Wouldn’t it be nice if there was one online real estate school that had it all?
One school where you could do everything -- from getting your license to finishing your continuing education and even beyond!
We’ve got good news for you.
The CE Shop might just be what you’re looking for.
This online school has been helping real estate agents for decades, providing them with top-notch courses.
But you might be asking:
Is The CE Shop the ultimate real estate school?
Today we’ll be having a thorough look at The CE Shop including:
A TL;DR review (for the busy folks!)
An overview of the school
What we like about it (Pros)
What it lacks (Cons)
Course packaging and cost
Course format
We’ll also take a look at how The CE Shop compares with its competitors.
Are these guys the best real estate education providers?
Let’s find out!
TL;DR - Should You Choose The CE Shop?
Need to hurry along?
We got you!
Here’s a quick look at The CE Shop’s pros, cons, and key features if you don’t have time for the full review:
The CE Shop QUICK FACTS | |
PROS | KEY FEATURES |
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CONS | |
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At a glance, the pros definitely outweigh the cons, and rightfully so!
The CE Shop has so much to offer -- from affordable high-quality courses to their free extra resources.
These guys have been in the industry since 2005, they know what it takes to make thousands of successful real estate agents.
And that includes in-depth courses created by industry veterans which are now being turned into interactive lessons to cater to everyone’s learning needs.
Additionally, The CE Shop’s pre-licensing course is also available in 44(!) states. Plus, their exam prep and continuing education courses cover ALL 50 states. That’s something that not all online real estate schools can offer!
So if you’re looking for a one-stop real estate education school, this one is a strong contender.
You can check out our video review of the school here:
(Don’t forget to bookmark this page so you can read through our review once you have time!)
The CE Shop Overview
If there’s one thing you need to know about The CE Shop, it’s this:
They have it all.
No, seriously!
You’d think that’s impossible, but this online real estate school has built itself to be a one-stop shop for realtors.
They were founded in 2005 and have since crawled their way to the top to become one of the leading providers of real estate and mortgage education.
They offer real estate courses from pre-licensing to exam prep and even license upgrades.
But as its name suggests, they specialize in continuing education classes, something previous students have praised about the school.
Another thing about The CE Shop that makes it a cut above the rest is that they’re available in all 50 states.
Unlike other schools offering courses in limited states, The CE Shop can cater to a wide range of students regardless of location.
This school also boasts of high pass rates -- some of the nation’s best!
That’s proof that their interactive, gadget-friendly, and affordable courses work effectively to help a student earn their license.
All these awesome features and benefits from The CE Shop beg one question:
Are they the best online real estate school?
Let’s check out the pros and cons!
The Pros - What We Like About The CE Shop
There are a lot of things we liked about The CE Shop:
- Courses are offered in 50 states (pre-licensing in 44)
- Study at your own pace
- Interactive courses
- High pass rates
- Real estate agent resources
- Free trial and money-back guarantee
- Offers scholarships and discounts
- Swift customer support
Courses Are Offered in all 50 States
Like we mentioned earlier, these guys have got a wide range.
Whether you live in Alaska, in Maine, or in every state in between, you can find real estate courses in The CE Shop.
While their pre-licensing ones are currently available in 44 states, their continuing education courses are available in all 50 including Washington D.C.
Additionally, The CE Shop offers post-licensing courses for 25 states and license upgrades for 17 states.
They’re available everywhere!
Study at Your Own Pace
Are you the kind of person who has a lot on their plate during the daytime?
The best perk about The CE Shop courses is that they’re 100% online so you can work on them anytime, anywhere.
For busy professionals or even students, the flexibility to start and stop at any time is a luxury.
Being online means you get to schedule your studies around your busy lifestyle.
Plus, you get to leave the traffic and heavy textbooks behind.
Studying at home in the comfort of your pajamas or at a cozy cafe sounds like a good plan, right?
High Pass Rates
Unlike other online real estate schools that choose to hide theirs, The CE Shop doesn’t believe in withholding pass rates.
It’s one of their strengths after all.
They boast of one of the highest pass rates in any online real estate school in the country.
But this varies depending on the state.
For example, for their California pre-licensing courses, The CE Shop has recorded a 90% pass rate.
