Getting your real estate broker license in Illinois is easier than you think. However, before starting your new real estate career, you will need to take the required 75-hour pre-licensing course. The good news is you can do this all online with one of the best online real estate schools in IL.
The benefit of choosing an online real estate school is that you get to work from the comfort of your own home. In addition, you can complete the necessary pre-licensing courses at your own pace and on your own schedule. We have made a list of the top online real estate schools in Illinois for you so that you can begin your real estate career with confidence.
As you read, you will see that we have done the hard work for you by compiling in-depth information about the best real estate schools and what they offer. In addition, we list the pros and cons of each online real estate school and what the costs will be. With one of these courses, you will be ready to start your journey to becoming a real estate broker in IL.
Top 7 Online Real Estate Schools in Illinois
1. The CE Shop
As one of the top real estate schools in Illinois, The CE Shop offers two online interactive courses, one being the 60-hour broker pre-license topics course and the other being the 15-hour applied real estate principles course. In addition, they have an astounding 96% student satisfaction rate, so you know you are getting a great course.
With The CE Shop, you can complete your online real estate classes in just two weeks if you treat it like a 40-hour work week. They update their interactive content regularly and offer a pass guarantee, where they will reimburse the initial pre-licensing course if a retake is required. In addition, you can choose from multiple options to work at your own pace, anywhere you want, and any time of the day.
The CE Shop has four different course packages to choose from, including:
- Course Only – For $359, you get 75-hours of IL pre-licensing courses, business eBooks, digital flashcards, career resources, downloadable resources, a study schedule, and a real estate glossary.
- Standard Package – For $419, you get everything included in the Course Only package, along with access to the Exam Prep Edge package and their pass guarantee.
- Value Package – For $475, you get everything included in the Standard package and the Business Building Courses, which can help you start your real estate journey.
- Premium Package – For $725, you receive everything The CE Shop has to offer with its biggest package. You get all the benefits of the Value package, along with a 45-hour IL broker post-licensing package and a Real Estate Basics and Beyond eTextbook.
The CE Shop also offers individual courses; this is a great option if you are on a tight budget or have limited time in your schedule and need to break up the real estate courses. For example, they offer the 60 credit hours for the broker pre-licensure course for $449 and the 15 credit hour applied real estate principles course for $139.
| The CE Shop Pros | The CE Shop Cons |
|---|---|
| High Student Satisfaction Rate | No Instructor Support |
| Digital Flashcards | No In-Person Classes |
| Individual Course Options |
Cancellation/Refund Policy
The CE Shop offers a refund of the purchase price as long as the request is submitted within 30 days of the purchase date, before the course expiration, and less than 50% of the course has been completed.
If you request a refund for Exam Prep Edge, The CE Shop will refund the purchase price as long as the request is within 30 days of the purchase date and the initial assessment has not been completed.
Ebooks are non-returnable, and all sales are final.
2. PDH Real Estate
PDH Real Estate is an excellent Illinois real estate school that is approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: Division of Real Estate. Their real estate course covers all the necessary topics that will prepare you for success, such as contract law, listing agreements, real estate finance, closings, Illinois laws, and more.
All of PDH’s real estate classes are 100% self-paced so that you can learn the material on your own timetable, and they also have great customer support if you need any help. They even provide unlimited, lifetime access to all their training materials, so you can always go back and reference something if needed. They even offer 45-hours of broker post-licensing courses and a pre-license managing broker real estate course.
PDH has three different course package options to choose from, including:
- Basic Pre-license – For $325, you get access to the 60-hour broker pre-license real estate topics, the course outline, instructor support, real estate eBooks, and lifetime access to training materials.
- Basic Pre-license Course II – For $99, you will get access to the 15-hour broker pre-license applied real estate principles class, which you need to complete the required education to become a licensed real estate broker in Illinois.
- Premium Pre-license with Exam Prep – For $385, you get the full 75-hour broker pre-license education course, the course outline, instructor support, real estate books, lifetime access to training materials, the exam prep course, unlimited practice exam attempts, and the pass guarantee.
