Online learning is a convenient and flexible way for aspiring and experienced real estate agents in Ohio to complete their education requirements set by the Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (REPL). Ohio offers several online real estate schools that provide students with interactive learning, experienced educators, and career assistance.
In our search to find best online real estate school in Ohio, we found four of the top schools offering unique features to help you achieve your real estate goals:
- The CE Shop: The best school for affordable online courses with a pass guarantee for aspiring agents
- Hondros College: Great for students with busy schedules who need flexible learning course formats
- Kaplan: Recommended for real estate agents and brokers wanting extra exam prep resources
- McKissock Learning: Top school for an extensive library of resources and continuing education (CE) membership for experienced agents
Best Online Real Estate Schools in Ohio at a Glance
School | Education Provided & Starting Price | Learning Formats | Pass Guarantee | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Prelicensing: $1,499 Post-licensing: $209 CE: $25 Exam prep: $79 |
| ✓ | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | Prelicensing: $1,099 Post-licensing: $199 Broker licensing: $999 CE: $14 Exam prep: $35 |
| ✕ | Phone, email, and live chat |
Visit Hondros College - Use Promo Code: FSB200 for $200 off | ||||
 | CE: $29 Exam prep: $99 |
| ✕ | Phone, email, and live chat |
 | CE: $23.95 |
| ✕ | Phone and email |
Things you need to know before enrolling for your Ohio 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 Ohio to help you get started.
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The CE Shop: Best for Affordable Online Courses With a Pass Guarantee
Pros
- Course access for six months
- Available refund guarantee
- Accessible on all devices
Cons
- Individualize career coaching not provided
- Broker prelicensing not offered
- No mobile learning application
Our Expert Opinion on The CE Shop
The CE Shop is one of the best real estate schools in Ohio that offers affordable and convenient courses for new and experienced real estate agents. Its online interactive learning platform provides students with an engaging learning experience. The courses include digital flashcards, a real estate glossary, and a study schedule to help students pass the state exams. Additionally, The CE Shop offers excellent customer support with hours that extend beyond business hours.
Unlike many other online real estate schools in Ohio, The CE Shop offers a pass guarantee. It is so confident in its learning materials and exam prep course that any student who doesn’t pass the test will be reimbursed for the cost of the initial licensing exam. This guarantee gives students confidence that they will pass the test without risk. The guarantee also shows that The CE Shop is committed to student success, making it one of the best online real estate schools in Ohio.
Student dashboard in LEAP platform
- Accreditations: Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) and Real Estate & Professional Licensing (REPL).
- Exam Prep Edge: Covers national and state-specific exams with practice tests, quizzes, and personalized feedback for students.
- LEAP platform: Interactive learning platform allows students to easily access courses and track their progress.
- E-textbook: Offered in the premium prelicensing package covering basic principles and practices in real estate.
- Career resources: The CE Shop helps students interview brokers, find their niche, and provides useful tips to launch a real estate career.
- Refund policy: Requests must be submitted within 30 days of purchase and cannot have more than 50% of course completed.
The reviews for The CE Shop give the school a 3.7 out of 5 rating. Many of the positive reviews highlighted the ease and convenience of the courses. Several students mentioned they were able to pass their licensing exams on the first try after completing The CE Shop’s courses. Other positive reviews include the modern and user-friendly platform, engaging course materials, and excellent customer support.
Some of the negative reviews of The CE Shop were from students who experienced technical difficulties with the online platform. One reviewer said they had issues when asking for a course extension. While most online real estate schools in Ohio offer course access for six months, students may want to try Hondros College as they also have the ability to extend course access.
The CE Shop’s pricing structure for Ohio real estate courses is one of the most affordable programs available. Prices will vary based on which learning package is selected.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $1,499 to $1,795 |
|
Post-licensing | $209 |
|
Continued Education | $25 to $179 |
|
Exam Prep | $79 to $135 |
|
Visit The CE Shop – Use Promo Code FSB30 for 30% off
Hondros College: Best for Flexible Course Formats
Pros
- Students can mix and match course formats
- Available Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee
- Career assistance offered
Cons
- Customer service limited to business hours
- No mobile application
- Interactive study groups not available
Our Expert Opinion on Hondros College
Hondros College has been a provider of real estate license classes in Ohio for over 50 years. Its comprehensive curriculum offers education for all stages of real estate in addition to mortgage lending, appraisal, and home inspection courses. Additionally, Hondros College has multiple learning locations throughout Ohio for in-person classroom learning in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo. Students not near a learning center can still benefit from the Hondros College curriculum in its online course formats.
