6 Best Online Real Estate Schools in California (CA) in 2024

Completing 135 hours of real estate education in California to become an agent is not a walk in the park. It takes lots of effort and commitment, and of course, the best education provider to guide you in your real estate journey. And that’s why we’re here! We spent over a hundred hours researching and scoring dozens of schools that we know will fit your schedule, budget, and learning style. Choosing only one best online real estate school in California is tough, so here’s a list of our top picks in the Golden State.

The Close’s Top Picks for Online Real Estate Schools in California

Need to learn more about California education requirements before choosing a school? Check our guide on How to Become a Real Estate Agent in California or jump to our Helpful California Licensing Info section.

Best for Live Instruction: California Realty Training

Pros

• Variety of class formats
• Local company
• Offers free trial
• Pass guarantee in all prelicensing packages
• Job assistance through a partnership with local brokerages

Cons

• Payment plan only offered with live training package
• Free course access for only six months

The Close Score

4.9

Value:

4.3

Learning Format & Accessibility:

4.5

Course Features:

3.4

Help & Support:

4.5

Reputation:

4.9

Expert Score:

5.0

out
of

5

Education Available

• Prelicensing
• Exam prep
• Continuing education
• Broker prelicensing

💡Room for improvement: The one thing I’d like California Realty Training to improve on is adding more interactive features for students. Study groups among students and one-on-one coaching sessions will lead to a more engaging experience.

California Realty Training Cost

Whether you end up with an online-only course or an in-person one, California Realty Training doesn’t skimp on extra features. Each course package comes with excellent online trainer support and job assistance.

Best for Career Advice: Kaplan

Pros

• Variety of class formats
• Exam prep included in all packages
• Interactive study groups
• Career Mentor Connect via Zoom
• One-stop shop for all your California real estate classes

Cons

• Dated interface, not a great mobile experience
• No pass guarantee
• No in-person classes

The Close Score

4.7

Value:

4.6

Learning Format & Accessibility:

3.5

Course Features:

3.3

Help & Support:

4.5

Reputation:

4.7

Expert Score:

4.7

out
of

5

Education Available

• Prelicensing
• Exam prep
• Post-licensing
• Continuing education
• Broker prelicensing

My Expert Opinion on Kaplan

As one of the best online real estate schools in California, Kaplan meets the demands of auditory and visual learners through its flexible learning options. Choose between self-paced, live online, and on-demand video courses. If you’re eyeing Kaplan, I recommend its Career Launcher option, where you’ll get access to interactive study groups, mentorship sessions, and live online coaching. With Kaplan’s Real Estate Accelerator course, you’ll learn all about income-producing activities and real-world skills that will help you as an agent. This sets Kaplan apart because most schools focus on what you need to pass the exam. Read our in-depth review of Kaplan for more information.

💡Room for improvement: Kaplan should start offering a pass guarantee. This guarantee will increase the number of its students and add more value to its prelicensing and exam prep packages. If the other schools on our list have a pass guarantee, Kaplan should level up too.

Kaplan Cost

The company breaks down its courses into three formats: self-paced, on-demand videos, and live online. Within those three formats, they offer a variety of tiers. All packages include weekly live mentorship sessions online and access to an interactive study group. The more expensive options offer extras such as printed textbooks, live online coaching, and separate courses that cover test prep and sales techniques.

Best for Continuing Education: The CE Shop

Pros

• Modern, expertly designed courses
• Lots of bonus resources
• Excellent online learning platform
• Pass guarantee
• Offers a wide range of interesting CE courses
• Post-licensing course included in Premium Package

Cons

• No networking opportunities
• No live class option
• No access to live instructors

The Close Score

4.8

Value:

5.0

Learning Format & Accessibility:

2.5

Course Features:

3.0

Help & Support:

5.0

Reputation:

4.9

Expert Score:

5.0

out
of

5

Education Available

• Prelicensing
• Exam prep
• Post-licensing
• Continuing education
• Broker prelicensing

My Expert Opinion on The CE Shop

If you’re looking for a California real estate school with lots of continuing education options after you get licensed, this is the right one for you. The CE Shop prides itself on various interesting CE courses that will keep you coming back every renewal period. Whether you’re renewing your license for the first or tenth time, The CE Shop’s courses are always relevant to the ever-changing real estate landscape.

💡Room for improvement: In all the times I’ve reviewed The CE Shop, I’ve never seen them include networking opportunities for students and agents. That said, I’d like The CE Shop to offer more interactive package features, such as live webinars and Q&A sessions.

The CE Shop Cost

Whichever package you choose from The CE Shop’s offerings, expect lots of bonus resources—even from its most basic ones.

Need to see more before making a decision? Check out our review article and walk-through video for The CE Shop:

Best for Exam Prep: Colibri Real Estate

Pros

• Expertly designed curriculum
• Easy-to-use online platform
• Pass or Don’t Pay guarantee
• Exam prep packages include lots of features
• Offers self-paced and livestream course options

Cons

• No continuing education offerings
• The Basics doesn’t come with test prep materials
• No access to local real estate brokerages

The Close Score

4.1

Value:

3.0

Learning Format & Accessibility:

3.5

Course Features:

3.1

Help & Support:

3.0

Reputation:

4.4

Expert Score:

5.0

out
of

5

Education Available

• Prelicensing
• Exam prep
• Broker prelicensing

My Expert Opinion on Colibri Real Estate

Aside from its top-notch online learning platform, Colibri Real Estate’s exam prep materials are worthy of a special mention. The exam prep packages may be pricey, but everything included will help you pass the real estate exam. With Colibri’s test prep materials, you’ll get audio review guides to help you retain information easily, simulated exams to master common exam topics, and a readiness assessment to see how prepared you are for the exam. If these aren’t enough to convince you, check out our comprehensive review on Colibri Real Estate.