In New York, they’ve scored an industry-leading pass rate of 96%.
According to their statistics, 90% of students passed the national exam on the first attempt.
Those achievements are definitely something to boast about.
If you’re looking for The CE Shop’s pass rate in your state, all you have to do is visit their website and click on your state.
Interactive Courses
Bored of walls of text?
We get you.
It’s going to be a snooze fest once you’re handed a 135-hr course that’s entirely in PDF format.
You could make it fun by highlighting and taking notes but let’s admit it -- that’s not motivating at all.
Over the decades, The CE Shop has had a chance to revamp their courses.
You’ll now find animated videos, interactive images (like mini games!), and short quizzes here and there.
It’s effective in breaking any monotonous (Yawn!) block of text.
It’s also effective in helping visual learners retain information better.
Real Estate Agent Resources
One of the great things about The CE Shop is that they quite literally live up to their “one-stop shop” goal.
Their website is neatly organized to make it easily navigable for all sorts of students.
Anytime you click on a state, you’ll get quick guides on steps to get your license, FAQs, and career resources.
The CE Shop’s Agent Essentials is also proof that they’re one of the best online real estate schools out there.
Aside from offering courses, The CE Shop also has a vast library of real estate agent resources.
These include blogs, ebooks, videos, podcasts, and webinars created by their team of industry experts.
You’ll get to know more about industry news, hot topics, market resources, and literally so many more!
Each one is designed to provide students with free resources to help them grow in real estate.
Any form of help navigating the swiftly changing real estate landscape is valuable.
The CE Shop also has a Student Forum group on Facebook where you can collaborate with peers and real estate experts.
Free Trial and Money-Back Guarantee
Testing the waters?
Check out The CE Shop’s 5-day free trials for each course.
You can find it on the lower right of the banner when you click your state.
You get unlimited access to all content for five days, excluding the final exam.
The best part?
This free trial does not require a credit card until you’re ready to buy the course.
You just have to sign up and enjoy the five days.
Once you decide to go through with it, you can pay for the course and pick up where you left off.
And if you still find that The CE Shop courses are not what you’re looking for, no worries.
Their money-back guarantee makes sure you won’t waste a penny of your time and effort.
But note that you can only request the money-back guarantee within 30 days of purchase and as long as your course is less than 50% complete.
Send their customer support a message if you’ve made up your mind.
Offers Scholarships and Discounts
There are two scholarship and discount opportunities for The CE Shop, one for students and one for military veterans.
The CE Shop Give Back Scholarship is an annual grant that provides one lucky student a $1,000 scholarship fund.
To be eligible, the student has to be enrolled full-time in an accredited college/university.
Applications are closed every July of each year so if you’re planning on submitting yours, you can mark your calendar in preparation.
The CE Shop also gives military veterans a chance to save 40% off on pre-licensing courses.
This discount is for those on active duty, transitioning to civilian life, or a family of a military member.
The CE Shop also offers a military discount on home inspection courses too.
All you have to do is visit their partner American Home Inspectors Training (AHIT) to take advantage of the promo.
Swift Customer Support
The CE Shop provides three basic customer support channels: Phone, chat, and email.
Customer service representatives are ready to heed your call seven days a week.
This makes them extremely easy to reach on the off-chance you’ll have trouble with a course.
Or even if you want to ask a question or get connected with an instructor.
For a faster response time, opt for the chat option.
Students have said they’ve had the most success with this method.
Otherwise, if your concern is not urgent, you can expect The CE Shop to get back to you within 24 hours via email.
The Cons - What The CE Shop Lacks
While The CE Shop has a ton of perks and advantages, it’s not perfect.
No online real estate school is!
Here’s a few disadvantages we found:
- No mobile app
- No livestreaming option
- No pass guarantee
No Mobile App
Once you’ve signed up for a course with The CE Shop, you can access your lessons on any gadget.
However, since they don’t have a dedicated app, you still have to study through the school’s website.
Competitors like Aceable Agent has an edge on The CE Shop in this aspect.
While learning through a website is okay, an app makes for a smoother on-the-go experience.
It will let you see your progress, track it, and pick up where you left off on the lesson.
