In order to make sure your real estate career gets off to the best start possible, selecting the right pre-licensing education course is essential. In addition to helping you to pass the real estate exam, it will also set you up for success very early on in your professional journey.
In this The CE Shop Review, we’ll guide you through their various packages, outline the reasons we consider it a top-notch option, and compare it with other choices to assist you in determining the best fit for your needs.
Recommended: Interested in getting started? We recommend The CE Shop’s online study packages, which come with a money-back guarantee and a 30% discount (promo Code “TRUiC”).
Is The CE Shop Real Estate Course Right For You?
With its comprehensive curriculum, user-friendly platform, and impressive student success rates, we firmly believe that The CE Shop’s real estate courses are among the top options available today.
In the sections below, we’ve highlighted some of the major pros and cons of The CE Shop’s courses to assist you in determining whether it’s the right choice for your real estate education needs.
Pros of The CE Shop
- Affordable Pricing: The CE Shop offers four distinct pricing packages to accommodate various budgets, with costs varying by state. This flexibility ensures that you can find the best option for your financial needs
- Exceptionally High Pass Rates: As of 2024, students of The CE Shop have achieved a pass rate of 64% on their first exam attempts, surpassing the national average by 12%. In certain states, this rate approaches an impressive 90%, which only acts as a further testament to the effectiveness of their courses
- Extended Course Access: Upon purchasing a course, you gain access to The CE Shop’s content for six months. This generous access period allows you to progress at your own pace, revisit lessons, and review material without the pressure of a tight deadline
- Fresh Learning Experience: The CE Shop’s innovative learning platform, LEAP, delivers an engaging educational journey. By utilizing a mix of text, audio, and video formats, it provides a diverse and dynamic range of lessons
- Money-Back Pass Guarantee: Confident in the quality of their courses, The CE Shop offers a money-back guarantee if you don’t pass your exam on the first attempt — this policy provides students with assurance and confidence in their investment
- Tailored Exam Guidance: The CE Shop’s exam preparation materials, including a detailed checklist and comprehensive performance reports, are highly valuable. All of these tools work together to help students stay organized and ensure they’ve thoroughly covered the curriculum before the exam
Recommended Real Estate Course
Interested in getting started? We recommend The CE Shop’s online study packages, which come with a money-back guarantee and a 30% discount (promo Code “TRUiC”).
Cons of The CE Shop
- Lack of In-Person Option: The CE Shop exclusively offers online courses, both self-paced and live-streamed. This means it may not be suitable for those who prefer traditional, face-to-face instruction in a physical classroom setting
The CE Shop Features
The CE Shop offers four different course packages, ranging from the basic required coursework all the way up to a comprehensive guide to starting your own real estate business.
It’s worth noting that these packages don’t have fixed prices as their cost can increase or decrease depending on the hour requirement in your specific state.
We’ve provided an overview of The CE Shop’s main package tiers in the sections below, ranking them in order of least to most expensive:
1. Courses Only Package
The CE Shop’s Courses Only Package is their entry-level option that provides you with the resources you’ll need to get your real estate license. Its most notable features include:
- Provides the required hours of real estate education tailored to meet state-specific licensing requirements
- Designed to prepare learners thoroughly for their state licensing exam
- Covers essential principles and practices of real estate, offering a solid foundation for a successful career
- Offers flexible, self-paced learning accessible from anywhere
- Priced competitively to provide essential training without unnecessary extras
Right For: Individuals seeking a flexible and comprehensive entry into the real estate profession — especially self-motivated learners who are prepared to have to take charge of their education.
2. Standard Package
On top of all the features included in the offering above, the main addition included as part of The CE Shop’s Standard Package is the provider’s proprietary “Exam Prep Edge”.
This is an interactive library of study resources designed to help you excel in both portions of the real estate exam. After a quick test to assess your understanding of the curriculum, you’ll gain access to unlimited practice exams and real-time statistics on the particular areas that you struggle with.
The CE Shop is so confident in the effectiveness of this tool that it offers a money-back guarantee for the cost of the state licensing exam to any students who don’t pass but have purchased a package including Exam Prep Edge.
Right For: Aspiring real estate agents looking for comprehensive pre-licensing education and support with their exam preparation as it contains all the tools you’ll need to pass the licensing exam on the first try in one place.
3. Value Package
The CE Shop’s Value Package is the provider’s next most comprehensive offering which includes all of the above features in addition to the Real Estate Career Kickstarter Package.
This is a comprehensive starter pack designed for new real estate agents that offers essential courses on in-depth professional learning and practical activities to help you get up and running quickly.
