6 Best Online Real Estate Schools in North Carolina

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• Accreditations: Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC), and North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC)
• Refund/cancellation policy: Before the start of the course, students can receive a full refund. For online classes, students can request a refund within 30 calendar days of beginning the course. For live and classroom courses, students who miss a class will not receive a refund. Fees for textbooks are non-refundable.
• Professional development opportunities: Periodic free live stream career days and broker expos where students can interact with and learn various topics from local brokerage firms.
• Study tools: The real estate license NC online packages provide options for additional study tools like coaching videos, printable guides, practice exams, and a real estate exam prep course through CompuCram.

Colibri Real Estate has a customer review rating of 4.15 out of 5, with many students positively rating the online courses’ convenience and ease of use. One student said the instructors explained complex concepts in a way that was easy to understand and broke down each topic to ensure that everyone in the class was on the same page.

On the other hand, some students reported that the course platform had technical issues, which slowed course progress and resulted in frustration. One student says that the course materials have multiple typos and are outdated. If you want a course that students say has a less glitchy platform, consider the CE Shop.

Colibri’s NC real estate license course prices depend on your chosen course format. Self-paced online courses to get your real estate license range in price, depending on which package option you choose, and all live courses are the same price regardless of whether they are live streamed or in-person. Broker post-licensing education options are the same price each, with various 30-hour package options. Continuing education is available as individual classes, with both mandatory and elective topics available.

*Offered through a partnership with McKissock Learning

Online real estate bookstore (Source: Go School)

• Accreditation: NCREC
• Refund/cancellation policy: If you’ve registered for an online NC real estate course, you can get a refund minus a $75 cancellation fee if you cancel up to 48 hours before the course starts. Otherwise, there are no refunds for missed classes or courses.
• Real Estate Bookstore: E-books covering different real estate topics in different states are available on The Go School’s online bookstore via RE Campus.
• Student portal: Upon registration, you can immediately log in to your student portal to access your prelicensing education, study materials, and practice exams.

The Go School has an excellent review rating of 4.9 out of 5. Students say the classes have a very relaxed atmosphere, and the support and communication are exceptional. They also appreciate the flexible options, and many reviewers specifically name their instructor and their strengths, like their ability to communicate clearly and make the courses fun.

It’s difficult to find negative reviews for The Go School. However, one student reported that they needed to study outside of class to keep up with the material and didn’t hear back from the school leadership as quickly as they wanted. If you’d prefer one of the NC real estate schools that offers self-paced materials, check out Colibri Real Estate or The CE Shop.

Pricing at the Go School of Real Estate includes course packages offering prelicensing, post-licensing, continuing education, and exam preparations with all the required credit hours. Each program has various options from which to choose with corresponding rates.

Professional development course topics (Source: Carolina School of Real Estate)

• Accreditation: NCREC
• Refund/cancellation policy: Registration requires a $100 non-refundable deposit. This deposit can be withdrawn up to two days before the class start date, but there are no refunds after the start date.
• Additional study aids and learning materials: If you need more preparation for the state licensing exam, purchase prelicensing e-books, flashcards, and real estate math and exam guides.
• Blog resources: Blog posts are written by licensed agents to help you understand the licensing requirements and the challenges faced by a real estate agent in North Carolina.

Carolina School of Real Estate has an impressive 5-star rating. Students rave about the helpful instructors and the learning materials that assisted them in passing the NC real estate exam on the first try. They say instructors keep the lessons engaging as they share their real estate experiences. One student says the instructor takes time to ensure they understand the current licensing requirements and the reasons behind them.

While no negative reviews are found at the time of writing, the school’s live course packages don’t include multiple study tools. Plus, refunds must be requested at least two days before the classes. For courses with a pass guarantee and 30-day money-back guarantee, check out courses from other NC real estate schools like The CE Shop.

This school provides the same price for its North Carolina prelicensing courses, regardless of the livestream or in-person format. All three required post-licensing courses are priced individually, or you can purchase them together for a slight discount. Continuing education courses are priced individually, or you can purchase a yearly membership to access all of the state’s CE course topics. The exam prep course is offered through ExamSmart and provides a real estate practice exam with support.