💡Room for improvement: As of this writing, Colibri Real Estate doesn’t offer post-licensing and continuing education courses in California. The CE courses on Colibri’s website are offered through its partnership with McKissock Learning. That being said, I hope Colibri will offer post-licensing and CE courses in the near future.

Colibri Real Estate Cost

Almost all of Colibri Real Estate’s packages come with a Pass or Don’t Pay guarantee—which means you may be eligible for a full refund if you don’t pass the real estate exam on your first try.

Need to see more before making a decision? Check out our walk-through video for Colibri Real Estate:

Best for Mobile: Aceable Agent

Pros

• Great learning platform for mobile
• Live webinars and private tutoring included in the premium package
• Pass guarantee
• Exam prep materials included in all packages

Cons

• No CE course offerings
• No live instruction option
• No career assistance or networking opportunities

The Close Score

4

Value:

1.5

Learning Format & Accessibility:

4.0

Course Features:

3.8

Help & Support:

3.0

Reputation:

4.6

Expert Score:

4.5

out
of

5

Education Available

• Prelicensing
• Exam prep

My Expert Opinion on Aceable Agent

As the only school on this list with a mobile app, Aceable Agent will truly give you the bang for your buck. Its basic package already includes test prep materials and a mini-course on finding the right sponsoring broker. If you pay $220 more, you’ll get one hour of private tutoring, live webinars five times a week, and a live Q&A session. If you’re a go-getter who likes accomplishing tasks simultaneously, you’ll like Aceable Agent’s mobile app. You can read lessons, answer questions, and even listen to the narration on your app on-the-go!

💡Room for improvement: It would be great if Aceable Agent could expand its services in more states and offer continuing education and post-licensing courses. Read more about Aceable Agent in our review. 

Aceable Agent Cost

All of Aceable Agent’s prelicensing course packages include a pass guarantee and loads of practice questions that will help you ace the real estate exam.

Best for Students on a Budget: OnlineEd

Pros

• Very affordable
• Offers self-paced courses
• Practice tests included in two of three packages

Cons

• Text-heavy courses
• No access to live instructors
• No live instructor support

The Close Score

3.6

Value:

4.3

Learning Format & Accessibility:

1.5

Course Features:

1.8

Help & Support:

4.5

Reputation:

4.5

Expert Score:

4.5

out
of

5

Education Available

• Prelicensing
• Continuing education
• Broker prelicensing

My Expert Opinion on OnlineEd

If you’re looking for a California real estate school that won’t break the bank, this is it. As the cheapest real estate school on my list, keep in mind that OnlineEd doesn’t include many bonus materials in its packages. You’ll get text-heavy courses, which is beneficial if you learn best by reading.

💡Room for improvement: While I know that all of OnlineEd’s courses are designed for the budget-conscious, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to include extra features such as prerecorded real estate videos for visual learners.

OnlineEd Cost

All of OnlineEd’s offerings come with a printable certificate, which you’ll get after finishing the course.

How We Selected the Best Online Real Estate Schools in California

In terms of our methodology at The Close, our team of licensed real estate professionals, writers, and editors created a weighted rubric that involves evaluating each school. Our experts have done hours of research to analyze dozens of real estate schools to determine the best for our readers. The features we explored are essential for students to become successful agents and brokers in the real estate industry. 

Our detailed criteria included: 

• Course Features 25%
  • This comprises items that assist agents and brokers in completing their education, like pass and refund guarantees, career and instructor support, coaching, training, interactive study groups, and course extensions.
• Value 20%
  • Pricing and availability of coursework is an important factor to assess. This accounts for real estate school offerings in prelicensing, post-licensing, continuing education, broker prelicensing, and exam prep. 
• Learning Format and Accessibility 20%
  • Real estate professionals must consider the best format for their learning, which includes self-paced, on-demand video, livestream, and in-person classes. Also, accessibility via multiple devices, like computers, tablets, and mobile devices, determines the convenience for users. 
• Expert Score 15%
  • The Close closely reviews each course for standout features, details, ease of use, and the value for money spent from a real estate expert’s perspective. 
• Help & Support 10%
  • If students need additional support, knowing the customer service options through phone, email, live chat, and ticket system is necessary. 
• Reputation 10%
  • This examines the reputation of each real estate school through the lens of current and past students, reviewing the customer reviews and popularity of each provider. 

Helpful California Licensing Info

Quick Facts

account_balance

California real estate governing body:

California Department of Real Estate

schedule

Prelicensing requirements:

135 hours

inventory

Post-licensing requirements:

45 hours within four years of becoming licensed

school

Continuing education requirements:

45 hours every four years from the date of initial licensure

• Prelicensing: How to Become a Real Estate Agent in California
• Exam prep: How to Study for the Real Estate Exam: Tips & Strategies and Free Real Estate Practice Exam + 7 Hacks to Help You Ace It
• Continuing education: California Real Estate License Renewal—How to Get It Done Quickly
• Upgrading your license: How to Get a California Real Estate Broker License

FAQs

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Bringing It All Together

I hope I’ve helped you choose from this list of the best real estate courses in California. At The Close, we’re committed to helping you thrive and succeed in our industry. Still have unanswered questions? Leave us a comment below!