Best Online Real Estate Classes in North Carolina (NC) 2023
Gina is a licensed real estate salesperson, experienced trainer, and former high school educator of 1,000+ learners. She writes for Fit Small Business with a focus on real estate content.
Jocille is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who specializes in real estate education.
This article is part of a larger series on How to Become a Real Estate Agent.
Effective online real estate classes in NC offer flexible and affordable options to complete the 75 hours of prelicensing, 90 hours of post-licensing, and eight hours of continuing education (CE) you need to become a successful real estate broker in The Tar Heel State. These schools also provide exam prep tools to ensure you pass the licensing exam the first time. To find the best NC real estate schools for your learning needs, we evaluated dozens of options to arrive at the top six choices based on course features, pricing, and student reviews.
- Aceable Agent: Best NC real estate school for initial prelicensing classes and individual one-on-one tutoring
- Kaplan: Top school for real estate brokers needing multiple online class formats with access to interactive study groups
- Carolina Real Estate School: Best real estate school in NC for students looking for live online and in-person classes with flexible scheduling options
- The Go School of Real Estate: Best for aspiring brokers in NC needing direct guidance from local real estate experts
- The CE Shop: Recommended NC real estate school offering self-paced education with interactive features
- Sea Coast Real Estate Academy: Most affordable prelicensing courses for budget-conscious North Carolinians
Best Online Real Estate Classes in NC at a Glance
Schools | Education Provided & Starting Price | Learning Formats | Pass Guarantee | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Prelicensing: $529 |
| âś“ | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $449 Post-licensing: $165 CE: $69 Exam prep: $35 |
| âś“ | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $450 Post-licensing: $100 CE: $55 Exam prep: $45 |
| N/A | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $450 Post-licensing: $199 CE: $60 Exam prep: Contact school |
| N/A | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $755 CE: $49 Exam prep: $75 |
| âś“ | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $150 Post-licensing: $75 CE: $55 Exam prep: Free |
| N/A | Phone, email, and live chat |
Choosing the right online real estate courses is the first step in a successful real estate career. Start by taking our quiz to see which school is the best fit for you:
Which online real estate school provider is right for you?
Things you need to know before enrolling for your North Carolina 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 North Carolina to help you get started.
Aceable Agent: Best Overall for Self-paced Broker Prelicensing & Private Tutoring
Overall Score:
4.82 / 5
What We Like
- Self-paced instruction
- Ace or don’t pay guarantee
- Private tutoring and live webinars
What's Missing
- No livestream course formats
- Prelicensing packages can be pricey
- Post-licensing and CE courses not available in NC
Accreditation
- North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC)
Boasting a 92% national pass rate, Aceable Agent’s prelicensing course can help you obtain your real estate license in The Tar Heel State. Each package includes the full 75 hours of required classes, and students get an exam prep course in each prelicensing package. Furthermore, students enrolled in any prelicensing course package will receive instructor support via email for questions and concerns about their course content.
If you purchase the Deluxe and Premium packages, you get supplemental study materials, such as video and audio lessons, flashcards, e-books, and the PrepAgent State Exam Prep course. The Premium Package includes private tutoring, live question and answer (Q&A) sessions, and live webinars five times a week for students who prefer real-time instructor guidance as they prepare for the license exam. These interactive elements are great supplements to self-paced online real estate classes in NC.
Additional Aceable Agent Features
Aceable Agent online platform compatible with any mobile device (Source: Aceable Agent)
- PrepAgent State Exam Prep: Includes premium study aids, national and state questions, and a real estate exam prep e-book. This exam prep course is provided by its partner company, PrepAgent.
- Private tutoring: Schedule a one-hour individual tutoring with a real estate expert at your convenience.
- Student concierge: Aceable Agents’ team is available to answer any questions or concerns about the course or licensing process via text, call, or email. Phone support, however, is only available from Monday to Friday.
- Help Starting Your Career: This mini-course teaches aspiring agents to find the right sponsoring broker. This course is included in all licensing packages.
- Professional development courses: Enhance your real estate knowledge with self-paced and video-based courses for professional development covering topics such as how to build a brokerage using the Team Model, proven methods to succeed in real estate, listing presentation, and lead generation and geographical farming.
- Mobile app: Complete your real estate course entirely on your mobile devices through Aceable Agent’s free mobile app. The mobile application will sync with all other devices, so you can pick up where you left off and will not lose any completed progress.
