RealEstateU Review

RealEstateU is an entirely 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 classes in one states. In addition, it offers real estate investing courses, and all courses are self-paced and can be taken anytime on any device. The school focuses on offering engaging class lessons that are affordable and convenient because they can be viewed on the go. 

Pros Explained

• Affordably priced online courses: Courses are among the lowest priced for online real estate schools. However, keep in mind that prices vary by state, and textbooks aren’t 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 cancelation fee depending on the course. 
• ARELLO-certified school: Not all schools have this certification, but RealEstateU does. It means that consistent, high-level educational standards are being maintained in regard to real estate licensure law. 

Cons Explained

• Textbooks aren’t included in course prices: Not all courses require textbooks, but sometimes it’s nice to have a hard copy to reference or study from. So, keep in mind that it may be an additional $20 or more to purchase a textbook for your real estate course. 
• Not offered in all states: If you want to work in real estate in a state that isn’t offered by RealEstateU, then you will need to select another school that offers classes where you plan to work. 
• No on-campus learning: Courses are all offered online and are self-paced with no option for in-classroom learning. If you like the interaction with teachers and students and learn better in a classroom setting, then you will need to select a school that has campuses. 

Available Courses

RealEstateU offers real estate agent pre-licensing courses, exam prep classes for real estate licensure, and continuing education classes for real estate agents. However, it doesn’t offer courses for real estate brokers. It does, however, offer courses on real estate investing, including topics such as multi-family properties, syndication, self-directed IRAs, and real estate accounting. 

Salesperson Pre-Licensing

Salesperson (real estate agent) 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, and Wisconsin. All courses can be accessed at any time and from any device, including tablets, computers, and smartphones. Students have 12 months from the time 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 workbooks. Courses also include infographics and online workbooks, as well as online password-protected final exams. 

Exam Prep

RealEstateU offers exam prep in 10 states: California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Exam prep is purchased separately from pre-licensing courses. It includes notes on the courses, key concept reviews, and practice tests. Each state’s exam prep obviously covers different material, but you will get an in-depth review of the course material to prepare you for the exam. State content varies. For example, in Virginia, six sample tests are included and in North Carolina, eight sample tests are included. 

Continuing Education

Continuing education courses are offered in just one state: New York. The course is $79 and includes 22.5 hours of continuing education courses required for renewing a salesperson's license. There are eight chapters that are broken down into lessons with multiple-choice quizzes at the end of each lesson. 

Course Format

Courses are entirely online and can be taken at any time from your computer, smartphone, or tablet. This is convenient if you’re on the go or want to complete parts of a course in segments, whether you’re at home or not. The courses are entirely self-paced, so you never have 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 frame, you will need to purchase the course again. 

Courses vary based on the state’s requirements, and include videos, real estate glossaries, real-world property scenarios, section reviews, audio transcripts, and well-designed infographics, as well as a password-protected online exam to be completed at the end of the course. Courses also include steps on how to get your real estate license in the state where you’re taking the class. 

Instructors

All of the instructors are experienced professionals in the field they are teaching. New York University (NYU) professors teach some of the real estate investing courses, and other professionals teach the pre-licensing courses, including CPAs, real estate attorneys, and mortgage brokers. The school’s website has a page that highlights each instructor with a bio that describes their background and experience as well as what 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 top schools that meet the standards of the independent bodies that issue the accreditations. Third-party sites and the company website mention the previous students’ positive reviews. Past students praise the easily navigable website, affordable courses, and that classes can be taken on their smartphones or tablets.   

Price

Most pre-license and exam prep courses range from $49 to $249, though there is one class that is $2,497 and comes with one hour of free coaching from a professional real estate investor. 

Exam prep sells for $49 for all 10 states it's offered in. The continuing education class in New York is $79 for 22.5 hours. Pre-licensing course prices vary greatly by state. For example, California’s pre-licensing course is $99; Florida's is $69; Georgia's is $125; and North Carolina's is $249. All prices are listed by state on the school’s website. 

RealEstateU doesn’t offer free trials or money-back guarantees, but it does offer a 30-day refund policy for classes that are under 50% completed. Keep in mind that $20 may be deducted from your refund depending on the class you are enrolled in. It’s best to contact the school directly for specific refund policy procedures. 

Customer Service

You can reach customer service at RealEstateU 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 isn’t phone support. 

Competition: RealEstateU vs. Real Estate Express

We compared Real Estate Express and RealEstateU because both schools provide real estate courses in some of the same states, including Texas. Both schools have at least one accreditation and are entirely 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 D.C., and continuing education classes in all 50 states. Classes 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 because of its longstanding history and overall better reputation. With Real Estate Express, you have access to instructor support, a career hub, and courses in more regions.

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Our Methodology: How We Review Real Estate Schools

When reviewing real estate schools, we use a methodology that is based on a quantitative approach. We thoroughly analyze different aspects of each provider including their overall reputation, the types of courses offered, states courses are offered in, and the cost of each course. We also compare instructor experience and qualifications, class formats, course and individual packaging options, and student and third-party ratings and reviews.