You can also purchase their exam prep course package by itself for only $99; this can be a great way to prepare yourself for the Illinois real estate exam.
| PDH Real Estate Academy Pros | PDH Real Estate Academy Cons |
|---|---|
| Lifetime Access | Only One Package |
| Pass Guarantee |
Cancellation/Refund Policy
PDH Real Estate Academy does have a refund policy; you will need to contact customer service within five business days of your course purchase date. Customers who cancel orders within five business days of the course purchase date will receive a full refund. After five business days, all sales are final, and no refunds will be provided.
3. Kaplan Real Estate
One of the best real estate schools in Illinois is Kaplan Real Estate. They offer all the real estate education options you will need in Illinois. They are a well-known name in education and provide great online real estate courses. Kaplan provides many different options to choose from, including an online course, a hybrid package, and a home study option.
With Kaplan, you get broker courses online to prepare you for your real estate licensing exam to start you out on the right path in the real estate industry. You can choose to take the 75-hour pre-licensing education course together or separately by taking the 60-hour course and then the 15-hour course so you can complete the requirements for the licensing exam.
Kaplan has many different package options to choose from, ranging from individual classes or complete course bundles. Here is more information on each package and what they have to offer:
- 15-Hour Broker Interactive Prelicensing Online Video Course – For $119, you get access to the 15-hour interactive video course, six case studies that provide real-life examples, and a video instructor that provides relevant context for real estate scenarios. (You will need to also take the 60-hour licensing course to complete the required 75-hours of pre-licensing.)
- 60-Hour Broker Licensing Online Course – For $429, you get a 60-hour pre-licensing course with solid industry principles with the latest state-specific information you need to pass the Illinois real estate broker exam. (You will need to also take the 15-hour interactive course to complete the required 75-hours of pre-licensing.)
- 75-Hour Broker Licensing with Master Exam Prep Online Package – For $489, you get the 75-hour pre-licensing course, Illinois-only state exam prep solution (online course with workbook PDF), national exam prep course (online video), real estate broker exam prep 1st edition workbook, national drill & practice QBank (online test engine), Illinois real estate drill & practice QBank, interactive study group (live webinars), and career mentor connect (live online).
- 75-Hour Broker Licensing with Master Exam Prep Hybrid Package (Home Study & Online) – For $489, You get everything in the Master Exam Prep Online package, but the 60-hour broker licensing course is in textbook form and the 15-hour broker interactive prelicensing course is an online video.
- Career Launcher Online Package (75-Credit Hours) – For $689, you get everything in the Master Exam Prep Online package plus a real estate accelerator course (online video) and live online coaching.
- Career Launcher Hybrid Package (75-Credit Hours) – For $689, you get everything in the Master Exam Perp Hybrid package plus an accelerator course (online video) and live online coaching.
All live online classes are done through Zoom; you will need to have a Zoom account and have it downloaded to attend the class.
They also offer a 60-hour home study package for $429, but you get to work at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. This choice offers text-based lessons and a PDF textbook. However, you will still need to take the 15-hour interactive course to complete the required 75-hours of pre-licensing education to become a real estate agent broker. Kaplan also offers managing broker course materials as well.
| Kaplan Pros | Kaplan Cons |
|---|---|
| Many Package Options | No Mobile App |
| #1 Name in Test Prep |
Cancellation/Refund Policy
Kaplan does offer a cancellation policy; all web-based courses, live courses, and paper-based courses need to be requested for a refund within 30 days of the date of purchase, and only if the course/class has not been completed. If you ask for a refund for a live class or paper-based course, you must return all unused materials.
Real estate accelerator courses can be canceled up to one week before the start date, and all downloadable materials are final and non-refundable.
4. Colibri Real Estate
Another highly-rated Illinois real estate school is Colibri Real Estate, formerly known as Real Estate Express, which offers everything you need. With the pre-licensing courses, test prep, continuing education courses, and more, you can become a real estate broker faster with this online school.