Aceable Agent Reviews
With a customer review rating of 4.9 out of 5, students recommended Aceable Agent’s courses as they were easy to understand. According to one review, “reading of the lessons alone is helping me stay focused.” Another customer liked how specific the learning materials were, with short videos helping him understand concepts better. One agent appreciated the school’s modern classroom experience and easy-to-use interface, allowing her to access the course via mobile and laptop.
There weren’t many unfavorable reviews. However, one student was disappointed that he couldn’t retake the level assessments. Another agent hoped to have a printable option on their course materials. For those who need downloadable and printable elements to review course content anytime, check out courses from The CE Shop. If you need post-licensing and CE courses to keep your license active, check out courses from other real estate schools in North Carolina, like Kaplan and The Go School of Real Estate.
Aceable Agent Pricing
Aceable Agent offers prelicensing education in tiered course packages. However, they are not customizable like the courses offered by other providers on this list. No individual courses are available. Aceable Agent also doesn’t provide post-licensing, broker licensing, and CE courses in North Carolina.
Prelicensing: Starts at $529
All packages include the required 75 hours of North Carolina real estate prelicensing classes, light exam prep, and instructor support.
- Basic: $529, includes instructor support, fully narrated courses, Lite Exam Prep, and help to start your career
- Deluxe: $699, includes everything in the Basic package plus PrepAgent Exam Prep
- Premium: $799, includes everything in the Deluxe package plus private live tutoring, live webinars, and live question and answer
Kaplan: Best for Course Format Variety & Access to Interactive Study Groups
Overall Score:
4.75 / 5
What We Like
- Livestream classes
- Interactive study group
- Direct access to instructors
- Real Estate Accelerator
What's Missing
- Pricing is more expensive than others
- No broker-in-charge licensing courses
- Course access only limited to 6 months
For aspiring and experienced brokers looking for several online course formats to match their unique learning style, Kaplan is a great option. Choose to complete the 75-hour prelicensing and 90-hour post-licensing requirements via live online or self-paced format. Hybrid (live online and self-paced) CE courses are also provided to help you renew your license yearly. If you need to prepare for the exam, exam prep courses for brokers and brokers-in-charge are available in multiple formats to fit your learning needs.
A unique feature of Kaplan’s real estate education is its Interactive Study Group. Your success on the licensing exam depends on your full understanding of crucial real estate concepts. The study groups were developed to cover the national and state exam content in live webinars. Through these webinars, online students can interact with real estate instructors and other students for engaging discussions. With multiple features available, Kaplan undoubtedly offers one of the best online real estate classes in North Carolina.
Additional Kaplan Features
Kaplan’s course format options (Source: Kaplan)
- Exam prep add-ons: Purchase additional exam prep materials, such as digital flashcards, math on-demand, companion books, a real estate dictionary, and Dearborn Real Estate Exam Prep app for aspiring agents who need more practice tools for the exam.
- Course extension: If you need more than six months to complete your course, you can contact Kaplan to have your course extended for 30 to 90 days at an additional charge.
- Virtual Exam Proctoring: In states where students are required to take a proctored final exam, like North Carolina, the final exam will be proctored in Kaplan’s virtual classroom on the student’s LMS platform.
- Real Estate Accelerator: This boot camp program empowers you to build a solid foundation for your real estate career. At the end of the course, you will learn how to create a business plan, marketing plan, and income plan.
- Career Toolbox: This is Kaplan’s career information and resource center that covers various real estate topics for agents, brokers, appraisers, contractors, and home inspectors.
- PassProtection Retake Policy: If students are unsuccessful in passing their licensing exam, they can retake live online classes within six months from the date of purchase.
Kaplan Reviews
Based on Kaplan’s 4.4 out of 5 review rating, students are satisfied with the school’s excellent study instructors, who provided them with ample support to pass the real estate exam on the first try. Agents also loved the comprehensive content and flexible learning formats. Furthermore, students enjoyed the Interactive Study Groups that provided clear and thorough explanations of important concepts. One agent further commended Kaplan’s self-paced courses that incorporated interactive tools to keep the learning engaging.
