If you’re looking for how to become a real estate agent in West Virginia, you’ve come to the right place! I’m about to dig into the steps you need to get your license, plus the top WV real estate school that will help you complete the process as easily as possible. Researching the process before diving in is important, but West Virginia is a great state to start a real estate career.

Do you already know the process of how to get a license and are ready to get straight into the best schools in West Virginia? I’ve got you covered! Click here to jump to the “Best Real Estate Schools” section below.

How to Get a Real Estate License in West Virginia

Step 1: Meet West Virginia Requirements
  • You must be at least 18 years old
  • You must be a US citizen or lawfully admitted resident
Step 2: Complete Prelicensing Courses
  • Take 90 hours of prelicensing classes
  • Check out our list of approved schools by clicking here
Step 3: Get Fingerprints & Background Check
  • Submit fingerprints for a national criminal history check
  • Use IdentoGO to schedule your fingerprinting appointment with service code 228Q6K
  • Fingerprinting fee: $45.75
Step 4: Take the Real Estate Exam
  • Submit an application to take the exam
  • Include official course completion certificate
  • Include a copy of valid driver’s license
  • Exam application fee: $25
  • Complete the exam with 150 questions (100 national, 50 state-specific)
  • Get 70% or higher to pass
  • Exam fee: $96
  • Pass the exam within 90 days of applying or within two attempts
Step 5: Apply for Your WV Real Estate License
  • Submit your online real estate license application
  • Include proof of passing exam
  • Application fee for a salesperson: $75
  • Application fee for a broker or associate broker: $150
Step 6: Pick a Sponsoring Brokerage
Step 7: Start Your Real Estate Career

The Close’s Top Picks of Online Real Estate Schools in West Virginia 

Now that you know how to become a real estate agent in West Virginia, you need to find an online school to help you start the process and complete the required pre-licensing courses.

Our Top Picks
Starting Price for Prelicensing
Promo Code
Read More Below
The CE Shop: Best for engaging online course platform
$525
TheClose35—Save 35%
The CE Shop↓
Fortune Academy: Best for comprehensive resources
$525
Close30—Save 30%
Fortune Academy↓
Colibri Real Estate: Best for live exam prep
$39*
TheClose30—Save 30%
Colibri Real Estate↓
Cooke Real Estate School: Best for video courses and resources
$399
No promo code
Cooke Real Estate School↓
Spruce School of Real Estate: Best for student support
$558
No promo code
Spruce School of Real Estate↓

Best for Engaging Online Course Platform: The CE Shop

The CE Shop
Pros
Cons
  • No live instructors
  • No video courses
  • No state-specific instructor support
The Close Score
4.9
Value:
3.5
Learning Format & Accessibility:
3.5
Course Features:
2.8
Help & Support:
4.5
Reputation:
4.0
Expert Score:
5.0
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on The CE Shop

The CE Shop is a well-known national real estate school that offers self-paced online courses to become a real estate agent in WV, prepare for the real estate exam, and renew your WV license with continuing education. I highly recommend this school to get your real estate license in West Virginia because of its various packages with exam prep, valuable resources, and study tools. Even its most affordable package includes a real estate glossary, study schedule, webinar library, and business e-books—and higher-level packages include even more resources and a pass guarantee.

In addition, since The CE Shop is a national online real estate school, it offers similar education packages in other states. Read our real estate license reciprocity guide to learn more about getting licensed in multiple states.

💡Room for Improvement: Since the CE Shop is a national real estate school, it doesn’t have resources or support specific to a realtor license WV. It would be ideal if it could provide state-specific support or connect students with West Virginia real estate experts.

The CE Shop Cost

Here’s the pricing structure of the CE Shop’s courses to earn your real estate license in WV:

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$525-$789
  • Upper-level packages include Exam Prep Edge
  • Upper-level packages include 7 hours of WV CE
  • Career resources and study tools
Continuing education
$39-$95
  • 7-hour WV packages for salespersons and brokers
  • Individual CE topics
Exam prep
$79-$135
  • National and WV portions available separately or as a package
  • Unlimited practice exams
  • Interactive dashboard to track progress

Use Promo Code: TheClose35 – Save 35%

Need to see more before making a decision? Check out this walkthrough video for The CE Shop:

Best for Comprehensive Resources: Fortune Academy

Fortune Academy
Pros
Cons
  • No live classes
  • No broker licensing courses
  • No mobile app
The Close Score
4.7
Value:
0.8
Learning Format & Accessibility:
4.5
Course Features:
2.9
Help & Support:
5.0
Reputation:
4.6
Expert Score:
5.0
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on Fortune Academy

As you earn your WV real estate license, it can sometimes feel like the real estate courses aren’t fully equipping you to start a successful career. However, this is where Fortune Academy excels. The course packages cover the 90 hours required for your West Virginia real estate license. It also offers a huge variety of additional resources that focus on specific elements of creating a strong real estate business, like building a sphere of influence. Some packages even include a course on commercial real estate.

💡Room for Improvement: In some states, Fortune Academy offers multiple course formats, like live online or in-person courses, coaching, and tutoring. Unfortunately, their courses to become a real estate agent in WV are only self-paced, with no live instructor access or support.