They also offer a pass guarantee where if a student does not pass the state license exam within 30 days of completing the exam prep course, they will reimburse the original cost of either your pre-licensing package or the exclusive exam prep you purchased. In the state of Illinois, Colibri Real Estate offers both online and live-streaming packages to help you regardless of your style of learning.
Colibri Real Estate are proud partners with Buffini & Company; they have trained more than 3 million business real estate industry experts in North America. As a result, you get exclusive access to comprehensive career coaching videos, useful insights, real-world examples of what it takes to succeed in this fast-growing industry, and a new agent starter kit with additional career tools, tips, and content.
Colibri offers five different course packages to choose from, including:
- The Basics – For $356, you will get the 75-hour pre-license course, instructor support, three real estate study guides, and career support with Buffini & Company coaching videos.
- Exam Preparation – For $470, you get everything The Basic package offers, as well as CompuCram exam prep, simulated exams, flashcards, a readiness assessment, audio review guides, and the pass or don’t pay guarantee.
- Exam Preparation Plus – For $555, you get plenty of extra benefits with this package. It gives you everything the Exam Preparation package offers, plus live & interactive instruction, exam crammer webinar series, instructor Q&A, and access to the animated video library.
- Ultimate Learning – For $670, you will get access to everything the Exam Preparation Plus package offers, along with access for one to career success tools, pro series webinars, buyers & sellers checklists, worksheets, & guides, access to the professional development library, and a printed course textbook.
- Livestream – For $649, you can access livestream classes Monday-Thursday all day and Tuesday & Thursday evenings. All live stream courses offer the pre-licensing course, local instructor expertise, scheduled classes, instructor and peer engagement, comprehensive exam prep, pass or don’t pay guarantee, visual learning videos from Sketchy, membership for professional development, and hard-copy textbooks.
| Colibri Real Estate Pros | Colibri Real Estate Cons |
|---|---|
| Many Package Options | No Mobile App |
| Livestream Courses | No Weekend Livestreams |
| Instructor Support |
Cancellation/Refund Policy
Colibri Real Estate does offer a refund policy; they back every purchase with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. For online courses, you have one week from the date of purchase to request a full refund. For the livestream courses, you must request a refund within one week of the first day the livestream courses start to get a full refund.
You can either call or email to request a refund.
5. Real Estate Institute
The Real Estate Institute has been a local Illinois real estate education provider for 30 years. Their student pass rates outperform other online real estate schools in Illinois. In addition, they have a reputation for having highly-rated instructors and great customer service, which explains why they have had over 175,000 students.
With multiple class locations in and around the Chicago area, Real Estate Institute can fit every need. In addition, they have flexible learning options such as self-study, webinars, and live classes. You can even enroll now and pay later with Affirm. They also offer a success guarantee which means that if you pass their course but fail the real estate license exam, you can retake the course for free!
Real Estate Institute has three different course packages to choose from, including:
- Flex Path – For $599, you get access to the 60-hour self-study course, online course materials for the 15 hours of interactive webinars, instructor support, the enroll now, pay later, easy financing with Affirm, weekly live Q&A webinar sessions with an instructor, and no hidden fees!
- Directed-Track – For $699, you get the option to attend via classroom at multiple locations or entirely online via live webinars, a 75-hour pre-licensing course; they have 3, 5, 6, or 8-week program options, and morning, evening, and weekend schedules are available, weekly live Q&A webinar sessions with an instructor, exam prep with over 650 practice questions and explanations, instructor support, no hidden fees, and their success guarantee.
- Fast-Track – For $699, you get everything in the Directed-Track program, but this is a 2-week course. Over the two weeks, you will attend six live all-day classes or webinars in Chicago and suburban locations.
You can even purchase two individual courses with Real Estate Institute, which are:
- 60-Hour Broker Pre-License Topics (Self-Study) – For $449, you get immediate access to the online textbook, online course work, audio supplement, and exam prep with online practice exams with over 600 practice questions and explanations.
