6 Best Online Real Estate Courses in New York (NY) 2023
This article is part of a larger series on How to Become a Real Estate Agent.
Choosing the right real estate education in New York (NY) is key for you to start, continue, and grow a real estate career. For New Yorkers seeking a new real estate license, continuing education, or a broker license, you must find a school that offers top-notch real estate education that fits your learning style and budget. The best NY real estate schools should have diverse course formats, customer support channels to fit busy lifestyles, and a wide variety of plans to match all budgets.
Based on those criteria, we evaluated dozens of providers to identify the six best online real estate courses in NY:
- Colibri Real Estate: Most user-friendly online course platform for agent and broker prelicensing courses
- Aceable Agent: Ideal prelicensing courses for new agents wanting affordable package options with exam prep and a pass guarantee
- Kaplan: Recommended for aspiring agents wanting a prelicensing package with extensive career resources
- The CE Shop: Top prelicensing and exam prep package choice for agents wanting plenty of study tools and access to a study group
- McKissock Learning: Best online continuing education courses with preset packages or a la carte classes
- New York Real Estate Institution (NYREI): Best for New York-based real estate education and support
Best Online Real Estate Courses in NY at a Glance
School | Education Provided & Starting Price | Learning Formats | Pass Guarantee | Customer Support |
---|---|---|---|---|
Prelicensing: $355 Broker licensing: $219 Exam prep: $99 |
| ✓ | Phone, email, and live chat | |
Visit Colibri Real Estate - Use Promo Code: FSB25 for 25% off | ||||
Prelicensing: $239 Post-licensing: $26 CE: $29 |
| ✓ | Phone, email, and live chat | |
Visit Aceable Agent - 25% off, no promo code required | ||||
Prelicensing: $370 CE: $34 Exam prep: $69 |
| ✕ | Phone, email, and live chat | |
Visit Kaplan - Use Promo Code: Kapre5 for 5% off | ||||
Prelicensing: $315 Broker licensing: $619 CE: $9 Exam prep: $135 |
| ✓ | Phone, email, and live chat | |
Visit The CE Shop - Use Promo Code: FSB30 for 30% off | ||||
CE: $49 |
| ✕ | Phone and email | |
Prelicensing: $495 Broker licensing: $450 CE: $50 Exam prep: $25 |
| ✕ | Phone, email, and live chat | |
Which online real estate school provider is right for you?
Things you need to know before enrolling for your New York 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 New York to help you get started.
Colibri Real Estate: Best for Online Agent & Broker Prelicensing Courses
Pros
- Online courses with instructor assistance
- Self-paced and live online options
- Career assistance
Cons
- Only six months of course access
- No mobile application
- Coaching and training are unavailable
Our Expert Opinion on Colibri Real Estate
Colibri Real Estate provides courses for every stage of a real estate agent’s career, from salesperson and broker prelicensing to exam prep. The online school has a self-paced textbook course format that provides access to instructors for any questions that may arise over the course. For New Yorkers wanting to get their salesperson license, Colibri also offers a livestream course during evenings or full days. Colibri is also one of the few schools offering exam prep packages with audio playback for an enhanced learning experience.
Colibri provides the best online real estate course in NY because of its course format options and satisfaction guarantee. Additionally, it has extended customer service hours beyond business hours to assist students via email, phone, or live chat. Colibri could be improved by increasing the amount of time that students get course access.
Colibri Real Estate student dashboard
- Accreditations: New York State Department of State (NYDOS), Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), and International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC), and certified by the New York Real Estate Chamber (NYREC)
- Instructor access: Instructors are active real estate professionals
- Learning management system: Course interface for a better online student experience mimicking in-person classroom features, accessible on any device
- Exam preparation: Practice exam questions and flashcards
- Multiple prelicensing plan options: Accommodating various student budgets
Colibri students reported that the self-paced course format was effective and easy to use, which contributed to the school’s positive customer rating of 4.15 out of 5. Students enjoyed being able to adjust their schedule as needed while having access to additional study tools, like a discussion board, access to instructors, learning videos, and audio reviews.
A small number of negative reviews stated that they would have preferred for the learning materials to be more interactive. Although many enjoyed the online aspect of the course, they felt it lacked a lot of visuals and real-life examples to help with better comprehending the materials. For New York salespersons interested in embedded visuals, Aceable Agent has video formats rated highly by former students.
Read how our experts feel about this real estate school in our Colibri Real Estate Review.