On the other hand, some students were dissatisfied with the “buggy system” on their Kaplan online learning platform. It was difficult for them to reach out to the technical support team. One customer mentioned experiencing an unresponsive platform, which did not save his work and made him repeat the section. Others were dissatisfied with the six-month course access and wished it was longer. For one-year course access, we recommend The CE Shop. For in-person classes, check out local North Carolina real estate schools below.
Kaplan Pricing
Kaplan’s pricing mostly consists of course packages offering all the required credit hours to obtain or renew your NC broker license. Pricing varies based on the package inclusions and learning formats. Individual broker post-licensing and CE courses are also available to help you complete your lacking hours.
Carolina School of Real Estate: Best for Live Real Estate Classes With Scheduling Flexibility
Overall Score:
4.56 / 5
What We Like
- Course format variety
- Scheduling flexibility
- Direct access to local instructors
What's Missing
- Course packages don’t include multiple study materials
- No refunds for withdrawals made less than 2 days before the class start date
- No pass guarantee
Accreditation
- NCREC
If you’re looking for a local real estate school that provides online real estate classes in NC, Carolina School of Real Estate might be for you. Aside from the livestream courses via Zoom, you can join in-person classes in several physical locations. The school offers weekend, weekday, and evening classes to accommodate students’ busy schedules. For more scheduling flexibility, the Carolina School of Real Estate offers self-paced classes accessible within 180 days via its partner school, Superior School of Real Estate.
As a local real estate school, Carolina School of Real Estate boasts a team of local experts with 60 years of combined experience not just in real estate but also in business and law practice. These instructors guide your learning process and answer your questions in real time during your livestream and in-person classes. You can also email or call them for any concerns. The school also provides complete broker education from prelicensing to post-licensing and continuing education in various delivery methods.
Additional Carolina School of Real Estate Features
Online real estate classes in NC and latest blog posts provided by Carolina School of Real Estate (Source: Carolina School of Real Estate)
- Additional study aids and learning materials: If you need more preparation for the state licensing exam, you can purchase additional learning materials, including prelicensing e-book, flashcards, real estate math, and PSI and AMP real estate exam guides.
- Professional development courses: Enhance your real-world knowledge and skills to advance your real estate career. Contact the school for more information about its professional development training.
- Blog resources: Find several blog posts written by licensed realtors to help you understand the licensing requirements and the challenges faced by a real estate agent in North Carolina.
- Class locations: For North Carolinians who prefer in-person classes, choose among five physical classrooms in Winston-Salem and Greensboro, NC.
Carolina School of Real Estate Reviews
Carolina School of Real Estate received a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 on Google Reviews. Agents praised the school’s personable and accommodating instructors and learning materials that helped them pass the NC real estate exam on the first try. Another student recounted how the instructor made sure they understood both the current licensing requirements and the “historical reasonings behind them.” A customer further noted how instructors made the lessons fun as they shared their personal experiences in the industry.
While no negative reviews are found at the time of writing, the school’s live course packages don’t include multiple study tools, unlike programs offered by Kaplan and Aceable Agent. You can only ask for a refund at least two days before the start date. For courses with a pass guarantee and 30-day money-back guarantee and 12-month course access, check out courses from other NC real estate schools like The CE Shop.
Carolina School of Real Estate Pricing
Pricing at Carolina School of Real Estate includes full packages offering the complete number of required education hours. You can also purchase individual post-licensing and CE courses according to your needs for license renewal.
*Courses offered via partner company Superior School of Real Estate
Visit Carolina School of Real Estate
The Go School of Real Estate: Best for Access to Local Real Estate Experts
Overall Score:
4.54 / 5
What We Like
- Livestream classes
- Direct access to local instructors
- Private tutoring
What's Missing
- Missed classes cannot be made up
- May only cancel enrollment up to 48-hours prior to the course start date
- No pass guarantee
Accreditation
- NCREC
Another local NC real estate school, The Go School of Real Estate (The Go School) is an excellent choice for aspiring and current real estate agents who want to learn from experienced local real estate instructors. The school’s roster of instructors consists of experienced agents with decades of experience—delivering up-to-date real estate curricula covering multiple subjects. Courses are offered on weekdays, evenings, and weekends so you could fit your learning needs into your schedule, especially for working individuals.
As one of the most affordable prelicensing courses on our list, this online real estate school in NC is an ideal choice for those who want to receive a comprehensive education at fair prices. Choose between livestream instruction and in-person classes conducted on three campuses located across North Carolina. While prelicensing and post-licensing for brokers-in-charge are not available, the school provides post-licensing and continuing education for brokers to help them maintain a valid license and renew it.