This is made up of three key “ProPath” courses designed to give you a competitive edge in the real estate industry, including:
- The “Build Your 30/60/90 Day Plan”, which helps you to create effective business strategies, set SMART goals, and integrate plans into your daily activities
- The “Build Your Core Lead Network” course on how to effectively generate leads and maintain a consistent marketing cycle — which is essential for business growth
- The “Build Your Negotiation Skills” course, which covers negotiation phases, preparation techniques, and communication strategies to improve your real estate transactions
Right For: New real estate agents who want a strong foundation in essential skills and professional development, all at an affordable price.
4. Premium Package
The CE Shop’s top-of-the-line offering is its Premium Package, which contains all of the features included in all previously-mentioned packages as well as post-licensing and continuing education courses to meet your state’s requirements.
These additional courses are crucial for maintaining your license and ensuring you stay updated with the latest industry standards and practices, such as advanced real estate law, ethics, and market analysis.
These courses are designed to help you transition smoothly from a newly licensed agent to an experienced real estate professional, equipping you with the skills needed to excel in your career. Moreover, the CE courses ensure that you remain compliant with state regulations and continue to enhance your expertise.
Right For: Individuals who are committed to long-term success and want to ensure they remain compliant and knowledgeable with ongoing education requirements. This package will keep you covered from initial licensing all the way up to advanced career development and license renewal.
The CE Shop Real Estate Course Reviews
On balance, the overwhelming majority of The CE Shop’s students were blown away with its course offerings — in fact, over 80% of its students awarded it 5 out of 5 stars according to Trustpilot.
Example 1
“I loved how organized, efficient and flexible the CE shop classes were for me to complete. Self-paced, instructional videos and a copious amount of resources for you to bookmark and save to use as reference in your future real-estate learning. CE Shop helps you adequately prepare to take your National and State exams and I’m glad I studied with them.” — Kellen
Example 2
“The material was easier to understand compared to another program I had tried in the past. The customer support was great when I used their help. I love having access all over on different devices, & being able to pull up a study sheet as needed. After using The CE Shop, I passed my state and national real estate exams on the first try. Using the Edge Prep program was highly beneficial!” — Sarah
In addition to being impressed with the quality and the effectiveness of The CE Shop’s courses, a number of customers specifically cited that they were more than happy with the price they paid too.
Recommended: Interested in getting started? We recommend The CE Shop’s online study packages, which come with a money-back guarantee and a 30% discount (promo Code “TRUiC”).
The CE Shop Real Estate Alternatives
Having explored the various packages offered by The CE Shop for real estate education, we’ll now delve into some of the leading alternatives.
This will provide you with a comprehensive view of the different options available, which we hope will help you to make an informed decision on which provider best suits your needs.
Alternative 1: Kaplan Real Estate Education
With its engaging video-based courses, live class options, and interactive study groups, Kaplan is a leading provider of real estate education.
In the sections below, we’ve outlined some key pros and cons of Kaplan’s courses to help you decide if it’s the right fit for you.
Pros
- Convenient Bookmark Feature: Kaplan’s learning platform includes a bookmarking and note-taking feature that simplifies the study process — this makes it extremely easy to review notes and enhances the overall efficiency of the learning experience
- Interactive Study Groups: Kaplan enhances its course offerings with interactive study groups at no additional cost, allowing students to clarify doubts with expert instructors and fellow students at weekly Q&A webinars. This greatly enriches the learning experience
- Live Class Availability: One of Kaplan’s significant advantages over many other online real estate schools is its live classes, which provide invaluable opportunities to interact with instructors and get immediate answers to any challenging questions you may have
- Outstanding Video-Based Courses: Kaplan offers on-demand video courses and digital whiteboards that make complex topics easier to understand, especially for visual learners. This engaging format effectively breaks down difficult concepts into manageable segments, aiding comprehension
- Personalized Quiz Tool: A standout feature of Kaplan is its custom quiz tool, which allows students to tailor their exam preparation to their specific needs. By focusing on particular topics, question types, and timing preferences, this tool helps target weak areas and boosts confidence before the exam
Cons
- No In-Person Classes: Kaplan only offers virtual classes, so it’s crucial to be comfortable with online learning before enrolling. If you prefer traditional in-person instruction, Kaplan might not be the best fit for you
- No Money-Back Guarantee: Unlike The CE Shop, Kaplan’s courses do not offer a money-back guarantee if you fail your real estate exam. You are only eligible for a refund within 30 days of purchase, which may not be as reassuring or helpful
- State-Specific Variations: Kaplan’s course availability and pricing can vary significantly by state, depending on required credit hours and delivery format. This inconsistency can make it challenging to know exactly what you’re getting for your money
Alternative 2: Colibri Real Estate
Due to its comprehensive live instruction and user-friendly note-taking features, Colibri Real Estate is another strong option when it comes to real estate education.
Below, we’ve detailed some of the key pros and cons of Colibri’s courses to assist you in determining if it suits your needs.