*Offered through a partnership with ExamSmart

Live webinar (Source: Kaplan)

• Accreditations: ARELLO, IDECC, NCREC
• Refund/cancellation policy: Refunds are issued within 30 days of enrollment so long as the course is not completed.
• Real Estate Accelerator: This is a professional development course that can be purchased individually or within a North Carolina post-licensing package. It helps students lay a solid foundation for a successful real estate business, including how to write a business plan, marketing plan, budget, and cash flow forecast.
• Career Launcher: A prelicensing course package that provides all required hours of education, exam prep study tools, one-on-one tutoring, and an interactive study group.
• Exam prep options: Programs are included in some prelicensing packages or tools, and a video course can be purchased individually.

Kaplan has a great review rating of 4.6 out of 5 from former students. Students praise its adaptive learning technology for helping them focus where they need improvement most. Many students appreciate the instructors’ knowledge and responsiveness and the comprehensive course materials that are easy to understand. Students also appreciate the flexible scheduling and convenience of online courses.

A few unhappy students say the course platform can be buggy and sometimes doesn’t auto-save their answers. Some report that the platform is hard to navigate, and others suggest that the course materials could be more engaging and accessible support could use improvement. If you’d prefer an NC real estate school that doesn’t rely as heavily on technology, check out Carolina School of Real Estate or Go School.

Kaplan offers a variety of real estate classes online for NC brokers, and the pricing structure is by package. Multiple prelicensing, post-licensing, and exam prep packages have varying prices. Continuing education courses can be purchased individually or in a package option with additional support.

Video library (Source: Sea Coast Real Estate Academy)

• Accreditation: NCREC
• Refund/cancellation policy: No refund after the first class, but after that class, for a fee, students have six months from the start of their original course to re-enroll.
• Video library: Offers free real estate classes for NC brokers on topics like real estate math, finances, vocabulary, test-taking strategies, and North Carolina-specific real estate content.
• Online Broker Cram Classes: Live online class to help aspiring NC real estate brokers study for the exam and pass on the first try. Plus, the class is free for prelicensing students within 90 days.

SCREA is one of only a few NC real estate schools with a perfect rating of 5 out of 5. Several students state that the teachers are excellent, informative, and make everything enjoyable. One student reported that they would continue to attend this school for all their real estate education since it made passing the exam easy with the instructors’ topic knowledge and understanding.

Although there aren’t any negative reviews for SCREA at the time of this writing, it only offers a self-paced course option through Superior Schools, just like Colibri Real Estate. It also doesn’t provide an app to make it easy to join classes or study materials on the go. For a more complete self-paced program, consider The CE Shop.

Sea Coast Real Estate Academy offers prelicensing and post-licensing course packages with varying schedules. The prices for live courses are the same, but the self-paced prelicensing course comes at a higher price. Continuing education classes are priced individually, and exam prep is free for students.

A question in the free online assessment. (Source: The CE Shop)

• Accreditations: ARELLO and NCREC
• Refund/cancellation policy: Students can get a full refund within 30 days of purchase if unsatisfied. The course cannot be more than 50% completed.
• Exam Prep Edge: An intuitive online study platform that includes initial assessment, individual lessons by topic, unlimited practice exams, and interactive dashboards. Any package with Exam Prep Edge offers a pass guarantee.
• Study tools: Prelicensing packages include business e-books, career resources, real estate flashcards, a glossary, and a math handbook

The CE Shop has a 4.05 out of 5 rating because of its easy-to-navigate platform and scheduling flexibility. Most students express that the content is engaging and easy to follow, helping them complete their required education in just a few weeks. Some students also speak highly of responsive customer service, available seven days a week.

In less favorable reviews, one student says the technical issues slow his learning. A few students also complained about the courses’ expiration dates. If you’d prefer a real estate school without a deadline to complete the material on your own, consider the live courses from the Carolina School of Real Estate, The Go School, and Sea Coast Real Estate Academy.

The CE Shop offers individual courses and packages with tiered pricing for every level of education. Students can select packages based on the resources they need. In addition, the CE Shop frequently offers discounted prices on all courses.