But with The CE Shop slowly turning all their courses to fit the interactive digital era, we can bet they’ve got an app in the works too.
No Livestreaming Option
They don’t have options for live instructors and webinars so brace yourself for a lot of self-studying.
We’d love it if all online real estate schools catered to all sorts of learners.
While it’s awesome to get to study at your own pace online, there are students who aren’t a good fit for self-studying.
Other schools like Allied Real Estate School offer live stream packages that let students interact with instructors and classmates.
No Pass Guarantee
While they offer a 5-day free trial and a money-back guarantee, the basic tiered packages from The CE Shop offers no pass guarantees.
If you fail the state exam, you won’t get your money back.
However, if you skip the basic package, you can actually enjoy a no pass guarantee!
This way, if you fail, The CE Shop will cover reimbursement costs for your initial licensing exam.
The CE Shop Cost and Packages
The CE Shop offer their courses in different packaging tiers.
Overall, the pricing is similar to other real estate online schools.
But there are quite a lot of useful inclusions for each course if you go for the mid-tier value package.
Here’s a quick peek at The CE Shop’s price range and inclusions for pre-licensing courses of the most populous states:
The CE Shop Online Packages | ||
State | Price | Inclusions |
135-Hr. California Salesperson Real Estate License Packages | $129-$445 |
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63-Hr. Florida Sales Associate Real Estate License Packages | $129-$349 |
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75-Hr. New York Salesperson Real Estate License Packages | $299-$549 |
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180-Hr. Texas Sales Agent Real Estate License Packages | $629-$1,029 |
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90-Hr. Washington Broker Real Estate License Packages | $299-$679 |
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*Rates as of November 2022
Those price tags might seem hefty but there’s a way to lower them:
Keep your eyes peeled for promos!
You’d be surprised how often The CE Shop offers discounts and promo codes. Like this one:
Basic tiered courses usually drop to two digits if you perfectly time your purchase.
Other than that, if you don’t have enough money to pay for the course in one go, you can take advantage of The CE Shop’s individual course offers.
This gives you the opportunity to start your studies while saving up for the next individual course package until you finish them all.
It’s a great strategy for those on a tight budget.
Aside from the usual course package inclusions, The CE Shop also gives their students access to Business Building Courses.
(A.k.a. Extra help you would need as someone new in the industry.)
These courses were made with new agents in mind to help deepen their business knowledge.
It’s going to help you hit the ground running once you get your license!
Combined with the course inclusion of business ebooks written by experts, The CE Shop definitely makes sure new real estate agents get all the support they need.
Course Format
After almost three decades of being in the industry, The CE Shop has managed to modernize its courses.
Gone are the long blocks of text and PDF which -- let’s be honest -- are prone to snooze fests.
If you’re the type of learner who thrives on interaction which allows them to retain information then The CE Shop courses are a good match.
It’s a combination of text, interactive videos, and even interactive images.
The courses also include real-life scenarios to help students prepare for the real world as much as possible.
These fun elements help ease the strain of studying for long hours on end.
Just imagine if you had to take the 135-hr California Pre-Licensing Course and all of that is just reading through a PDF!
Visual learners wouldn’t know what to do.
Additionally, The CE Shop sprinkles short quizzes here and there to help test what students are learning as they go along.
On top of that, each chapter has a Unit Exam that they have to pass before going to the next lesson.
Once you’ve successfully finished a course, The CE Shop will send you your Certificate of Completion and you can be on your merry way to booking that state licensing exam.
Course Walkthrough
To have an even better idea of what awaits you at The CE Shop, the school itself gives a sneak peek of the course.
You can check out the course walkthrough here:
Once you’re enrolled, you can access your course from the website.
From the student dashboard, you’ll be shown a Table of Contents overview and a Course Progress bar that lets you know how much time you have left on the course.
Once you’re done with a lesson, you can mark it done on the dashboard and move on to the next one.
Exams and Retaking
You can retake the course practice exams as many times as you want even after you’ve passed them.
After all, it’s good practice to familiarize yourself with questions that could appear in the state exam.
However, you won’t get unlimited tries for The CE Shop final exam, an exam you can take in the comfort of your home and with a desktop or laptop.
