Van Education Center Review: Is It Right for Your Real Estate Education?
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.
What We Recommend VanEd For
Van Education Center (VanEd) is ideal for aspiring agents looking for online prelicensing courses and national exam prep materials as they prepare to get their licenses. Active agents in 17 states can also take online post-licensing, broker licensing, and continuing education at affordable rates. Furthermore, VanEd offers professional and designation programs, such as Graduate, Realtors Institute (GRI) designation, and real estate appraisal courses, to real estate professionals who want to take their careers to the next level.
Who VanEd Is Good For
- Aspiring and current agents looking for affordable, self-paced real estate course options: Though course availability varies by state, VanEd offers budget-friendly education for every stage of the real estate profession. In Nebraska, for example, VanEd is one of the best schools offering comprehensive online courses for all real estate licensees—from prelicensing to exam prep, post-licensing, broker licensing, and continuing education.
- Prelicensure students who need additional exam prep materials: For only $59, aspiring agents in all 50 states can purchase VanEd’s National Real Estate License Exam Prep course. This is designed to provide additional practice to students before taking the state exam. Students in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska can purchase expanded exam prep modules with state-specific topics.
- Agents who want flexible payment options: VanEd offers flexible payment options for students who purchase a licensing course program. Aside from providing a free trial, VanEd allows students to choose whether to pay in full or in two or three separate monthly payments.
Who VanEd Is Not a Good Fit For
- Real estate agents located in states where VanEd courses are unavailable: While VanEd’s national exam prep course is available in all 50 states, VanEd’s prelicensure course is only available in 14 states, while continuing education is present in nine states only. Aspiring and current agents in states like Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and New Mexico need to look for other education providers, like The CE Shop and McKissock Learning.
- Students who prefer in-person classes: An online real estate education provider, VanEd doesn’t have in-person classes for students who prefer the traditional classroom method of learning. If you’re looking for such courses, check local schools in your state by visiting the article How to Get a Real Estate License in Every State.
- Real estate professionals who need course format variety: VanEd only offers self-paced courses. Although learning content utilizes a variety of elements—text, course progress charts, videos, and infographics—classes lack real-time interaction and live discussion with an instructor. If you’re looking for courses with various learning formats, look into Kaplan and Real Estate Express.
VanEd Overview
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Self-paced learning | Lacking in-course format variety |
| Instructor and customer support | No in-person classes or a physical school to visit for support |
| Flexible payment options | Limited course selection in most states |
| 1-year access to courses | Short time frame for refunds |
| Accredited by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC), The Real Estate Educators Association (REEA), and Certified Distance Education Instructor (CDEI) | Pass guarantee not available in all states |
VanEd Pricing
Van Education Center’s pricing structure includes education packages and individual courses at more affordable rates than other national online real estate schools. For example, a Texas prelicensing course package that includes exam prep costs $495 on VanEd, compared to a similar package on The CE Shop and Real Estate Express, which cost $629 and $649, respectively.
Prices vary by state, as well as by topic and the number of education hours included in the course. Prelicensing education tends to cost more, starting at $50, as it requires the most education hours. If you purchase prelicensing course packages, you may get several add-ons, such as downloadable e-books, exam prep, and post-licensing courses.
For budget-conscious students, VanEd offers flexible payment options in monthly installments. In addition, while a pass guarantee is currently only available for students in Colorado, VanEd offers a free five-day trial for some prelicensing and broker licensing courses. If you’re not satisfied with your education, you can ask for a refund within 72 hours from the date of purchase.
Check out the table below to see the features included in each type of education:
Types of Education | Prelicensing | Post-licensing | Broker Licensing | Continuing Education | Exam Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Who It’s Best For | Aspiring agents getting a real estate license for the first time | New agents who need to fulfill additional prelicensing requirements | Active licensees looking to upgrade to a broker level | Current agents needing to renew their real estate license | Prelicensure students who want additional preparation to pass exams |
Price Range* ($/User/Course) | $50 to $799 | $39 to $636 | $50 to $749 | $9 to $568 | $59 to $99 |
LMS Platform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Self-paced Learning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Instructor Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Exam Prep Materials | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Supplemental Learning Tools | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Trial** | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
Customer Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
*Price range includes all course packages in all states
**Availability varies by state
Types of Education Available
Depending on your location, Van Education Center provides multiple course options, including prelicensing, post-licensing, broker licensing, continuing education, and exam prep.
