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RealEstateU is not one of our top rated online real estate schools. You can consult our list of best real estate schools online for what we think are better options.
RealEstateU is a fully online real estate school that offers pre-licensing courses for real estate agents in 14 states. It also offers exam prep in 10 states and continuing education courses in one state. Additionally, it offers real estate investing courses, and all courses are self-paced and can be taken anytime on any device. The school focuses on providing engaging, affordable, and convenient lessons because they can be viewed on the go.
The benefits explained
- Affordable online courses: The courses are among the cheapest for real estate schools online. However, keep in mind that prices vary by state and manuals are not included in the prices.
- 30 Day Refund Policy: All courses can be refunded within 30 days as long as 50% or less of the course is completed. You may be subject to a $20 cancellation fee depending on the course.
- School labeled ARELLO: Not all schools have this certification, but RealEstateU does. This means consistent, high-level educational standards are maintained when it comes to real estate licensing law.
Keep your learning style in mind. If you learn best in the classroom or are not good at using computers, choose a school that offers on-campus classes.
Disadvantages Explained
- Textbooks are not included in the course prices: Not all courses require textbooks, but sometimes it’s nice to have a hard copy to refer to or study from. So keep in mind that buying a textbook for your real estate course can cost $20 or more.
- Not available in all states: If you want to work in real estate in a state that is not offered by RealEstateU, you will need to select another school that offers courses in which you plan to work.
- No on-campus learning: The courses are all offered online and are self-paced with no opportunity for in-class learning. If you enjoy interaction with teachers and students and learn best in a classroom, you will need to select a school that has campuses.
Licensing fees and education requirements vary widely from state to state. When researching real estate licensing programs, only compare courses for the state you want to work in, so the comparison is accurate.
All about real estate agents and what they do
Courses available
RealEstateU offers real estate agent pre-licensing courses, real estate license exam preparation courses and continuing education courses for real estate agents. However, it does not offer courses for real estate brokers. It does, however, offer courses on real estate investing, including topics such as multifamily properties, syndication, self-directed IRAand real estate accounting.
Seller pre-license
Salesperson (realtor) pre-licensing courses are offered in 14 states in a self-paced online format. The states where courses are offered are California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington State and Wisconsin. All courses are accessible anytime and from any device, including tablets, computers and smartphones. Students have 12 months from date of purchase to complete the course.
Pre-licensing courses include innovative and engaging videos taught by real estate professionals, glossaries of real estate terms, and downloadable textbooks. Courses also include online infographics and workbooks, and password-protected online final exams.
Preparation for the exam
RealEstateU offers exam prep in 10 states: California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Exam preparation is purchased separately from pre-licensing courses. It includes course notes, reviews of key concepts, and practice tests. Each state’s exam prep obviously covers different material, but you’ll get an in-depth review of the course material to prepare for the exam. The content of the report varies. For example, in Virginia, six test samples are included and in North Carolina, eight test samples are included.
Continuing education
Continuing education courses are offered in one state only: New York. The course costs $79 and includes 22.5 hours of continuing education courses required to renew a vendor’s license. There are eight chapters which are divided into lessons with multiple choice quizzes at the end of each lesson.
Course format
Classes are completely online and can be taken at any time from your computer, smartphone or tablet. This is handy if you’re on the go or want to take parts of a course in segments whether you’re at home or not. Classes are fully self-paced, so you never need to log in at a certain time. There is a 12 month window to complete each course from the time you purchase it. If you don’t complete it within that time, you will have to purchase the course again.
Courses vary based on state requirements and include videos, real estate glossaries, real estate scenarios, section reviews, audio transcripts, and well-designed infographics, as well as a password-protected online exam. pass to be completed at the end of the course. The courses also include steps on how to obtain your real estate license in the state where you are taking the course.
Instructors
All instructors are experienced professionals in the field they teach. New York University (NYU) professors teach some of the real estate investing courses, and other professionals teach pre-licensing courses, including CPAs, real estate attorneys, and mortgage brokers. The school’s website has a page that highlights each instructor with a biography that outlines their background and experience as well as the classes they teach. For example, the New York real estate license course is taught by an instructor who is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) expert and specializes in sustainability.
Reputation
RealEstateU has a positive reputation as an ARELLO accredited online real estate school that serves a multitude of states. This accreditation is reserved for the best schools that meet the standards of the independent bodies that issue accreditations. Third-party sites and the company’s website mention positive reviews from previous students. Past students praise the easily navigable website, affordable courses, and the fact that classes can be taken on their smartphones or tablets.
Price
Most pre-licensing and exam preparation courses range from $49 to $249, although there is a course that is $2,497 and comes with an hour of free coaching from a professional real estate investor.
Exam prep sells for $49 for the 10 states in which it is offered. The Continuing Education class in New York costs $79 for 22.5 hours. Prices for pre-licensing courses vary widely from state to state. For example, the California pre-licensing course costs $99; the Florida one is $69; Georgia’s is $125; and North Carolina is $249. All prices are listed by state on the school’s website.
RealEstateU does not offer free trials or a money-back guarantee, but it does offer a 30-day money-back policy for courses that are less than 50% completed. Remember that $20 may be deducted from your refund depending on the course you are enrolled in. It is best to contact the school directly for specific refund procedures.
Customer service
You can contact RealEstateU customer service online through the contact form on their website www.realestateu.com. There is also an FAQ page where you can get your questions answered. There is no phone support.
Competition: RealEstateU against Real Estate Express
We compared Real Estate Express and RealEstateU because both schools offer real estate courses in some of the same states, including Texas. Both schools have at least one accreditation and are fully online.
Real Estate Express is a well-known online education provider that offers a wide range of real estate courses. It is ARELLO and IDECC certified and offers pre-licensing courses in 35 states and Washington DC, as well as continuing education courses in all 50 states. Courses are offered in a variety of formats, including self-paced options and virtual Q&A sessions with instructor support.
Overall, we recommend choosing Real Estate Express due to its long history and best overall reputation. With Real Estate Express, you have access to instructor support, a career center and courses in more regions.
| Real EstateU | Real Estate Express | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $249 for pre-licensing in Texas | $439.20+ for pre-licensing in Texas |
| Courses offered | Real estate licenses, exam preparation, continuing education, etc. | Real estate licenses, exam preparation, continuing education, etc. |
| Number of states that courses are offered | 14 | 35 |
| Course format | At your own pace online | Live online and at your own pace |
final verdict
RealEstateU is a viable option if you want to take real estate courses online, especially if access to these courses on the go or from different devices is important to you. It is very competitively priced, offers courses in multiple states, is ARELLO certified, and its instructors are top professionals in the fields they teach. The site features industry blogs and helpful licensing information in various states. However, it is not considered one of our best online real estate schools because it does not offer courses in all states and does not offer multiple course formats.
Our Methodology: How We Real Estate Schools
When reviewing real estate schools, we use a methodology based on a quantitative approach. We do an in-depth analysis of different aspects of each provider, including their overall reputation, the types of courses offered, the states in which the courses are offered, and the cost of each course. We also compare instructor experience and qualifications, lesson formats, individual lesson and conditioning options, and student and third-party ratings and reviews.
