You have finally made your decision to take action and get your real estate license, now what? Just like anything in life, you have options. There are hundreds of online real estate schools. Most of them will waste your time, some will waste your money, and a few will do both. A couple might actually help you get licensed. You want one of the latter.
After filtering through all of the fluff, here are the top 5 real online real estate schools:
- ChampionSchool.com
- TheCEShop.com
- Kapre.com (Kaplan)
- ColibriRealEstate.com (Formerly Real Estate Express)
- AceableAgent.com
We’re talking about pre-licensing here. The course you take to get permission to take the exam. The thing that gets you in the door, legally.
Here’s what matters
- Does the school work in your state?
- How bad is the software?
- How many people pass the exam?
- How much does it cost?
- Will they help you when you’re stuck?
- Are you paying for real teaching or PowerPoint slides?
That’s what I checked. I read their pages, I compared packages, I read third-party state pass-rate reports, and I looked at what real students said when they weren’t being bribed with $5 gift cards.
Let’s get into it.
Here are the Best Online Real Estate Schools (Ranked)
1. The CE Shop
Best Overall. If You Want Safe, Smart, Boringly Effective.
This is the Toyota Camry of real estate schools. You won’t brag about it. It won’t crash. It just works.
They’re in 45+ states for pre-licensing. That’s more than anyone else on this list. If you’re in the U.S., you probably don’t need to keep looking.
The course is online. Self-paced. Built in a platform that isn’t ugly. You get videos, some interactive quizzes, and reasonable explanations. It’s not fun, but it won’t make you want to gouge your eyes out either.
They call their exam prep “Exam Prep Edge.” Dumb name, good feature. It tracks your weak spots. Repeats what you missed. Gives you full-length practice tests. This isn’t a copy-paste quizlet dump. It’s structured.
The CE Shop Cost
They run sales constantly. Full pre-license bundles usually range from $200 to $500, depending on the state. With a discount, maybe $150. Most students won’t need to buy the top tier. The “Standard” or “Value” bundles are fine.
Pass Rate
61.5% in Texas, per state board data. That’s higher than average. Top two in the state. Other states show similar results.
Support
No humans to hold your hand, but there’s a live chat, email, and phone support. You won’t be alone. You just won’t get spoon-fed.
Guarantee
They’ll reimburse your exam fee if you fail. That’s it. Fair enough.
Verdict
It doesn’t try to be cute. It doesn’t overpromise. It covers the content, helps you pass, and works in most places. For 90% of people, it’s the right answer.
2. AceableAgent
If You Learn on Your Phone and Don’t Like Being Bored.
AceableAgent is what happens when you give a tech startup a real estate textbook and tell them to fix it.
They didn’t just put the textbook online. They rewrote it to make sense. Then they added audio narration, videos, interactive questions, and built a mobile app that doesn’t crash. You can do the whole course on your phone. No, really.
It’s bite-sized, friendly, and weirdly modern. You get actual instructors (in pre-recorded videos), actual exam prep, and a full read-aloud option. If you’ve got ADHD or a short fuse for text walls, this is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to you.
State Availability
Only in 15 states. That’s the downside. California, Texas, Florida, New York, North Carolina, etc. But not all 50. Check before you get excited.
Aceable Agent Cost
Mid-range compared to others. Usually $400–600 depending on the package and state. They always have a 20–40% off code running. You can often land the course for $300.
Pass Rate
Highest in Texas: 66.9%. That’s out of all providers. Consistently top in other states too.
Guarantee
They’ll refund the entire course if you fail the exam three times. Not just the test fee. The course.
Support
Decent. Email and chat. It’s not concierge-level, but it’s better than most.
Verdict
If you want to pass fast, study on your phone, and not fall asleep while reading mortgage law, this is the one. Just make sure they cover your state.
3. Kaplan (Kapre.com)
The Veteran. The Textbook. The Expensive One.
Kaplan is the guy at the party who wears a tie and won’t take it off. Serious, experienced, and doesn’t care what the cool kids are doing.
They’ve been around forever. They’ve trained agents since before smartphones existed. The courses are well-structured, serious, and detailed. You can pick between live webinars, self-paced online text, or a hybrid format.