Prelicensing
For aspiring real estate professionals, VanEd offers prelicensing education in 14 states. You can purchase individual courses or packages that include all the education hours you need to become a licensed real estate agent. In most states, the standard package includes exam prep materials to help you ace the exam. All prelicensing courses are 100% online and self-paced, giving you the flexibility to complete your education as quickly (or as slowly) as you want.
As of this writing, a money-back guarantee and live instructor support are only available for courses in Colorado. However, students from other states can avail of the free five-day trial to see if the course is a right fit. Students also have one year to access the course, as well as instructor support through email or phone when they have questions about the learning content.
See the table below for a comparison of VanEd’s prelicensing course packages.
Standard Package | Premium Package |
|---|---|
|
|
*Availability varies by state
Some states require new agents to take additional education within a specific period to remain active or to remove the provisional status of their licenses. VanEd offers post-license education needed to prepare agents and brokers for a successful real estate career and fulfill the state-specific post-license requirements.
You can take post-licensing courses from VanEd as part of a premium prelicensing package. Standalone post-licensing packages and individual courses are also available. See the map above to see which states offer VanEd post-licensing courses.
If you’re looking for continuing education to renew your license, VanEd provides a broad range of approved CE courses in nine states, which cover different aspects of real estate practice and industry trends. Since CE classes are online, you can complete your education from the comfort of your home or in your office in between your busy schedule tasks.
Active Realtors can also find approved ethics courses from VanEd to satisfy the renewal requirements mandated by state-specific Realtor Associations. Many of VanEd’s CE courses also provide credits toward earning the Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI) designation. Depending on the state, agents can purchase CE renewal packages with or without Ethics and GRI courses. VanEd also offers individual CE courses that meet state requirements for license renewal.
For active agents who want to become licensed brokers and open their own brokerage firm, VanEd offers broker licensing courses in four states: Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Washington. Agents can purchase the complete broker licensing package, which contains free downloadable e-books of the entire course content. Most of these courses are also eligible for a five-day free trial upon enrollment, so you can explore courses without committing to anything yet.
In some states, broker packages already include exam prep courses and are eligible for flexible payment plans. Agents can also take individual broker licensing courses based on their requirements.
VanEd offers a national exam prep course in all 50 states, which covers the general portion of the state licensing exam. This is valuable for prelicensure students who need additional test preparation. The national exam prep course includes topic reviews, topic exams with varied exam questions, comprehensive final exams, and a statistical summary for each exam you take.
In four states, namely Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, VanEd provides expanded exam prep courses with state-specific learning modules. These state exam prep courses contain practice tests, topic reviews, and interactive exercises to help agents successfully obtain their licenses.
VanEd Features
With over 24 years of experience in real estate instruction, VanEd has developed courses utilizing multiple features to deliver high-quality real estate education. Among the features are a modern learning management system (LMS) platform, self-paced education, and instructor support. Customer support is also available for students through multiple channels.
Here are key features you can find on VanEd:
- Learning management system (LMS) platform
- Self-paced learning
- Instructor and customer support
VanEd’s modern LMS platform enables students to easily access their online lessons anytime from any mobile device. To give students scheduling flexibility, classes are 100% self-paced, so they can complete their education requirements wherever they may be.
VanEd home page with course selection
Students are provided with instructor support, as well as multichannel customer support accessible seven days a week, assisting them with any questions or concerns.
LMS Platform
- Easy to navigate
- Multiple interactive features
- Course progress tracking
VanEd’s modern learning management system (LMS) platform enables students to master their online real estate course materials as conveniently as possible. Online courses are organized in such a way that students can control the pace of their class and suit their learning styles. To work on a course, you only need to log in to your student account and navigate to the “Courses” menu to view all of the courses you are currently enrolled in.