Additional The Go School of Real Estate Features
Features of The Go School’s real estate education (Course: The Go School)
- Real Estate Bookstore: E-books covering different real estate topics in different states are available for purchase 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.
- Class locations: The Go School’s in-person classes are conducted on three campuses in North Carolina, namely in Cary, Raleigh, and Charlotte.
- Private tutoring: If you’re struggling with certain real estate concepts, The Go School offers specialized one-on-one tutoring at your convenient schedule.
- Free Real Estate Quiz: This short quiz helps you determine how your personality can enhance your real estate career.
The Go School of Real Estate Reviews
Students recommendThe Go School of Real Estate for its quality education, which helped them absorb essential information and feel confident about the licensing exam. Another agent praised her instructors, who provided useful study techniques and creative ways to learn real estate vocabulary. More agents testified that excellent teachers broke down the learning materials into easy-to-understand lessons. One satisfied customer even said the 75-hour coursework seemed less intimidating thanks to his instructors.
There weren’t a lot of negative reviews for The Go School. However, it doesn’t provide a pass guarantee. At the time of writing, no self-paced courses are available on its website. If you need courses you can complete anytime, check out courses from The CE Shop, Aceable Agent, and Kaplan.
The Go School of Real Estate Pricing
Pricing at he Go School of Real Estate includes course packages offering all the required credit hours. If you need several courses to complete your lacking hours, purchase individual post-licensing and CE courses.
Visit The Go School of Real Estate
The CE Shop: Best Self-paced Real Estate Education With Multiple Study & Career Resources
Overall Score:
4.32 / 5
What We Like
- Self-paced education
- Pass guarantee
- Instructor-led webinars on exam topics
What's Missing
- Pricing is more expensive than other providers
- Post-licensing courses in NC currently not available
- No livestream and in-person course formats
Accreditation
- ARELLO, IDECC, and NCREC
For North Carolinians looking for broker education in a convenient course format, The CE Shop is one of the best NC online real estate schools. Complete your prelicensing and continuing education as your schedule allows. What sets The CE Shop apart from the rest is its multiple career resources like business e-books and the Agent Essentials page to help you succeed in real estate. Study aids like a real estate glossary and digital flashcards are also included in your prelicensing course, which you can access for one year.
Another unique feature is its proprietary LEAP 2.0 platform. This enables you to access your learning materials on any device anywhere, anytime. Get unlimited practice tests with custom feedback to boost your confidence for the exam. Although courses are self-paced, the NC prelicensing course includes instructor-led webinars focused on exam topics to give you real-time interaction with seasoned experts. Agents can further contact customer service for concerns and assistance seven days a week.
Additional The CE Shop Features
The CE Shop online learning platform
- Money-back guarantee: Request a refund within 30 days if you’re not satisfied with your course.
- Pass guarantee: The Exam Prep Edge program has a pass guarantee. This makes students who did not pass the licensing exam eligible for a full refund.
- Exam Prep Edge: An intuitive online study platform that includes initial assessment, content based on the NC candidate handbook, individual lessons by topic, unlimited practice exams, and interactive dashboards.
- Math Handbook: This built-in math guide for broker licensing students lets them grasp the numbers and math formulas involved in a real estate career.
- Agent Essentials: This knowledge database provides free resources, such as blogs, e-books, videos, podcasts, and webinars, to help you establish a successful real estate business.
The CE Shop Reviews
The CE Shop has received a 4.2 out of 5 rating score because of its quality content, easy-to-navigate platform, and scheduling flexibility. Most agents found the mobile- and computer-friendly platform helpful as it made learning materials easier to digest. Some customers also commended the responsive customer support available seven days a week. Many agents mentioned passing their exam on the first try, thanks to The CE Shop’s comprehensive prelicensing and exam prep courses.
In less favorable reviews, one agent complained about experiencing technical issues that slowed down his learning. A student also said he failed the actual exam even after getting an 85% score on his final course exam. Some students were not happy about The CE Shop’s text-based content, which they described as “boring.”
If you need more live interaction with instructors aside from the webinars, check out livestream or in-person classes from the Carolina School of Real Estate, The Go School, and Sea Coast Real Estate Academy.