One of the perks of getting your real estate licensing education at Hondros is the flexible learning course formats. Students can choose to take courses online, in person, or through livestream, and they can switch course formats at any time. This allows students to seamlessly make the switch if their schedules change, but still be on track to complete their education requirements. Hondros is also one of the few online schools to offer broker licensing courses for agents who want to take the next step in their careers.
Hondros College course dashboard
- Accreditation: REPL.
- Physical textbooks: Included in course package and shipped to students after enrollment.
- Brokerage partnerships: Partnerships with the largest brokerages in Ohio for job placements.
- Knowledgeable real estate instructors: Instructors actively practice real estate and can provide real-world experience in the field.
- Scholarship opportunities: Students with financial hardships can apply for the John G. Hondros and Linda Hondros Scholarship.
- Refund policy: Students are able to get a prorated refund depending on course completion percentage and length of enrollment. No refunds after 30 days of purchase.
Hondros College has received many positive student reviews regarding its experienced instructors. One reviewer said instructors take the time to explain course materials thoroughly and provide one-on-one coaching to each student. Another reviewer praises the flexible learning options and appreciates the ability to take classes online or in person. Hondros received an overall review rating of 4 out of 5 from its students.
A few negative experiences were mentioned regarding Hondros College’s customer service. Some students had difficulties contacting anyone with questions about course materials. Another reviewer expressed frustration with the course materials saying they felt outdated and were hard to follow. For courses that are comprehensive and up to date with current trends, the CE Shop’s licensing course topics are inspired by real-life scenarios.
The online Ohio real estate courses by Hondros College are priced based on features like math review, alumni membership, and real estate dictionary.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Prelicensing | $1,099 to $1,999 |
|
Post-licensing | $199 |
|
Broker Licensing | $999 |
|
Continued Education | $14 to $216 |
|
Exam Prep | $35 to $149 |
|
Visit Hondros College – Use Promo Code FSB200 for $200 off
Kaplan: Best for Extra Exam Prep Resources
Pros
- Bundle course packages offered
- Professional development courses available for Ohio
- Available practice question bank
Cons
- No licensing courses offered
- Livestream course format not available
- Direct instructor access is not provided
Our Expert Opinion on Kaplan
For real estate professionals in Ohio, Kaplan offers continuing education along with a robust exam prep course. The CE courses offered at Kaplan not only help students meet their education requirements but also keep agents on top of industry trends to support a successful real estate career. CE courses are offered for both real estate salespersons and brokers.
Kaplan’s exam prep courses are designed to help students pass their prelicensing exams on the first try. We’ve designated Kaplan as the top school for exam prep because its courses come with course content, videos, a PDF workbook, and hundreds of multiple-choice questions. Courses are also designed by expert real estate professionals meant to mirror the final state exams. Students have six months from the date of purchase to access both CE and exam prep materials.
Career toolbox articles (Source: Kaplan)
- Accreditations: ARELLO, IDECC, and REPL.
- Career toolbox: Access to articles on real estate topics to help real estate agents have a successful career.
- 24/7 access: Students can complete the course on their own schedules.
- Free e-book: A compilation of advice from accomplished real estate professionals.
- Test simulation: Students will also have access to a real estate drill and practice question bank.
- Refund policy: Refunds are issued within 30 days of enrollment. However, students can reschedule their course or transfer to another date as long as they’re within six months of enrollment.
Kaplan Real Estate Education received an overall review rating of 4.5 out of 5. Many of the positive reviews mentioned the quality of the instructors at Kaplan. Students said they were knowledgeable and extremely helpful with understanding the course material. Due to the great instructors, students felt prepared for the final exams.