If you want someone to lecture at you from slides at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Kaplan probably has that. Some people find that comforting. Others call it 1997.
State Coverage
44 states. They’re second only to CE Shop in reach.
Kaplan Cost
Not cheap. You’ll pay $400–800 depending on the format and state. Live classes cost more. No big surprise.
Pass Rate
Texas says about 52.8%. That’s below average. Not great. But a lot of their students are part-time or career-changers who take longer to study. You can’t blame Kaplan for all of that.
Guarantee
Sometimes. Depends on the package and state. No blanket refund or promise. Read the fine print.
Support
Good. Instructors available, real customer service. If you pay for the higher-end package, you’ll get more help.
Verdict
If you want structure, tradition, and don’t mind a heavier lift, Kaplan’s fine. If you’re price-sensitive or allergic to slow PowerPoint lectures, skip it.
4. Colibri Real Estate (Real Estate Express)
It’s Cheap. It Works. Don’t Expect Fireworks.
Used to be Real Estate Express. Now it’s got a fancier name and the same courses.
Colibri is for people who want the cheapest option that still checks the legal boxes. If you’re self-motivated, like reading, and don’t care about audio or video or community or interface polish? This is a solid choice.
You get the course. You read it. You take the quizzes. You pass. That’s the idea. Some packages have live Q&A sessions or private tutoring. Most people won’t bother.
State Coverage
41 states. Plenty. If you’re in a common state, they’ve probably got you.
Colibri Real Estate Cost
$100–400 depending on the package. Often goes on sale. Basic package is usually under $200. Colibri is the cheapest out of the 5.
Pass Rate
Texas says 57.3%. That’s average. Which is fine.
Guarantee
They’ll reimburse your exam fee if you fail. Only on certain packages. Again, read the fine print.
Support
Minimal. Email-based for the basic tier. More access if you pay more. You’re not paying for white gloves here.
Verdict
If you want the cheapest course that still gets you to the exam, this is it. Just don’t expect a beautiful platform or fancy features.
5. Champions School of Real Estate
Only If You Live in Texas. And Want to Sit in a Classroom.
Champions is a brick-and-mortar school in Texas with online options. They’ve been doing it forever. People in Texas swear by it. They run live classes, online webinars, and a self-paced “correspondence” course that feels like a PDF in a hoodie.
If you live near one of their campuses, you can show up in person. They even offer in-house exam prep, career fairs, and proctoring.
But if you’re not in Texas, stop reading. They’re not for you.
State Coverage
Texas. That’s it. Some CE in other states, but no national pre-licensing.
Champions School of Real Estate Cost
Expensive. Around $1,000 for the full Texas pre-license package. Sometimes discounted to $980 if you’re lucky.
Pass Rate
Texas board says around 54%. Slightly below average.
Guarantee
Nope. You can retake classes, but no refund if you fail.
Support
Excellent if you’re local. They have real people you can talk to. Offices. Phones. Instructors who’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive.
Verdict
If you’re in Texas and you want structure, people, and live instruction, this is gold. But for online-only folks? Especially outside Texas? Pass.
Final Rankings
1. The CE Shop – Covers nearly everyone, priced right, does the job.
2. AceableAgent – Better course, better pass rates…if they’re in your state.
3. Kaplan – Solid, serious, expensive. Good if you want live help.
4. Colibri – Low cost, no flair, works fine. Great if you’re broke but focused.
5. Champions – Texas-only. Good if you want live classes. Irrelevant elsewhere.
What Should You Do?
Don’t spend a month comparing. Pick one, pay for it, and start. The license isn’t going to fall out of the sky. You don’t need the “best” school. You need the one that gets you through the exam without wasting your sanity.
If you want something modern and learn better through audio or visuals? Pick AceableAgent. If you just want it to work and don’t want to think too hard? CE Shop.
If you love lectures and long PDFs? Kaplan.
If you’re pinching pennies? Colibri.
If you’re in Texas and want real instructors? Champions.
That’s it.
Get the course. Do the hours. Pass the test. Start selling.
The world needs more people who take the next step.