If you’re kick-starting your real estate career in the Pine Tree State, you’ll want to check out the best real estate schools in Maine to help you get rolling. You’ll need to complete a 55-hour prelicensing course to become a real estate agent in Maine. I’ve done the homework and rounded up the top choices for real estate schools in Maine, keeping in mind some dope aspects to evaluate—like cost, course design, and how easy it is to use. So, let’s dive into how to become a real estate agent in Maine and our top picks and get this started!

Do you already know the process of how to get a license and are ready to get straight into the best schools in Maine? 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 Maine

Step 1: Meet Maine Requirements
  • You must be at least 18 years old.
  • You must be a US citizen or a lawfully admitted resident.
  • You must possess a high school diploma or GED.
Step 2: Complete Prelicensing Courses
Step 3: Take the Maine Real Estate Exam
  • Test format: Multiple-choice
  • Test length: 80 nationally focused questions and 40 state-specific questions
  • Time limit: 4 hours
  • Items to bring to the exam:
    • Two valid forms of identification (ID) with signatures
    • The original Course Completion Certificate (completed by a school official)

  • Passing score: 75% to pass the Maine Real Estate Salesperson Exam (at least 60/80 on the general practice/national portion and 30/40 on the Maine Law/state portion)
Step 4: Pick a Sponsoring Brokerage
Step 5: Apply for Your Maine License
  • Fee: $121 ($100 application fee and a $21 criminal background check fee)
  • Apply through a paper application or online via the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation
  • Your brokerage must complete the Designated Broker’s Authorization of Agency Affiliation section of your real estate application.
  • Include your Sales Agent Course Completion Certificate.
  • Attach your salesperson exam results.
  • Apply for your license within one year of passing the Maine real estate exam.
Step 6: Start Your Real Estate Career

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

Now that you’ve got the scoop on how to become a real estate agent in Maine, it’s time to pick the best school that matches your learning style and needs. Get ready to hit the books and crush it.

Our Top Picks
Starting Prelicensing Pricing
Promo Code
Read More Below
The Real Estate Learning Group: Best for hybrid study
$450
No promo code
The Real Estate Learning Group↓
Colibri Real Estate: Best for exam prep
$327
Use TheClose30 for 30% off at checkout
Colibri Real Estate↓
The CE Shop: Best for continuing education
$399
TheClose35—Save 35%
The CE Shop↓
Real Estate Institute of New England: Best for livestream classes
$400
No promo code
Real Estate Institute of New England↓
Center for Real Estate Studies: Best for career assistance
$370
No promo code
Center for Real Estate Studies↓

Best for Hybrid Study: The Real Estate Learning Group

The Real Estate Learning Group
Pros
  • Career assistance and networking
  • Easy-to-use online platform
  • Direct instructor assistance and textbooks included
Cons
  • No mobile app
  • No pass guarantee
  • No 24/7 and live chat customer support
The Close Score
4.9
Value:
2.7
Learning Format & Accessibility:
4.5
Course Features:
3.5
Help & Support:
2.5
Reputation:
4.6
Expert Score:
4.1
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on The Real Estate Learning Group

The Real Estate Learning Group is a local Maine school that offers a hybrid study model. You get to mix at-home learning with some good ol’ classroom visits, making it easy to zip through your courses. Plus, the teachers are total pros with years of experience, keeping things fun and engaging so the info sticks. It’s all about that local know-how, so you’ll get the scoop that’s totally relevant and useful as a Maine licensee!

💡Room for Improvement: I’d love to see The Real Estate Learning Group take its program offerings up a notch and offer the whole prelicensing course in person, ya know? Some folks learn best in a classroom setting and want to zip through their course as efficiently and effectively as possible. Plus, who doesn’t love chatting with their mates while diving into the material? It’d be a real hootin’ good time.

The Real Estate Learning Group Cost

The Real Estate Learning Group offers two prelicensing packages, depending on whether you prefer to learn from home or visit the classroom. The latter could help you finish your course faster.