You should also note that online proctors are required by the state to oversee final exams.
Once you’re ready to take yours, you can schedule a proctored exam.
This has a $25 fee which is waived for North Carolina and Texas.
All the proctor has to do is watch over you online as you take the exam.
If you pass, you’ll be sent a Certificate of Completion.
But if you fail the first attempt, you can check out open schedules and options for retaking it.
What if you fail that one too?
Unfortunately, you’ll have to re-enroll for the course and complete it for a second time.
You wouldn’t want that, right?
So make sure you take notes throughout the course and study them!
Instructors
One of the best things about The CE Shop is that they make sure their students get only the best quality education.
They might be running courses for 50 states but they make sure each one is created and supported by a team of professionals.
The courses are made with real estate experts, some of which you can even reach out to if you have questions.
Although, if you need to talk to an instructor, you’d have to go through customer service first.
This request could take up to 2 days to process.
Reviews from The CE Shop Students
The CE Shop sounds like a great online real estate school, right?
That’s because it is!
But you don’t have to take our word for it.
Graduates have left sparkling reviews about their experience.
On Reviews.io, The CE Shop has a 4.8 rating from 3,538 reviews.
One graduate who gave it a five-star review said that it’s the best place to go for continuing education courses.
They said it’s a fuss-free option for real estate agents to keep up to date with their real estate education needs.
That’s where The CE Shop specializes, after all!
Over at AgentAdvice, the school earned 4.05-star rating.
Students loved the packaged programs and the discounts regularly dished out.
One student, in particular, said that these promos and discounts are a huge help since agents are “constantly spending money on courses.”
And finally, The CE Shop currently has a 4.2-star rating from 6,392 reviews at Trustpilot, the majority of which loved the school.
This student complimented how the courses were written with information broken down into consumable chunks.
But as he cautioned, students should also be aware of chapter test questions not covered in the reading but still pop up on the exam.
The overall verdict from graduates?
The CE Shop lives up to its promises.
They provide students with fuss-free access to affordable courses in formats that are easily digestible and enjoyable.
The CE Shop Alternatives
Is The CE Shop a great school?
Yes, it is.
But is it the ultimate hands down best one out there?
That’s up for debate.
They’ve got quite a number of competitors, other online real estate schools that might be a better match for students.
The CE Shop has to compete with other schools like Aceable Agent, Colibri Real Estate, and Kaplan.
While all of these are amazing schools providing quality education at reasonable price points, it could be a tricky task to pick one.
Nevertheless, let’s try, shall we?
Here’s a quick glance at the differences between these four schools based on their packages for California pre-licensing courses:
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Price range for pre-licensing in California | $129 - $449 | $179-$319 | $129 - $449 | $179-$949 |
Courses offered | Pre-licensing, Continuing Education, Post Licensing, License Upgrade, Exam Prep | Pre-licensing, Continuing Education, Post Licensing, Exam Prep | Pre-licensing, Continuing Education, Post Licensing, License Upgrade, Exam Prep | Pre-licensing, Continuing Education, Exam Prep |
Number of states pre-licensing courses are available | 44 | 14 | 40 | 50 |
Inclusions for all pre-licensing tiers | Self-paced online, free online proctoring, exam prep edge, ebooks, flashcards, and more. | Self-paced online, narrated courses, exam prep, study aid, webinars, Q&A | Self-paced online, livestream package, instructor support, exam prep, real estate PDF textbooks, exam cram, and more | Self-paced, on-demand video package, live online courses, flashcards, exam prep, and more |
*Rates as of November 2022
The price for these four schools all play around the same range but they differ in inclusions.
They’re all great for self-paced online learning but Colibri Real Estate and Kaplan Real Estate Education offer more flexible course formats.
These schools allow you to choose between studying by yourself or going for the livestream package.
Meanwhile, The CE Shop and Aceable Agent are both great at providing interactive, entertaining courses.
Let’s take a quick look at these competitors closely:
Aceable Agent
Like we said earlier, Aceable Agent is currently the standard when it comes to interactive learning.
The company was founded in 2012, smack dab in the middle of the digital era so you can expect them to have the most modern courses.
And they do.
