real-life experiences they brought to the course content to make it all more relevant.
However, some students expressed disappointment with Abe Lee Seminars’ customer service. One student complained that the staff was unprofessional over the phone. Another student found wrong answers in the Q&A but said it was a good experience overall. For agents looking for a school with reliable customer service, consider The CE Shop.
Abe Lee Seminars’ pricing includes an affordable prelicensing course and individual or packaged CE courses. Packaged CE covers Cores A and B.
Education Type* | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $475 |
|
Continued Education | $33 to $90 |
|
*For broker and exam prep courses, see Abe Lee Seminars partner, The CE Shop
Maui Real Estate School: Best for Prelicensing Course Features
Pros
- 12 months of access
- Available on any device
- Hardcopy texts and handouts are mailed
Cons
- Only prelicensing available
- No interactive study groups
- No pass or refund guarantees
Our Expert Opinion on Maui Real Estate School
Maui Real Estate School is the best online real estate school in Hawaii for its prelicensing course features. It offers salesperson and broker prelicensing education in livestream, on-demand, and self-study formats. Its courses are loaded with features like digital flashcards, online audio and video, and practice quizzes. It even has a mobile app and is accessible from any device.
Students have course access for 12 months, and there’s no limit on course exam retakes. However, Maui Real Estate School only provides prelicensing; it could improve by adding continuing education and more comprehensive exam preparation tools.
List of features (Source: Maui Real Estate School)
- Accreditation: HREC
- Refund/cancellation policy: No refunds.
- Personalized student dashboard: Students can stay organized and track their progress with its interactive dashboard.
- Online practice quiz software: Offers quizzes to help students prepare for the exam.
- Mobile app: The mobile app allows students to study real estate vocabulary on the go.
Student reviews give Maui Real Estate School a perfect score of 5 out of 5. One student said the course took roughly three to four weeks to complete. She continued by saying that the course materials, quizzes, exams, and videos are excellent, and the course price is affordable. Another student said that the course materials thoroughly prepared him for the exam.
While we couldn’t find any negative reviews about the school, it is missing a few features students may benefit from if it were to include them, such as a pass guarantee, some career assistance, an online chat feature, and additional courses besides prelicensing. Colibri Real Estate is a good option if you’re looking for a school with a pass guarantee.
Maui Real Estate School provides a flat rate for its salesperson and broker prelicensing course, plus applicable tax. It sometimes offers discounts, so check the website periodically.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $450 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $899 |
|
Vitousek Real Estate School: Best for Customer Support
Pros
- Instructor assistance
- Available on all devices
- 12 months of course access
Cons
- Additional shipping costs and taxes
- No continuing education
- No livestream
Our Expert Opinion on Vitousek Real Estate School
Vitousek Real Estate School receives the recognition as the best Hawaii online real estate school for its guarantee to stick with its students until they pass their exams. It also provides tutoring support after the course ends, and student reviewers rave about the instructor’s concern for their learning.
It offers salesperson and broker prelicensing and exam prep in a self-paced format for independent learners. It could improve by providing other learning formats like livestream and on-demand video since students have different learning styles.
Course information (Source: Vitousek Real Estate School)
- Accreditation: HREC
- Refund/cancellation policy: The hybrid in-person/self-study course has a refund period of five days before the first class. There are no refunds on the online self-study or correspondence courses once the packaging and hard copy materials are opened.
- Course completion: Students have up to one year to complete the course at no additional expense.
- School guarantee: Vitousek Real Estate School will provide tutoring after the course ends and stay with you until you pass the state exam.
Vitousek Real Estate School has a rating of 4.5 out of 5. Students say the instructor thoroughly understood various real estate career options. Another student stated that the instructor’s assistant was at every class and helped keep the conversation moving positively. She also said they offered students extra study sessions on the instructor’s time to ensure they were prepared before taking the exams.
Only a few negative reviews from over 10 years ago were complaints about an instructor no longer with the school. Although its current customer support is stellar, the school could improve by offering a refund or pass guarantee. If you want a school that provides a refund guarantee if you don’t pass, we suggest Colibri Real Estate.