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$450-$475
  • It includes the Dearborn e-book and Modern Real Estate Practice 21st Edition
  • Four live in-person Workshops, plus 40 hours of self-study
  • Free support materials included
Continuing education
$20-$150
  • Individual courses and packages are available
  • Offered via in-person, online, and livestream learning formats
Exam prep
$99
  • Self-study online course
  • One-year course access
  • Available 24/7

Best for Exam Prep: Colibri Real Estate

Colibri Real Estate
Pros
  • Easy-to-use online platform
  • Pass and refund guarantee
  • Live and interactive study groups
Cons
  • No in-person classes
  • No mobile app
  • Live chat support is not available
The Close Score
4.9
Value:
2.4
Learning Format & Accessibility:
3.5
Course Features:
4.0
Help & Support:
3.0
Reputation:
4.0
Expert Score:
5.0
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on Colibri Real Estate

Colibri Real Estate is a national leader in real estate schools with a reputation for the most relevant content in a convenient online format. Colibri Real Estate is so confident about the quality of its exam prep tools that it’d be happy to shell out a refund if things don’t go your way. If you score 80% or more on its practice tests and then flop on your first attempt at the actual license exam, it’ll give you your dough back—no ifs, ands, or buts! It’s a good deal for anyone looking to get their license, especially from Maine.

💡Room for Improvement: Colibri Real Estate currently does not provide the option for in-person classes, and it has not yet developed a mobile application for learners.

Colibri Real Estate Cost

To learn how to become a real estate agent in Maine, you can start by exploring the state’s four prelicensing packages and two exam prep packages to prepare for your Maine real estate license exam.

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$327-$570
  • State-approved instructor support
  • Three real estate study guides
  • Accessible narrated audio with adjustable speeds
Continuing education
$219
  • Offered CE courses for broker and associate broker and designated broker
  • NAR Ethics
  • Accessible narrated audio with adjustable speeds
Exam prep
$115-$219
  • Simulated exams
  • Flashcards
  • Readiness assessment
  • Audio review guides
  • Live and interactive instruction

Use Promo Code: TheClose30—Save 30% off

If you need to see more before making a decision, check out our walkthrough video for Colibri Real Estate below:

Best for Continuing Education: The CE Shop

The CE Shop
Pros
  • Modern, expertly designed courses
  • Continually adding new class topics
  • Direct access to instructors
Cons
  • No livestream or webinar and in-person classes
  • No mobile app
  • No 1:1 coaching and training
The Close Score
4.9
Value:
2.7
Learning Format & Accessibility:
2.5
Course Features:
3.8
Help & Support:
4.5
Reputation:
3.9
Expert Score:
5.0
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on The CE Shop

The CE Shop is best for continuing education courses that real estate pros all over the country love. It’s always up-to-date with the latest trends and rolling out new classes on excellent topics like serving seniors or first-time homebuyers. The CE Shop is fantastic with its fully online learning platform that’s super comprehensive, easy to use, and flexible. Its LEAP content delivery system is unique, letting people learn at their own pace while keeping it fun and engaging.

💡Room for Improvement: Here’s another national school with an excellent reputation, but it only offers limited learning options in Maine—only online, self-paced, and on-demand video classes.

The CE Shop Cost

The pricing for its courses is flexible and depends on the specific course and the package you choose. The CE Shop offers different course packages with various features to match each student’s unique needs.

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$399-$505
  • Exam Prep Edge—National & Maine
  • Career and downloadable resources
  • Digital flashcards and real estate glossary
  • Business e-books and study schedule
Continuing education
$29-$295
  • Offers individual courses and packages
  • CE courses for brokers and designated brokers
  • With the NAR Ethics course
Exam prep
$79-$135
  • Simulated exams
  • Unlimited, dynamic practice tests
  • National and state portions

Use Promo Code: TheClose35—Save 35%

If you need to see more before making a decision, check out our walkthrough video for The CE Shop below:

Best for Livestream Classes: Real Estate Institute of New England

Real Estate Institute of New England
Pros
  • 10-day money-back guarantee
  • One-year course access
  • Interactive study groups
Cons
  • No on-demand video learning format
  • No mobile app
  • No pass guarantee and course extension
The Close Score
4.3
Value:
2.4
Learning Format & Accessibility:
3.5
Course Features:
2.2
Help & Support:
2.5
Reputation:
4.3
Expert Score:
4.6
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on Real Estate Institute of New England

The Real Estate Institute of New England is another quality local real estate school on the East Coast, only serving Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. If you’re wondering how to become a real estate agent in Maine, it has prelicensing courses available via livestream. This means you can enjoy that classroom vibe right from your couch—wicked comfy! The school’s instructors are a bunch of fun folks who lead lively classes and are always there to lend a hand if you’ve got questions. It’s a great way to keep things moving, don’t you think?

💡Room for Improvement: The Real Estate Institute of New England has decided only to offer live online and self-paced classes. This can be a bit of a bummer for those who’d rather share a cup of coffee and swap stories in real-time. Just know it’s all virtual; some folks might miss that cozy, face-to-face interaction.

Real Estate Institute of New England Cost

Real Estate Institute of New England offers several prelicensing packages in Maine that are delivered live online and self-paced.

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$400-$465
  • Commission approved
  • 15 PDF downloadables
  • 19 quizzes
Continuing education
Free-$116
  • Individual courses and one package
  • The free 3-credit elective hours course is via in-person
Exam prep
$125
  • Self-paced
  • Review flashcards
  • Reviewed and approved by real estate pros in Maine

Best for Career Assistance: Center for Real Estate Studies

Center for Real Estate Studies
Pros
  • Self-paced format
  • Online quizzes
  • Well-organized learning modules
Cons
  • No livestream, on-demand, or in-person class options
  • No mobile app
  • No pass guarantee
The Close Score
3.2
Value:
1.5
Learning Format & Accessibility:
1.0
Course Features:
2.7
Help & Support:
2.5
Reputation:
4.2
Expert Score:
3.3
out
of
5

My Expert Opinion on Center for Real Estate Studies

The Center for Real Estate Studies brings over 30 years of experience. It offers fantastic learning materials that break down all the concepts you need. One of its standout features is the free introductory perks that help you figure out your future in real estate. It provides a career book, a list of common interview questions, a handy spreadsheet for income and expenses, and even a career counseling session. The textbooks are designed with real-world practice in mind, so you’ll learn exactly what you need for your real estate job down the line. Plus, you can contact instructors by phone or email anytime during the course for extra support.

💡Room for Improvement: Unfortunately, the Center for Real Estate Studies prelicensing course doesn’t include exam prep. You must purchase its exam prep package separately for $135 if you want more practice before your license exam.

Center for Real Estate Studies Cost

The Center for Real Estate Studies offers prospective agents one real estate prelicensing package in Maine.

Type of Education
Price Range
Standout Features
Prelicensing
$370-$396.38
  • PDF version of the textbook
  • Quizzes to help you study each of the concepts
  • Instructor support by phone or email.
Continuing education
$35-$295
  • Offered through The CE Shop
  • For designated brokers
  • Individual courses and packages available
Broker Prelicensing
$425
  • Offered via online Zoom
  • Includes all textbooks and materials
Exam prep
$135
  • A book of 300 practice questions
  • Study guide
  • Textbooks

How We Selected the Best Online Real Estate Schools in Maine

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 classes in Maine to determine the best for our readers. The features we explored are essential for students to become successful licensed brokers and agents 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 are important factors 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, 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. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)




Your Take

Based on our evaluation, we reckon The Real Estate Learning Group is the bee’s knees for Maine’s best overall online school. Its comprehensive courses cover every career stage, whether you’re just starting or looking to up your game. Plus, it has a bunch of course formats to fit all sorts of learning styles—so no worries if you’re more of a visual learner or prefer to dive into the books. All in all, it’s a solid choice, no cap!

Do you still have unanswered questions about how to become a real estate agent in Maine and the state of Maine real estate license classes? Leave us a comment below!