- 15-Hour Broker Pre-License Applied Real Estate Principles – Webinar – For $250, you will attend six webinar sessions (make your own schedule and choose when you want to attend); webinars are held every week so you can finish fast, learn from some of the best instructors in the business and no hidden fees!
All of their courses expire six months after enrollment; sometimes, you can reactivate your pre-licensing course but will have to pay a fee.
| Real Estate Institute Pros | Real Estate Institute Cons |
|---|---|
| Self-Paced Option | No Refund Policy |
| Success Guarantee | Courses Expire in 6 Months |
| Financing Available |
Cancellation/Refund Policy
Real Estate Institute does not have a refund policy; all courses require pre-payment and are non-refundable.
In addition, Real Estate Institute is not responsible for any late fees, charges, or other amounts incurred by students to licensing authorities or third parties.
Course tuition and any applicable fees are subject to change without notice.
6. Real Estate School of Illinois
Real Estate School of Illinois is known as one of the most affordable online real estate schools for online education. In addition, they offer a low-price guarantee which means if you can find a lower price for the 75-hour pre-licensing course, they will beat it by 10%!
With the Real Estate School of Illinois, you can work at your pace to finish the course which is 100% online. They offer unlimited online access, dedicated customer support, course access from any internet device, instructor assistance, printable materials, progress tracking, and an education concierge.
Real Estate School of Illinois only offers one package option to choose from:
- 75-Hour Course Package – For $399, you get access to the 75-hour pre-licensing course material, audio presentations, exercises, quizzes, webinars, practice exam questions, interactive exercises, progress tracking, and 24/7 course access.
| Real Estate School of Illinois Pros | Real Estate School of Illinois Cons |
|---|---|
| Low-Price Guarantee | Only One Option |
Cancellation/Refund Policy
Real Estate School of Illinois does offer a refund to all their students with a full money-back guarantee within seven days of purchase.
7. Inland Real Estate School
As one of the top real estate schools in Illinois, Inland Real Estate School has more than four decades of experience and has helped over 12,000 students with real estate classes. In addition, they proudly provide 23+ years of education, so you can guarantee you will have everything you need to become a real estate broker in Illinois.
Not only do they offer broker pre-licensing real estate classes, but they also offer managing broker courses, post-licensing course materials, tutoring study aides, and exam prep, as well as real estate investing courses.
Inland school of real estate offers two packages with instructor presentations to help you better understand the material, mandatory reading assignments, unit exercises, quizzes, and practice exams.
They have two different package options to choose from, including:
- Home Study – For $1,025, you get 24/7 online self-study course access, a 60-hour pre-licensing course, 12 exam prep quizzes, a final pre-license test exam, a digital copy of the course book, a 15-hour live interactive course, and 30 days free online coaching instructor support.
- Live Pre-License – For $1,772, you get live or Zoom course training, a 60-hour live pre-licensing course, 12 exam prep quizzes, a final pre-license test exam, a digital copy or physical copy of the course book, a 15-hour live interactive course, 90 days free online coaching instructor support, 24/7 online self-study course access, and three months free extension to complete the course.
| Inland Real Estate School Pros | Inland Real Estate School Cons |
|---|---|
| Over Four Decades of Experience | More Expensive |
| Practice Exams | Only Two Packages |
Cancellation/Refund Policy
Inland Real Estate School does not have a refund policy. They will not refund a student as of the first day of class. No refunds will be granted for home study once materials have been mailed, picked up, or emailed to the student. No refunds on reading materials once the materials leave the office.
Inland school of real estate does have a cancellation policy. If a student needs to cancel an enrollment, the student must submit a written request for cancellation. Should the notice of cancellation be received by the school office within seven days of the start of the class, the student shall receive a refund of less than 25% of the total tuition paid and the cost of any books issued to the student.
If the written request is received by the Inland school of real estate’s office more than seven days before the start of class, the student shall be entitled to a full refund, less the cost of any books issued to the student by the school.