A negative review regarding Kaplan’s exam prep course was the learning platform. One student found it buggy and auto-saved many of their incorrect answers, resulting in poor practice test results. Another reviewer mentioned the online format was difficult for them to follow, and they would have preferred some more interaction. For students who might thrive in a live learning environment, they should consider Hondros College’s live courses.
The CE and exam prep courses in real estate classes in Ohio offered by Kaplan are available individually or in curated course packages. Courses are self-paced online or in online video formats.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Continued Education | $29 to $199 |
|
Exam Prep | $99 to $129 |
|
Visit Kaplan – Use Promo Code Kapre5 for 5% off
McKissock Learning: Best for Extensive Library of Resources & CE Membership
Pros
- Affordable individual courses
- Refund guarantee provided
- CE packages for salesperson and brokers
Cons
- CE is the only course available in Ohio
- Pass guarantee not offered
- No live chat support feature
Our Expert Opinion on McKissock Learning
McKissock Learning provides online real estate continuing education courses for Ohio real estate agents. Its courses help satisfy Ohio’s CE requirements of 30 hours, including nine hours of ethics, law, and civil rights. The other 21 courses are electives of each agent’s choosing. CE courses are offered in both livestream and online self-paced courses, and course packages cater to both salespersons and brokers.
McKissock’s continuing education program offers a CE plus member package that allows agents to access all CE courses within their state to further their knowledge base. This package gives agents access to career assisting resources like how-to videos, job aids, product discounts, access to education specialists, and an on-demand library of materials. It’s the only online real estate school in Ohio to offer a membership CE option.
CE membership package
(Source: McKissock Learning)
- Accreditations: ARELLO, IDECC, and REPL.
- Instructor assistance: Students can always reach out to instructors via email.
- Expert instructors: All instructors and authors have years of relevant real-world experience.
- Career hub: Offers students career resources like downloads, videos, learning aids, and checklists.
- Up-to-date course content: McKissock continually updates course content and tools so students are always updated on pressing course topics.
- Refund policy: Students have 30 days from the date of purchase to request refunds for online courses. Livestream courses must be canceled within 24 hours of the first day for a full refund. For livestream courses, students can switch to self-paced courses after the 24-hour period.
The course material organization and interactive features garnered McKissock Learning a review rating of 4.5 out of 5. One student said they were engaged throughout the program and were exposed to real-life situations to apply the course concepts. Another student said the courses were well-priced, especially for license renewal.
Many of the negative reviews were regarding the course billing. One student forgot to cancel their membership and was billed annually. They had difficulties getting a refund from customer service. One student found the self-paced courses were hard to motivate them to complete the course in the allocated amount of time. Students who have trouble with self-paced learning should opt for the livestream CE courses or try Hondros College’s livestream CE courses.
Agents are able to select from individual courses or select a CE package for bundled pricing and access to a variety of preselected courses.
Education Type | Price Range | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
Continued Education | $23.95 to $220 |
|
How We Evaluated the Top Real Estate Schools in Ohio
With the high number of hours required of aspiring real estate agents, having an online real estate program means students can access coursework anywhere and at any time. In our research, we’ve taken into account a school’s curriculum, course materials, available customer support, learning formats, and student experiences to determine the top online real estate schools in Ohio.
After evaluation, we determined The CE Shop to be the best school for Ohio real estate education. The school offers interactive online courses through its proprietary LEAP platform and offers pre- and post-licensing education for Ohio students. Access to instructor assistance is a great supplement to the online learning format, so students will get the most out of these courses.
We used the following criteria to identify the best online real estate courses in Ohio:
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)
To obtain a real estate license in Ohio, you must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Aspiring real estate agents must also complete 120 hours of prelicensing education, pass the state licensing exam, and be sponsored by a licensed Ohio brokerage.
The prelicensing education requirement in Ohio consists of 120 hours of education. These hours can be completed online or in-person. The time it takes to complete the coursework varies depending on the student’s schedule and learning pace.
Real estate licenses in Ohio must be renewed every three years. To renew your license, you must complete 30 hours of continuing education, including nine hours of core coursework, and submit a renewal application and fee to the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing.