Colibri is the best real estate school in NYC and New York State for its range of prelicensing course options for aspiring agents and brokers. If you want to become a real estate agent, Colibri will likely have a package that fits your budget and learning style.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $355 to $613 |
|
Continued Education* | $49 to $199 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $219 to $419 |
|
Exam Prep | $99 to $219 |
|
*Offered through its affiliate partner, McKissock Learning
Aceable Agent: Most Affordable Prelicensing & Exam Prep Courses With Pass Guarantee
Pros
- Pass guarantee
- One of the most affordable NYS prelicensing courses
- Career assistance
Cons
- Does not offer individual exam prep
- No broker prelicensing courses
- Customer service only offered during business hours
What's Missing
Aceable Agent is an online real estate education provider that provides prelicensing and continuing education for aspiring NY agents. All courses are accessible across desktops, laptops, and mobile devices with no operating system limitations. Additionally, Aceable Agent’s Premium prelicensing package provides extensive study support with live webinars, live Q&A sessions, private tutoring, and access to PrepAgent exam prep materials.
Unlike other online programs, Aceable Agent’s Pass Guarantee is offered with every prelicensing course package. This makes it the best online real estate course in NY for students wanting the highest level of study support. Aceable Agent could be improved by offering individual exam prep materials or courses for agents who want to become a broker.
Aceable Agent access to practice tests and quizzes (Source: Aceable)
- Accreditation: NYDOS
- Instructor support: Email course instructor at any time
- Additional support: Premium package provides weekly live Q&A sessions, live webinars, and access to past webinars, and one hour of private tutoring
- Practice questions and resources: Thousands of exam preparation questions provided with every plan plus downloadable PDFs and in-depth study guides for enhanced learning
- Mobile application: For on-the-go learning directly from any mobile device
Aceable Agent has the highest customer rating of any online real estate courses in NY, with a 4.9 out of 5. Many students gave highly positive reviews about Aceable Agent’s mobile application. Students mentioned the application functionality made it easy to access questions, study guides, quizzes, and learn the coursework. One student enjoyed the video format, which was a change of pace from reading the course.
Students who did not have a positive experience with Aceable Agent felt some exam topics were not covered in class. Additionally, some students who were not the most technologically savvy found it difficult to navigate the online course format and the online test. For a more seamless experience, consider the online learning management system offered by Colibri Real Estate to alleviate some of the difficulties of online learning.
Read how our experts feel about this real estate school in our Aceable Agent Review.
Aceable Agent provides plans for prelicensing and continuing education and offers a few professional development courses to help new agents grow their careers. Its exam prep materials are included in all prelicensing plans. Aceable Agent is the only school to offer a pass guarantee with all prelicensing packages.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $239 to $469 |
|
Post-licensing | $26 to $99 |
|
Continued Education | $29 to $34 |
|
Kaplan: Best Career Resources for New Real Estate Agents
Pros
- Interactive study groups available for enhanced learning
- Available learning on all devices
- Instructor-led video courses
Cons
- Premium packages can become expensive
- Only six months of course access
- No broker prelicensing courses
Our Expert Opinion on Kaplan
Kaplan Real Estate Education offers prelicensing for sales agents and brokers as well as continuing education for all NY real estate professionals. Its courses are offered completely online in a self-paced format but include instructor-led videos. In addition, almost all of its prelicensing course packages include exam prep materials and extensive professional development tools and resources.
For example, the Career Launcher prelicensing packages include a live online video course with online coaching for new real estate agents. Ultimately, these unique features make Kaplan the best choice for aspiring agents who want to ensure they will have coaching and support to get their license and build a successful real estate career. There is room for Kaplan to improve even more by offering similar resources for agents to get a New York broker’s license.
Kaplan student dashboard (Source: Fit Small Business)
- Accreditations: NYDOS, ARELLO, IDECC
- Learning management system: Online course platform for easy access to purchased courses, materials, and exams
- Curriculum support team: Response within 24 hours from subject matter experts who can help answer curriculum-related questions
- Career support: Access to Career Toolbox for real estate advice, webinars, tips, and video library
- Exam preparation: In addition to individual New York real estate exam prep tools, Kaplan also offers valuable tools, like a national interactive study group, within prelicensing packages
With over 1,000 reviews, Kaplan maintains an excellent review rating of 4.5 out of 5. Students specifically mentioned that the study groups were extremely engaging and helpful in providing explanations and study materials every week. Other students mentioned their instructors were great at explaining materials and helping with tips and tricks to memorize the exam subject matter.
A handful of students gave Kaplan a negative rating because of the lack of a refund policy and technical difficulties. These students found the online reading and self-paced format just didn’t assist with preparing them for the test. Students who would prefer to take real estate courses in NYC with live classes and a refund policy should consider Colibri Real Estate.