They’ve got fun animated videos, interactive scenarios, and entertaining lessons all designed for the web and for their app.
The modern look and feel is such a welcome sight, especially if you’re working on a 135-hr course.
As for the price range, starting at $179 isn’t too bad when you put into consideration the convenience they provide.
However, note that Aceable Agent currently only offers PDF format for California.
And they’re only available in 14 states so far.
But you can be sure they’re working on expanding their course catalog.
In the meantime, check out our review and a quick walkthrough here:
Colibri Real Estate
Colibri Real Estate was a year old when The CE Shop came into the scene in 2005.
They’re both veterans in the industry, proving their courses have withstood the test of time.
Colibri Real Estate even gives its students two options: A self-paced study course or an online livestream package.
These are available for all of their courses from pre-licensing to continuing education.
And with their basic package starting at $129 for California, that’s quite a steal.
As for their courses, Colibri Real Estate features a decent mix of text and video.
But watch out, these guys know how to keep up with the ever-evolving digital landscape.
They’re currently beefing up their interactive learning videos which are available for the higher-tiered packages.
Give it a few more years and Colibri Real Estate will have its own awesome digital course.
Kaplan Real Estate Education
The awesome thing about Kaplan is that they give so many options for pre-licensing packages.
You can divide it ito three: OnDemand Online Video, Home Study, and Live Online.
Home study is pretty self-explanatory.
OnDemand Online Video includes pre-recorded lecture reviews you can watch any time while Live Online puts you in a live online class where you can interact with instructors and students.
All three include self-study materials you can follow throughout the lessons.
Honestly, Kaplan is a bit on the pricey side.
But if you consider how they create their courses in a way all types of learners can benefit from, it’s worth the price tag.
Plus, they’re available in all 50 states!
The CE Shop FAQs
What are the Requirements to Sign Up for The CE Shop?
Like with all online real estate schools, you must meet requirements before you can enroll for The CE Shop.
Admission is open to those who:
- Are at least 18 years old
- Are a US citizen or a permanent resident
- Have submitted required forms
- Have access to internet-compatible devices
- Possess base-level computer skills
If you tick all those boxes, you can go ahead and choose your state and your course on the website.
As for the actual sign-up, the steps are easy:
- Visit The CE Shop’s official website
- Select your state, course, and license type
- Select a course package (or if you want to go for the Free Trial first)
- Pay for it
And that’s it!
You can find your course in your account and start studying right away.
What’s The CE Shop’s Pass Rate?
As we mentioned earlier, The CE Shop’s pass rates are impressive.
They report a 90% national pass rate with 75% of their students passing state exams on the first attempt.
Their New York courses have a 96% pass rate with a 90% first attempt while their Texas courses have a 66.99% pass rate according to the Texas Real Estate Commission (minimum is at 48%).
If you want to take a closer look at the state-specific pass rates, you can visit their website.
What Other Courses Does The CE Shop Offer?
Aside from real estate courses, The CE Shop also offers Mortgage Loan Originator courses in all 50 states.
These 20-hr pre-licensing packages are approved by Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry (NLMS).
And just like their Agent Essentials for realtors, they also have a space on their website dedicated to Mortgage Essentials.
You’ll find lots of Mortage Career Resources like blogs and ebook recommendations -- there’s even a mortgage newsletter!
So if you want an additional side hustle aside from being a real estate agent, The CE Shop can still help you with that.
Check out a walkthrough of the MLO course here:
Final Verdict
The CE Shop is an all-around online real estate school best for students who thrive in self-study courses.
But they do have their downsides too.
Although their course format allows for interactive elements, it would’ve been even better if they offered livestream packages to go with it.
Nonetheless, The CE Shop continues to impress.
They’re available in 50 states with affordable courses you can buy which is often discounted.
They’ve got everything from pre-licensing courses, exam prep, and course upgrades to continuing education.
You can take pre-licensing courses for MLO too!
The CE Shop is constantly improving their courses to cater to everyone’s needs, especially those who need continuing education classes.
It’s great to know that an online real estate school is still putting in all the work to keep up to date with the ever-changing real estate landscape.
So if you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all your real estate needs, The CE Shop is a strong contender.