How to Choose the Right Illinois Real Estate School
You will need to complete the proper real estate education to become a real estate agent. You can do this from the comfort of your home with an online real estate school. However, when you start looking at the best Illinois real estate schools around, you will notice some differences in cost, schedule, reputation, and what they have to offer.
Before you decide on the right real estate school in IL for you, consider the following:
- Your Budget – Many Illinois real estate schools offer more features for a higher cost, but you want to make sure you know what you’re getting for the price. At the same time, other real estate schools offer the same features for much cheaper. So make sure to do your research before commenting to a real estate school.
- Your Schedule – With online classes, you don’t need to worry about a set schedule; the freedom to complete your real estate course material on your own timetable is great. But if you choose a live online or livestream option, you need to be able to work the set schedule into your work schedule.
- Your Learning Style – If you prefer to learn by reading independently, watching video courses, or listening to audio courses, then finding a real estate school with a self-paced program is the right choice for you. However, if you prefer a classroom setting choosing a live online course or a livestream class will better suit your style of learning.
- What They Offer – When choosing a real estate school, you want to look at all the school has to offer; pre-licensing real estate education course materials, interactive learning videos, continuing education courses, best real estate classes, state exam prep, post-licensing courses, real estate dictionary, and ways to build your real estate business.
- The School’s Reputation – Reading online reviews will help you determine which real estate school is a good option. In addition, past students will help you determine the school’s reputation through online reviews.
With these factors in mind, you can better evaluate each of the best online real estate schools in Illinois.
Frequently Asked Questions About Real Estate Schools in Illinois
How hard is the Illinois real estate broker exam?
The Illinois real estate license exam is hard, with only 43% of first-time test takers passing the national portion of the exam. While the exam may be challenging, thorough preparation and studying using available resources can help increase your chances of passing on the first attempt.
Illinois Real Estate Broker Exam Pass Rates
Getting your real estate license in Illinois isn’t easy, and many test takers fail their first attempt. However, we recommend checking out The CE Shop; they have a national real estate exam pass rate of an impressive 90%!
How long are the pre-licensing courses with Illinois real estate schools?
You will need to complete 75-hours of pre-licensing coursework. The total 75-hours are divided into two parts; a 60-hour topics course and a 15-hour applied principles course.
How long will it take me to complete the courses for my Illinois real estate broker license?
While some real estate schools in Illinois offer an online course to finish in just two weeks, most students take three to four months. In addition, before you can get your license, you will need to pass the exam and have a background check done.
What will I need to pay to get my Illinois real estate license?
You will pay a $58 broker exam fee and a $125 broker license application fee. These are the fixed costs. You will also need to pay for pre-licensing education, which can vary depending on which real estate school you choose.
What are the basic requirements to get my real estate license in Illinois?
You must be at least 18 years of age with a high school diploma or GED. It’s also necessary to complete the pre-licensing coursework and pass the Illinois real estate broker licensing exam. A managing broker must also sponsor you.
Do I have to take continuing education courses?
During your license renewal every two years, you must complete continuing education. The requirements for brokers in IL depend on the experience of the broker.
| First Renewal | Second Renewal | Subsequent Renewals |
|---|---|---|
| 45-hours of post-licensing courses | 45-hours of post-licensing courses | 12-hours of CE, which must include 4-hours of core courses and 8-hours of elective courses. |
| Includes 1 hour sexual harassment prevention course | Includes 1 hour sexual harassment prevention course | 1 hour sexual harassment prevention course. It can be one of the 8 hour electives. |
What exam prep courses are available in Illinois?
Illinois real estate schools offer many different exam prep courses to choose from; many are bundled with their pre-licensing course materials. Some top choices are Exam Prep Edge, CompuCram, and PrepAgent.
Illinois Real Estate License - The CE Shop
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Getting your real estate license in Illinois can be done online. You can choose from any of Illinois’ best online real estate schools and complete the work from home. Of course, there are in-person and live online options, too. Choose the school that best fits your learning style and start working towards your new real estate career today.