Vitousek Real Estate School courses have individual prices for each of its offerings. The broker and salesperson prelicensing courses have the same features, but the broker’s course is more detailed. Exam prep pricing is also for either salesperson or broker prelicensing preparation.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $475 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $799 |
|
Exam Prep | $175 to $200 |
|
Visit Vitousek Real Estate School
Seiler School of Real Estate: Best for Affordable Prelicensing Courses
Pros
- Budget-friendly courses
- Instructor assistance
- Students resources
Cons
- No livestream
- Six months of course access
- Live chat customer support
Our Expert Opinion on Seiler School of Real Estate
Seiler School of Real Estate is the best online real estate school in Hawaii for its affordably priced courses, the lowest of these top six schools. It offers broker and salesperson prelicensing classes and exam prep tools in self-paced and on-demand course formats.
Though provided in an independent study format, students receive assistance from their instructors, and the school offers additional educational resources—some of which are free and accessible on its website. Seiler School could offer a course extension to improve its rating and further support students. Currently, there are no extension options.
Flashcard slide (Source: Seiler School of Real Estate)
- Accreditation: HREC
- Refund/cancellation policy: No refunds.
- Flashcards: Students get free access to a 55-minute YouTube flashcards video or open a flashcard slideshow on the glossary page.
- Study hall: Available for free on its website is a study hall, with information on the eight modules in the broker and salesperson prelicensing, plus information on the sample tests and course finals.
- Hot links for independent study students: This page on the school’s website has dozens of links for prelicensees and licensees.
Seiler School of Real Estate has a rating of 4.8 out of 5. Some students loved its budget-friendly courses, independent study learning format, instructor support, and well-organized study resources—making learning simple and convenient. Moreover, many students like how easy it is to follow the materials and use the site.
However, some students wished for more lengthy course access, especially those who simultaneously signed up for multiple courses. The school also doesn’t offer CE real estate courses in Hawaii. If you need to complete your pre- and post-licensing education requirements, check out Abe Lee Seminars.
Seiler School of Real Estate has flat-rate pricing on all its online self-study courses. The broker prelicensing course includes the same materials as the salesperson course but includes one additional textbook. The prices listed here don’t include taxes and shipping.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $345 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $645 |
|
Exam Prep | $175 |
|
Visit Seiler School of Real Estate
How We Evaluated the Best Real Estate Schools in Hawaii
The best real estate schools in HI educate students to meet state licensing requirements and start and grow in their careers. To choose the best online real estate schools, we evaluated course features, pricing, types of education offered, customer support, and customer reviews.
Our research found that Colibri Real Estate, with a score of 4.91 out of 5, is the overall best online real estate school in Hawaii. It earned this score due to its various course formats, available education, reasonable pricing, and accessible experienced instructors.
To arrive at our unbiased score for the best Hawaii real estate school, we evaluated the following criteria:
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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Overall, the fastest it could take is five or six weeks. The Hawaii Real Estate Commission (HREC) requires prospective licensees to complete 60 hours of prelicensing education. Independent study courses can be completed in as few as three weeks, whereas in-person and livestream instruction are schedule-dependent.
Once you receive your course completion certificate, you can take the exam. The exam is 130 questions and takes four hours to complete. After passing the exam, you can apply for your license, which can take five business days to receive.
Choosing a real estate course format depends on your motivation, discipline, schedule, and learning style. In-person courses provide structure since they adhere to a schedule. Students also benefit from interaction with instructors and other students. However, many online real estate schools provide interactive study groups and instructor access.
A challenge with online courses is staying motivated and disciplined to do the work. It’s easy to procrastinate when no one is watching. Lastly, some students can work better independently, while others need the course structure.
To get a real estate license in Hawaii, prospective licensees must complete 60 hours of prelicensing education from an HREC-approved school, pass the licensing exam with a minimum score of 70 percent, and apply for the license.
The HI real estate licensing exam has 130 questions, divided into 80 national and 50 state questions. The national portion covers federal regulations, such as fair housing, land use regulations, ownership, market analysis, and property valuation. The state portion covers Hawaii real estate law, math, taxation, the rules and regulations of the HREC, and more.