Read how our experts feel about this real estate school in our Kaplan Real Estate Review.
Kaplan offers multiple prelicensing package options for aspiring New York agents and individual exam prep. For current agents needing to renew their licenses, Kaplan offers packaged and individual course options.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $370 to $909 |
|
Continued Education | $34 to $133 |
|
Exam Prep | $69 to $169 |
|
The CE Shop: Best NY Prelicensing Exam Prep With Study Tools
Pros
- Self-paced courses
- Pass guarantee offered
- Industry-leading NY pass rates
Cons
- No livestream or on-demand course format
- Only six months of course access
- Mobile application unavailable
Our Expert Opinion on The CE Shop
The CE Shop offers New York real estate license online courses for aspiring sales agents and brokers as well as exam prep and continuing education. It has one of the leading industry pass rates for the New York Salesperson license at 96%, with 90% of students passing on their first attempt. All its prelicensing plans include e-books, career resources, practice tests, downloadable resources, flashcards, a glossary, and a study schedule to ensure students successfully pass their exams.
We named The CE Shop the school with the best NYS real estate license courses online because of its comprehensive offerings and variety of course packages. It’s also one of the few schools that offers study groups to help students review their course materials. Students can join its webinar groups, The CE Shop Facebook groups, or the student forum to connect with others. Since it’s a fully online course provider, it could be improved by offering a mobile app.
LEAP course demo (Source: The CE Shop)
- Accreditations: NYDOS, ARELLO
- Downloadable resources: In lieu of one textbook for the course, downloadable content can be reviewed alongside each course chapter
- Study tools: All courses include a real estate glossary, digital flashcards, and a study schedule
- Additional resources: All online real estate courses in New York include business e-books created each month by real estate experts to support business growth, and the Value and Premium packages include business building courses
- Satisfaction and pass guarantee: The CE Shop will refund the price of any course within 30 days if the course is less than 50% completed; it also offers a pass guarantee only for students who complete Exam Prep Edge
Most students of The CE Shop enjoyed the ability to take these courses at their own pace, and many reviewers said this is the best online real estate school they’ve worked with. They gave the school an overall rating of 4.05 out of 5, also noting great experiences with customer service, study tools, and engaging course material.
The few negative reviews for The CE Shop stem from frustration over the length of course access and disappointment with the refund policy. One student had purchased the wrong course and missed the refund deadline. Some students felt they had to reach out to customer service multiple times before receiving a response to their request. Students looking for more responsive customer service should consider Kaplan’s dedicated customer service teams.
Read how our experts feel about this real estate school in our The CE Shop Review.
The CE Shop provides real estate classes online for NY professionals wanting to get a license or maintain their license. Its prelicensing and continuing education courses provide a wide variety of packages and course options, so students can choose the resources and topics best for their needs.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $315 to $735 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $619 |
|
Continued Education | $9 to $145 |
|
Exam Prep | $135 |
|
McKissock Learning: Best for Its Customizable Continuing Education Courses
Pros
- Membership includes professional development resources
- Coaching and training
- Variety of relevant CE course topics
Cons
- No exam prep provided
- No pass guarantee
- No mobile application
Our Expert Opinion on McKissock Learning
McKissock Learning, a partner of Colibri Real Estate, offers only online continuing education courses. It’s the only school to offer a CE membership and multiple 22.5-hour package options that fulfill the New York requirements to renew your real estate license. These packages are also customizable, which means you can switch out elective course topics to make sure you’re getting educated about the most important parts of your real estate business.
McKissock is the clear choice for current NY real estate agents who want to use the required continuing education requirements to grow their skills and improve their business. The CE PLUS Membership gives you access to every New York CE course topic, a large library of webinar courses, how-to videos, discounts, access to education specialists, and a variety of job aids with worksheets, scripts, and checklists. McKissock could improve its offerings with a mobile app to make course navigation as user-friendly as possible.
Course access on McKissock dashboard (Source: McKissock)
- Accreditations: NYDOS, ARELLO, IDECC
- Multi-state continuing education membership: For one flat fee, students can access all McKissock’s continuing education materials
- Printed course materials: Ability to print online courses one chapter at a time to supplement online learning
- Variety of CE course topics: New York CE courses include everything from “Educating Sellers” to “Helping Clients Understand Real Estate Financing” to technology courses
- McKissock dashboard: Provides quick and easy access to courses and completion certificates, with no requirement for additional software
Many students noted that McKissock Learning is their go-to resource for all continuing education needs, which contributed to the school’s positive rating of 4.5 out of 5. One student said the classes are well-priced and enjoyed the self-paced format for schedule flexibility. Some students mentioned the courses helped with career preparation and growth, with course content being interesting with relevant real-world examples.