The CE Shop Pricing
The CE Shop pricing includes course packages with multiple study aids and career resources available. If you need to renew your license, individual update and elective courses are available starting at $49.
Sea Coast Real Estate Academy: Most Affordable Prelicensing Course for Aspiring Brokers in NC
Overall Score:
4.28 / 5
What We Like
- Class format variety
- Free exam prep review sessions
- Access to local real estate instructors
What's Missing
- No refunds after the student completes the first scheduled class
- No pass guarantee
- Self-paced courses only accessible within 180 days
Accreditation
- NCREC
Sea Coast Real Estate Academy (SCREA) offers a budget-friendly 75-hour prelicensing course in North Carolina at $450. What’s more, you can divide your payment into two: pay a $200 deposit to reserve a seat and pay the remaining $250 on the first day of class. Additionally, the prelicensing course includes free exam review sessions to help you prep for the licensing test. With multiple course schedules available, it’s a great option for those taking prelicensing, post-licensing, and CE courses via livestream or in-person classes.
If you need more scheduling flexibility, self-paced online options that include interactive exercises, videos, quizzes, and a practice exam are available. While prelicensing courses for brokers-in-charge are not offered, brokers-in-charge can take continuing education from SCREA. These courses allow you to complete all the required education hours via livestream and in-person, so you can renew your real estate license on time.
Additional Sea Coast Real Estate Academy Features
Live online prelicensing class schedules (Source: SCREA)
- Broker resources: SCREA’s website provides links to other relevant websites like NCREC, Licensing Board for General Contractors, NC Flood Risk Information Center (FRIS), and NC Department of Transportation (DOT), which are helpful to brokers.
- Learn Test Pass Practice Exams: Free 90-day access for comprehensive national and state exams with question banks.
- Video library: Access free video resources covering real estate math tutorial series, vocabulary, study/test-taking strategies, and NC-specific content on SCREA’s YouTube page with new videos added weekly.
- Exam prep Qbanks: Purchase the Complete or State-specific NC Real Estate Drill and Practice Qbanks for $49 to $99 through SCREA’s page on RE Campus. These Qbanks include custom quizzes with a performance tracker so you can concentrate on problem areas.
- Cram for the Exam: The school provides access to KimCo Real Estate Education Services’ learning materials designed to master topics necessary to pass the NC real estate broker license examination on the first attempt.
- Multiple campus locations: If you prefer traditional face-to-face learning, SCREA is located in Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Hampstead, Wilmington, and Southport, North Carolina.
Sea Coast Real Estate Academy Reviews
Agents appreciated Sea Coast Real Estate Academy’s[ excellent instructors who helped students understand the coursework and created a positive learning environment. One review said that her instructor was attentive and encouraging during their class. Another post-licensing student noted that “the class appeared prepared for the test” thanks to their instructors who made their materials easy to understand. Additionally, students love the weekend, weekday, and night classes, which gave them more options that fit their busy schedules.
There aren’t many negative Sea Coast Real Estate Academy reviews. However, SCREA doesn’t offer a pass guarantee and only provides six months of course access. For those seeking self-paced education with longer course access and a pass guarantee, we recommend The CE Shop.
Sea Coast Real Estate Academy Pricing
Sea Coast Real Estate Academy (SCREA) offers education packages and individual courses to fit your budget and missing credit hours. Moreover, the school provides multiple schedule options for in-person and livestream classes—morning, afternoon, night, and weekend.
*Courses offered through partner school Superior School of Real Estate
Visit Sea Coast Real Estate Academy
How We Evaluated the Top Real Estate Schools in North Carolina
Becoming a real estate agent in the Tar Heel State requires time, ample preparation, and extensive education in the real estate process and legalities. To help you earn and maintain a real estate broker license, we reviewed multiple accredited real estate schools offering online real estate classes in North Carolina that fit your schedule, budget, and learning style.
After reviewing several providers, we determined Aceable Agent as the best real estate school in NC. Though the school only offers prelicensing education, course packages contain multiple study tools to prepare you for the state licensing exam, such as an exam prep course. Courses are self-paced, so you can complete the required 75 hours of coursework as your schedule permits. If you need direct guidance from a local instructor, its Premium package provides live tutoring, live webinars, and live Q&A sessions with seasoned experts.
Following are the criteria we used to determine the best real estate schools in NC:
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 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.
*Percentages of overall score