Sample student account
(Source: VanEd)
Online course navigation bar
(Source: VanEd)
The platform is designed with navigation tools so you can follow your lessons easily without needing to be a tech expert. When you open your course, you will find a navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen to work through the class. You can also use the “Next” and “Previous” buttons at the bottom of every page. The left-hand course navigation also serves as a useful outline for the course content. This allows students to return to sections of the course for additional review or skip topics they’ve mastered.
Once you’ve completed a course, a completion certificate will be immediately available on your student account, including all of the regulatory information necessary for state compliance. Completion certificates are permanently available in your online account for as long as you remain a VanEd student.
Self-paced Learning
- Utilizes different multimedia elements (e.g., texts, graphics, audio, and video)
- Multiple exercises, quizzes, and exams to check for understanding
- Free downloadable e-books in some courses
All of VanEd’s real estate courses are 100% online and self-paced. Work on your learning materials whenever it’s convenient and stop and start between classes. When you leave a course, the last page you worked on will automatically be bookmarked, so you can immediately resume where you’ve left off. Courses have a mix of text and graphics. Videos and audio are also incorporated into the lessons to keep agents engaged and meet the learning objectives.
Self-paced learning content
(Source: VanEd)
To complete the online classroom experience, VanEd provides interactive quizzes and exams throughout every course, reinforcing knowledge and enabling students to acquire specific real estate skills. At the end of each quiz and exam, immediate feedback is provided to highlight areas that need more mastery. Students can check their exam and quiz scores through the “Course Progress” and review individual questions.
Sample course exercise
(Source: VanEd)
Exercises utilize several techniques, such as vocabulary matching, poll questions, online worksheets, student forums, computation problems, interactive scenarios, and questions that require written answers (reviewed by instructors). These allow students to interact not only with the learning material but also with their classmates and instructors.
Many of VanEd’s courses have optional e-books of the entire course content available for download. These e-books are suitable for printing and are helpful to students who prefer to read and take handwritten notes.
Instructor Support
- Instructor Q&A system
- Instructors available via email and phone
- Licensed and accredited real estate experts
Though VanEd’s classes are self-paced, students are provided ample instructor support throughout their learning process. If you have a question while progressing in your course, VanEd’s Q&A (Question and Answer) system allows you to post questions directly to their professional instructors.
Q&A system
(Source: VanEd)
You can browse VanEd’s database of previously posted questions from other students and instructor answers in your online real estate course. Furthermore, students can contact instructors via email and phone during office hours.
Instructors are not only licensed industry experts, but are also approved by the appropriate regulatory agencies. Most of VanEd’s teachers have earned their Certified Distance Education Instructor (CDEI) designation through the International Distance Education Certification Center.
Certifications and accreditations
(Source: VanEd)
Flexible Payment Options
- Competitive course rates
- Monthly installment plans available in some licensing courses
- Courses payable via check or credit card
Aside from competitive pricing, VanEd also offers multiple payment plans. Agents can make split payments of their course fee over two or three months by check or credit card. Upon purchasing a course, you will have the option to select a payment plan for all packages.
Here’s a sample of two-month and three-month payment structures for a VanEd prelicensing course:
Example of monthly payment options
(Source: VanEd)
Real Estate Agent Resources
- Free access to blogs, how-to’s, and real estate tips
- Free downloadable e-books and audiobooks
- Free real estate business practices
The VanEd Real Estate Agent Blog is a valuable page of free real estate industry news, career tips, how to’s, business practices, and infographics. These resources help agents gain valuable knowledge and improve their skills in their day-to-day real estate practices. You can also find course updates on the website to see new VanEd programs being offered in your area.
VanEd Real Estate Agent Blog
For aspiring or newly licensed agents, download e-books and audiobooks from VanEd’s school website for free. These resources teach you how to start a successful real estate career and business, as well as marketing and lead generation tips.
Career Enrichment & Professional Development Programs
- Real estate appraisal courses
- Designations and certification courses
- Real estate professional training programs
Aside from real estate licensing courses, VanEd provides additional online courses for agents who want to upgrade their real estate career. These courses include the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Ethics Training, appraisal license and continuing education, and mortgage broker and loan originator licensing. VanEd also offers certification courses, such as Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI), and Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designations.