Fortune Academy Cost

Let’s explore the price of getting your realtor license West Virginia from Fortune Academy:

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$525-$789
  • Upper-level packages include Exam Prep Edge
  • Additional e-books and resources
Continuing education
$36-$52
  • 7-hour CE packages
  • Individual course topics
  • Online self-paced

Use Promo Code: Close30 – Save 30%

Best for Live Exam Prep: Colibri Real Estate

Colibri Real Estate
Pros
  • Most comprehensive exam prep packages
  • Variety of study tools
  • Live and interactive course features
Cons
  • No WV real estate license courses
  • Limited customer support
  • No pass guarantee
The Close Score
3.7
Value:
2.0
Learning Format & Accessibility:
3.5
Course Features:
2.4
Help & Support:
3.0
Reputation:
4.4
Expert Score:
2.1
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on Colibri Real Estate

Colibri Real Estate is another well-known online real estate school. Although it doesn’t offer prelicensing courses in West Virginia, it has two exam prep packages ideal for aspiring WV real estate agents who want the most support when studying for the exam. Colibri is the only school that offers a live exam prep package with course materials and tools from CompuCram. In addition, the live package includes a webinar series and live Q&A sessions with instructors. Since you must pass the WV real estate exam within 90 days of applying, this course is ideal to build confidence.

💡Room for Improvement: Colibri doesn’t offer prelicensing packages to help you get a salesperson or real estate broker license in WV. Combining a prelicensing package with the live exam prep would be an ideal option for students.

Colibri Real Estate Cost

Here are the costs of using Colibri to get or renew your real estate license in West Virginia:

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Continuing education
$39-$79
  • 7-hour CE course package
  • Individual course topics
  • Includes non-credit courses
Exam Prep
$115-$219
  • Simulated exams
  • Flashcards
  • Readiness assessments
  • Audio reviews
  • Webinar series
  • Live instructor Q&A

Use Promo Code: TheClose30 – Save 30%

Best for Video Courses & Resources: Cooke Real Estate School

Cooke Real Estate School
Pros
  • Instructor-led video courses
  • Includes textbooks with free shipping
  • Interactive study tools & quizzes
  • Huge variety of additional resources
Cons
  • Only six months of course access
  • No pass guarantee
  • No broker prelicensing
The Close Score
3.1
Value:
1.9
Learning Format & Accessibility:
2.5
Course Features:
1.0
Help & Support:
3.0
Reputation:
4.5
Expert Score:
2.8
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on Cooke Real Estate School

Cooke Real Estate School is the only real estate school on our list that offers video courses led by instructors. The prelicensing course is online and self-paced, but many students may find it easier to absorb information from a teacher. Plus, Cooke offers multiple course packages that include a variety of textbooks and resources with free shipping. For instance, the platinum package includes a practice book, study guide, real estate math book, exam prep course, and a Sales and Marketing 101 course.

💡Room for Improvement: Even though Cooke Real Estate School offers many business-building resources (including professional development!), it doesn’t offer continuing education courses for WV realtors.

Cooke Real Estate School Cost

Let’s dig into the price of earning your West Virginia real estate license with Cooke Real Estate School:

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$399-$649
  • Online self-paced
  • Includes textbooks with free shipping
Exam Prep
$139
  • Online self-paced course
  • National real estate exam prep textbook

Need to see more before making a decision, check out a demo course here

Best for Student Support: Spruce School of Real Estate

Spruce School of Real Estate
Pros
  • Online self-paced course
  • Local WV real estate school
  • 12 months of course access
  • Instructor access
Cons
  • No exam prep
  • No continuing education courses
  • No pass guarantee
The Close Score
3
Value:
0.8
Learning Format & Accessibility:
2.5
Course Features:
1.8
Help & Support:
4.5
Reputation:
4.3
Expert Score:
1.9
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on Spruce School of Real Estate

Spruce Real Estate School is the only school on this list that is actually based in West Virginia. Although it only offers one prelicensing course, it is ideal for students who want local instructors and support. The online classes are taught by instructors, making it more engaging and easy to get a real estate license. Plus, the website says that in-person courses are available in Morgantown.

💡Room for Improvement: Spruce School of Real Estate only offers one prelicensing course, so it could be improved with package options and individual exam prep courses.

Spruce School of Real Estate Cost

Here’s the cost of getting your WV real estate license with Spruce School of Real Estate:

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$558 (with shipping)
  • 90 hours of WV prelicensing
  • Online self-paced
  • Includes textbooks

How We Selected the Best Online Real Estate Schools in WV

At the Close, we’re a team of licensed real estate professionals, writers, and editors that strive to create the most accurate and helpful content for readers. Part of the The Close methodology includes creating a weighted rubric to evaluate and compare 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 & Accessibility 20%
    • Real estate professionals must consider the best format for their learning, which includes self-paced, on-demand video, live stream, 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 stand-out 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. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)




Your Take

West Virginia is a great state to be a realtor—in fact, we named it the best state for real estate agents! Learning how to become a real estate agent in West Virginia is relatively simple, and you can follow our guide to choose the right school and resources for you.

If you’ve taken online classes before, what qualities are most important to you? Let us know by commenting below!