6 Best Online Real Estate Schools in Virginia 2023

Student dashboard (Source: Fit Small Business)

• Accreditations: Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) and DOPR
• Refund policy: The CE Shop offers a full refund within 30 days of purchase before the course is completed, and the course may not be more than 50% completed.
• Exam Prep Edge: The CE Shop offers exam prep packages with access to practice exams and diagnostic reports.
• Career resources: Students can access e-books, job search tools, and resume-building tips.
• Instructor access: Instructors are available to provide support and answer questions throughout the course.

Students who have taken courses at The CE Shop have praised the school’s exceptional customer support, user-friendly platform, and high-quality courses. Many have appreciated the mobile-friendly course, which allows for on-the-go learning. Some students found the study materials and practice tests helpful for passing the Virginia real estate exam on the first try. Others have commended the course instructors for their knowledge and responsiveness to questions. Overall the school received a review rating of 4.05 out of 5.

Some students were disappointed that a few CE courses needed to be completed over Zoom, and students were frustrated with the lack of communication to access the course. There were a few students who expressed frustration with the higher cost of courses at The CE Shop compared to other online real estate classes in Virginia. Perhaps students would prefer the price point from Kaplan instead.

The CE Shop offers individual courses and packages for their education offerings. Students can select packages based on the resources needed to be successful.

Career toolbox resources (Source: Kaplan)

• Accreditations: ARELLO, International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC), and DOPR
• Refund policy: Refunds are issued within 30 days of enrollment as long as the course is not completed.
• Online video format: Courses are prerecorded with instructor-led videos to get classroom experience.
• Career toolbox: A resource center with articles on various real estate topics for agents to reference throughout their careers.
• Course access time frame: Students have access to online courses for six months from the date of purchase.

Kaplan Real Estate received a high overall review rating of 4.4 out of 5 from former students. Adaptive learning technology has been praised by students for helping them focus on areas where they need the most improvement. Many students found the instructors to be knowledgeable and responsive to questions, and the course materials to be comprehensive and easy to understand. Students have also appreciated the flexible scheduling options and the convenience of taking courses online.

A few students mentioned the course platform was buggy when it would not auto-save responses to certain questions. Students found it hard to navigate the online course, which posed some problems for less tech-savvy individuals. Some students have suggested that the course materials could be more engaging and access to personalized support could be improved. For students who want more interactive features, consider The CE Shop’s online courses.

Students can choose between self-paced online videos and online-only courses. Kaplan online real estate classes in VA through course packages and individual course selection with innovative course delivery methods.

• Accreditations: ARELLO, IDECC, and DOPR
• Refund policy: Must request within 30 days from the date of purchase for online courses, and within 24 hours of the first day of any livestream course to receive a full refund. For livestream courses, students have the ability to switch to self-paced courses after the 24-hour period.
• Pass or Don’t Pay money-back guarantee: Pass your test on the first try or receive a refund of licensing package or exam prep costs.
• Expert instructors: The instructors at Colibri are active real estate professionals in the industry.
• Career support: Through a partnership with Buffini & Company, students have access to career coaching videos.

Colibri Real Estate’s innovative approach to education has been praised by students for making the course materials more engaging and enjoyable. Some standout features mentioned by students are the gamification of courses and interactive exercises. Many students appreciated the courses’ affordability, making Colibri a top choice for budget-conscious students. Others have found the interactive exercises and quizzes helpful for retaining information giving the school an overall review rating of 4.1 out of 5.

Some students have reported technical difficulties with the course platform. These difficulties resulted in slower course progress and made the learning experience frustrating. Some reviews mentioned that course prices might not include printed textbooks and other materials that would be helpful throughout the course. There were a few students who mentioned that customer service took a while to respond to any questions. For better response times, Kaplan’s customer service might be a better fit.

Colibri Real Estate offers courses at an affordable price point with basic course-only packages to an Ultimate Learning package with exam prep, career tools, and access to live instructors for online self-paced courses. Livestream course packages are more limited in package variety.

*Offered through its affiliate partner company, McKissock Learning

• Accreditation: DOPR
• Refund policy: Students may request a full refund for any reason seven days after purchasing the course.
• Flexible learning: The courses are designed for flexible scheduling so students can complete the course at their own pace.
• Personalized support: Instructors are available to provide personalized support and answer questions throughout the course.
• Exam prep materials: The school provides exam prep materials in licensing courses like practice exam questions.

ACT Web Real Estate School’s personalized support from instructors has been praised by students who appreciated the availability of instructors to answer their questions. The school’s review rating is one of the highest, coming in at 4.9 out of 5. Many students also enjoyed the flexible, self-paced course. One student specifically mentioned that they did not experience any technical difficulties with the online program.

Although there were very few negative reviews on ACT Web Real Estate School, one student specifically mentioned having trouble getting a response from the instructor. The school responded with its standard protocol when onboarding a student from instructor contact information and availability. Students who prefer live instructor access can take advantage of Colibri’s livestream courses.

ACT Web Real Estate School offers limited licensing courses. It only offers online prelicensing courses directly through the school, with already included exam prep. However, it offers live exam prep at its Reston, VA location.

Professional development courses (Source: NVRE)

• Accreditation: DOPR
• Refund policy: Refunds are based on partner schools’ own refund policies; please contact your school for additional information. However, Dearborn Real Estate Education, one of the partner schools, will not grant any refunds for expired courses or courses past the expiration date.
• Experienced instructors: The school’s instructors have years of experience in the real estate industry.
• Exam prep materials: Included in prelicensing package or can be purchased separately
• Real estate textbooks: Available for purchase through the bookstore and written by industry experts.

Northern Virginia Real Estate School is another school with a near-perfect customer review score of 4.9 out of 5. It is worth noting that many of the reviews are dated over three years ago, and many of the reviews discuss the in-classroom experience. Many students expressed excitement after passing on the first try and credited the school for providing the right education.

Although there were limited negative reviews for the school, in our review of the school, there could be more in-depth information for students looking to get licensed in Virginia. Although many of the online courses offered are outsourced to other partners, they could clearly identify which schools they are on the site. Students could also misinterpret their registration form for live classes as the same form for online classes as it’s not clearly identified.

Online real estate courses at Northern Virginia Real Estate School are offered through The CE Shop and REcampus. However, the school does provide its own live courses with new sessions occurring monthly.

*Courses are offered through The CE Shop

Course demo (Source: Aceable Agent)

• Accreditations: ARELLO, IDECC, and DOPR
• Refund policy: 30 days from the date of purchase as long as the course is not completed.
• Personalized support: Instructors are available to provide personalized support and answer questions throughout the course.
• Audio voice-over: Prelicensing has the option to include a voice-over feature that enhances your learning experience.
• Private tutoring: One-hour private session with a real estate expert is included in the premium plan.

Aceable Agent’s innovative approach to course design has been praised by students for making the course materials more interesting. They credit the features like engaging content with videos and animations to make the online experience more fun. The school received an overall review rating of 4.3 out of 5. The personalized support from instructors has also been commended by many students. They found the instructors to be knowledgeable and responsive to questions.

The negative reviews of Aceable Agent centered around the amount of reading material required for the course. Although instructor access is available, much of the self-paced course requires individual learning.

One student also was disappointed with the limited course offerings compared to some other online schools. Students who want a larger variety of courses should consider The CE Shop’s online program.

Aceable Agent offers three prelicensing packages for students to choose from. The courses include an accessible interface for on-the-go learning with engaging course content.