Negative reviews were from students disappointed with the course time limitation. They had lost track of time and lost their progress within the courses. This is particularly difficult when you purchase a package and jump around from course to course because the time limits start the moment you open the course. One student specifically mentioned that customer service was not available over the weekend for assistance. For technical support over the weekend, Kaplan provides 24/7 technical support.
Read how our experts feel about this real estate school in our McKissock Learning Review.
McKissock offers three different packages to fulfill the New York license renewal requirements. It also uniquely offers a continuing education membership that includes all the elective CE courses in NY, a webinar library, product and service discounts, and job aids.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
---|---|---|
Prelicensing* | $355 to $613 |
|
Continued Education | $49 to $199 |
|
Broker Prelicensing* | $219 to $419 |
|
Exam Prep* | $99 to $219 |
|
*Offered through its affiliate partner, Colibri Real Estate
NYREI: Best New York-based Education & Support
Pros
- Online course accessible on all devices
- Live in-person classes offered
- Extensive career and exam support
Cons
- No mobile application
- Fee for course extension
- No online exam prep course
Our Expert Opinion on NYREI
NYREI has been a staple among New York real estate agents since 1987, providing licensing courses and five physical locations throughout the state. It’s deeply connected with real estate brokerages in New York, helping connect students with opportunities after passing the state exam. There is a real estate job board on its website for agents to find companies and brokerages who are currently hiring.
In addition to having in-person real estate courses, NYREI also stands out because its schedule runs on a continuing cycle. Instead of having to wait for a new course to start, students can start attending a prelicensing or continuing education anytime it is scheduled. This makes NYREI the best choice for aspiring agents who want a flexible schedule and a New York-based real estate school. However, the school could improve by offering study groups or instructor-led review sessions for students to prepare for the exam.
NYREI course demo (Source: NYREI)
- Accreditation: NYDOS
- Exam preparation: Variety of exam prep textbooks and practice exams to prepare you for the exam, or the unique option of exam coaching
- Career support: NYREI provides a variety of options to support your career, including private tutoring, coaching, mentorship, and professional development courses
- Additional resources: Job placement assistance, bookstore, investor training courses
- Student benefits: NYREI students uniquely get access to healthcare, business resources, and tax form software
NYREI has a customer review rating of 4.4 out of 5, with the majority of students saying they felt extremely supported by the staff. Students said teachers and staff go above and beyond to ensure you are ready. One student mentioned that they were able to complete all their prelicensing courses within two weeks and were well-prepared for the exam.
Customer service issues seemed to be the biggest driver of negative reviews for the school. Many students called without receiving much help or even getting someone to answer the main line. Students who had technical difficulties with course coupons or logging in could not reach anyone to assist. For a better customer service experience, students might want to consider McKissock Learning or The CE Shop for their extended customer service hours.
NYREI’s straightforward pricing makes it easy for students to pick which type of course is best for their needs. The school offers self-paced and live online courses for salesperson prelicensing, broker prelicensing, and continuing education. It offers exam prep textbooks, but no online exam prep program.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $495 to $995 |
|
Broker Prelicensing | $450 to $600 |
|
Continued Education | $50 to $275 |
|
Exam Prep | $25 to $49.99 |
|
How We Evaluated the Best Online Real Estate Courses NY
Getting and maintaining a real estate license in New York can be challenging, so choosing the right education provider is key. The best real estate schools offer options for self-paced courses, live or in-person courses, study tools, engaging and easy-to-navigate online dashboards, and accessible customer support.
After our evaluation, we’ve determined that Colibri Real Estate is the best online real estate school in New York. It provides convenient and engaging prelicensing education for agents and brokers, along with a pass guarantee to ensure you’ll start your career on the right page.
We evaluated the best online real estate courses in NY using 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 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)
New York State requires aspiring agents to complete 77 hours of approved prelicensing education before taking the real estate exam. Many online real estate schools provide self-paced courses with six months of course access. If you want to get your license quickly, you can complete all the required hours in less than two weeks.
Choosing the right online NY real estate course depends on your budget, learning style, and type of education needed. Prelicensing courses range from $239 to $909 and are offered in an online, self-paced program, on-demand video recordings, or live online meetings. Some schools, like NYREI and Kaplan, also offer career support and coaching opportunities.
There are many different ways to complete your New York prelicensing requirements online, whether you choose a self-paced course or a live online course. However, you will have to schedule the real estate exam at an in-person testing location or with an approved proctor.