Pros
- Access to Instructors: Opting for Colibri’s Exam Preparation Plus courses grants you extensive access to live instruction, featuring up to 40 hours of live Q&A sessions monthly. Additionally, you will gain access to the Exam Crammer series, a collection of concise webinars designed to help you successfully pass the real estate licensing exam
- Easy Note-Taking: Colibri’s platform greatly simplifies the study process by allowing you to take and organize notes directly within the learning environment. This functionality makes reviewing material more efficient, as you can download your notes and benefit from the platform’s tracking of the specific chapters and pages they pertain to
- Pass Guarantee: If you purchase one of Colibri’s courses, you’ll likely be provided with a “Pass Or Don’t Pay Guarantee”. This valuable feature allows you to receive a full refund if you do not pass your state’s licensing exam on your first attempt within 30 days of completing the course
Cons
- Boring Lesson Format: Colibri’s courses predominantly use text as a means of instruction, with a significant portion of the lessons relying on reading materials. This approach may not be as engaging for students who favor visual or auditory learning methods, as a text-format will likely result in a less stimulating learning experience
- Lack of Mobile Support: It is important to note that Colibri’s courses are mainly designed to be taken on a computer or laptop. Since Colibri doesn’t offer a dedicated mobile app, the restricted functionality of their mobile website may prove inconvenient for students who prefer to study on the go
- Limited Live Classes: Despite the valuable addition of live classes to Colibri’s packages, we were disappointed to find that these sessions are only available in a select few states
Alternative 3: Aceable Agent
Aceable Agent is another excellent choice that stands out for its approach to real estate education. Thanks to engaging audio narration and a flexible mobile app, it represents a strong alternative to some of the other providers mentioned on this list.
In the sections below, we’ve outlined some of the main pros and cons of the courses of this online real estate school.
Pros
- Ace Or Don’t Pay Guarantee: The “Ace Or Don’t Pay Guarantee” is a reassuring policy that promises a refund if you don’t pass your state licensing exam after three attempts within 90 days of completing the course
- Engaging Audio Narration: We found Aceable Agent’s use of audio narration for text portions of the lessons to be a refreshing and effective way to learn. This feature allows students to absorb material on topics like real estate law without being tied to their screens, which is particularly beneficial for auditory learners
- Excellent Mobile App: Aceable Agent’s mobile app is another standout feature. It offers a user-friendly and modern design that significantly benefits students needing a flexible study schedule by allowing for seamless on-the-go learning and studying from anywhere with ease
Cons
- Restricted Availability in Certain States: A significant drawback of Aceable Agent’s courses is their limited availability, being offered in only 14 states — if you’re located outside these regions you’ll need to look for an alternative provider, which is a big drawback
- Relatively Basic Package: We were also disappointed with the basic package, which includes only a state-approved pre-license course and practice exam questions. This limited offering essentially compels students seeking more comprehensive exam prep resources to purchase the more expensive packages
- Pricey Package Options: Although Aceable Agent offers competitive pricing, the cost of their Deluxe and Premium packages is considerably higher. These packages, which include additional features like live webinars and extensive materials, might be too expensive for some students
For more information on how these service providers compare to each other, check out our Best Real Estate Courses guide.
Final Thoughts
Overall, our review team wholeheartedly recommends The CE Shop’s real estate courses for those preparing for their licensing exams.
Despite the strong competition, we feel The CE Shop stands out due to its comprehensive curriculum, user-friendly platform, and impressive student success rates — features that surpass all of its competitors.
Additionally, an overwhelming proportion of The CE Shop’s customers were pleased with its services, and noted in particular that its pricing was top notch.
The CE Shop Real Estate Course Review FAQ
What is the best real estate pre-licensing course?
The best real estate pre-licensing course can vary depending on individual needs, but many students and professionals highly recommend The CE Shop for its comprehensive curriculum, user-friendly platform, and impressive student success rates.
On top of the variety of resources it offers to cater to different learning styles, it also offers packages at a range of different price points.
Is The CE Shop an accredited real estate education provider?
Yes, The CE Shop is an accredited online real estate education provider that’s approved by the real estate commissions in all states except Alaska, Nebraska, and Wyoming — this ensures that its programs and exam prep materials meet rigorous educational standards.
For more information on this provider, check out our The CE Shop Real Estate Course Review.
What is the pass rate for The CE Shop’s students?
The CE Shop courses boast an impressive pass rate for its students that is 12% higher than the national average at a state level. In some jurisdictions, the pass rate of The CE Shop’s students even exceeds 90%.
This high success rate is a testament to the effectiveness of their course materials, which will prepare you for this exam through a mix of engaging content and practice exams.
Which state has the hardest real estate licensing exam?
The difficulty of real estate licensing exams can vary, but many consider the final exam in California to be one of the hardest due to its extensive coverage of complex topics and rigorous standards — which make it particularly challenging for many applicants.
Find out how you can pass this exam regardless of your state in our How to Get a Real Estate License guide.