VanEd additional online courses
VanEd also provides a variety of real estate training programs for professional development. These courses are helpful to agents who want to provide their clients with expert insights into the real estate market. Professional development programs cover topics such as real estate blogging, social networking, and modern real estate essentials.
Customer Support
- Available via a toll-free phone number, email, and live chat
- Comprehensive FAQs available on the website
- Connect with VanEd on different social media platforms
VanEd provides student support from registration to course completion in four ways: call, live chat, email, and knowledge bank. Whether you need technical assistance or have questions about your course, you can contact VanEd 24/7. Technical support is always available via phone, email, and online chat during VanEd’s business hours. If you need assistance after hours, you can contact the customer support team via email, and they will respond to you as quickly as possible.
Customer support channels
(Source: VanEd)
Agents can connect with VanEd’s customer support via social media channels. For updates and the latest news about VanEd, you can follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn, among others.
VanEd’s social media network
Length of Course Access & Refund Policy
- One-year access in most courses
- 72-hour refund policy
- Course extension available for an additional fee
Unlike Kaplan and Real Estate Express courses, most of VanEd’s courses can be accessed for one full year. In a typical licensing package, VanEd suggests allocating 10 to 15 hours a week to work on your material so you can complete your requirements as soon as possible. However, you can always choose to move at a quicker or slower pace within a year—depending on your schedule and learning style. If you need more time, you can extend your course for a small course reactivation fee.
If you’re not satisfied with VanEd’s education program, you may ask for a refund within 72 hours of purchase. Some conditions may apply to be eligible for a refund, such as not having completed 50% or more of the purchased course. To learn more, read VanEd’s refund policy.
Ease of Use
Using VanEd is fairly simple. When you check out a course, you only need to hover over the type of education you want to purchase, choose your state, and add the desired course to your cart. You can either create a New Student Checkout or use your existing student account to pay for the course. Upon checkout, you will be presented with an option to pay for the course in full or choose a monthly payment plan (if the course is eligible).
VanEd’s checkout process
After you complete your course registration, you will be given a student account protected by a unique username and password of your choice. You will have access to all your real estate courses upon logging in to your account, as well as your completion certificates, receipts, and many program-specific features, such as license renewal tracking. A certificate of completion will be available in your account once you complete a course. In some states, VanEd will automatically report your completion to the appropriate agency.
VanEd Alternatives
If VanEd doesn’t offer the course you need in your state, check other accredited online real estate schools that offer multiple course selections in convenient learning formats and competitive rates.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
Use Promo Code: FSB25 for 25% off | Use Promo Code: FSB30 for 30% off | Use Promo Code: Kapre5 for 5% off |
Best For: Aspiring agents looking for self-paced prelicensing education with ample instructor support | Best For: Self-paced online curriculum for all stages of your real estate career | Best For: New and experienced agents who need course format variety |
Starting Price: $10.95* | Starting Price: $19.95* | Starting Price: $19.95* |
Key Features:
| Key Features:
| Key Features:
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*Pricing here is for comparative purposes; exact price range depends on course selection and format
What Users Say in VanEd Reviews
Van Education Center reviews show that agents love the school for its easy-to-follow courses and convenient learning format. Some also appreciate the school’s website because it is easy to navigate and provides comprehensive information about the licensing process in each state. Other agents recommended VanEd’s test prep classes for its well-summarized topics, which helped them pass the exam on the first try.
- Agent Advice: 4.36 out of 5 stars (based on 28 reviews)
- Indeed: 4.4 out of 5 stars (based on 18 reviews)
In some VanEd real estate reviews, however, agents are dissatisfied with courses that have too many video and reading materials. Others also found the course content unengaging, making it difficult to complete the course. If you’re looking for real-time class discussions with instructors, we recommend checking out other schools like Kaplan, The CE Shop, and Real Estate Express.
Bottom Line
Van Education Center (VanEd) provides convenient online real estate education, including prelicensing, post-licensing, broker licensing, and continuing education courses. Take advantage of the school’s flexible payment options to split course package fees in monthly installments. VanEd real estate reviews show that agents prefer the school’s self-paced learning. On the other hand, some were not satisfied with the amount of video and reading assignments required to finish the course.
