7 best real estate schools in Massachusetts for 2024

Pros:

• Free 5-Day Trial of the Massachusetts Prelicensing course
• Option to complete prelicensing education in one month
• Multistate, customized packages can be created to meet CE requirements

Cons:

• Lack of access to live instructors

Course Formats: Live streaming and online self-paced.

Course Access: Six months from the date of enrollment.

Money Back Guarantee: With the CE Shop’s “Money Back Guarantee,” you can request your money back within 30 days of purchase, as long as the course is not more than 50% complete.

Student Support: Support is available seven days a week via chat, email, and phone.

Exam Prep: The CE Shop offers comprehensive, interactive Exam Prep classes to better prepare you for the licensing exam as part of the CE Standard, Value, and Premium packages. Packages include an assessment to gauge student’s competencies for each topic before beginning the prep course. Exam Prep can also be purchased as stand-alone packages (see options listed below).

Pros:

• Self-paced options idea for students who are balancing school, work, and family demands
• Next-gen student dashboard allows students to track their progress
• Unlimited practice tests are part of Exam Prep packages

Cons:

• Online and livestream classes cannot be mixed and matched. Each class must be completed in the format it was started

Course Formats: Self-paced online courses.

Course Access: Six months from your registration date in most cases. The Prelicensing Ultimate Learning package offers one-year access.

Pass Guarantee: Colibri’s Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee is available with all packages, with the exception of the Prelicensing Basic package. If students don’t pass the Massachusetts real estate license exam within 30 days of completing the course’s exam prep, Colibri will reimburse the original cost.

Student Support & Engagement: Expert local instructors are available to share their real-world insight. Additionally, Colibri’s courses have recently been upgraded with hundreds of new visual learning objects and videos, as well as streamlined course navigation, created to improve learning engagement and retention. And Exam Prep Plus includes 40 hours a month of Live Q&A with local instructors for a personal, guided approach.

Exam Prep: The Basic Prelicensing package features three e-books and a course manual designed to help you retain essential real estate concepts and prepare for the state exam.

And the Ultimate, Exam Prep, and Exam Prep Live Prelicensing packages include six 1-hour, instructor-led webinars that provide a hyper-focused approach to exam prep.

Pros:

• Access to a real estate job board helps you jumpstart your career
• Course software makes it easy to study part or full time, automatically tracking progress and requirements
• Mix and match options let you combine live online and archived classes to complete the program in under two weeks
• Self-paced

Cons:

• Exam prep packages are not available

Course Formats: Take self-paced online courses on your computer, phone, or tablet.

Course Access: You have from six months to one year of course access, depending on the package you purchase. And every required class topic is available both live and on demand.

Pass Guarantee: Freedom Trail will refund your purchase under the Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee within 30 days of your request if you purchase the Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee access, score higher than 85% on all sections of online practice exams, and take your licensing exam within 90 days of course completion. The guarantee only applies to first-time exam takers and is not available as part of Base or Ridgeline Prelicensing packages.

Student Support & Engagement: Regularly scheduled, interactive live online classes are taught by Massachusetts-licensed real estate instructors who are available to answer questions, much like an in-person class. You can also participate in class discussions with both your instructor and your classmates.

Reciprocal Licensing: You can get your Connecticut and / or Rhode Island license with any Massachusetts prelicensing class. Once you’ve taken the Massachusetts real estate classes and passed the licensing exam, you can apply to the Rhode Island Real Estate Commission for a Rhode Island real estate license and the Connecticut Real Estate Commission for a Connecticut real estate license. Since you’ll already have your Massachusetts license, you’ll receive your CT and RI license automatically.

Pros:

• Discounts available for military, first responders, and nurses
• HI-Def video classes that are mobile and tablet compatible
• Unlimited access to course review for up to two years from registration date

Cons:

• Online students only have 90 days from the registration date to complete the course

Course Formats: In-person and online classes. Self-paced or livestream, online classes can be attended via your computer or smartphone.

Course Access: Online students have 90 days from the registration date to complete each course. If a student needs more time, AREA will extend the time by 90 more days at no charge. In-person students must complete their live course within the scheduled dates. Unlimited access to course review is available for up to two years from the date of registration.

Refund Policy: AREA’s online course students may be eligible for a full refund, minus a $25 cancellation fee, if you withdraw from a course before attending the class within 90 days of registration. Live, in-person students may also be eligible for a full refund, minus a $25 cancellation fee, if you cancel the course up to 48 hours before the scheduled first day of class. If you’ve already started your course, you are not eligible for a refund.

Student Support & Engagement: Experienced instructors are available via phone during normal business hours. You can also email the instructors, who will respond to your inquiry within 24 hours.

Exam Prep: AREA’s Real Estate Drill and Practice QBank offers comprehensive review of every topic students need to know for the licensing exam. QBank features custom quizzes that concentrate on your problem areas, as identified by the performance tracker.

Final Exam: After students finish the prelicensing real estate class, AREA provides the education certificate necessary for the real estate exam, as well as instructions and paperwork for the state exam. You’ll have two years from the date you complete your class to take and pass the Massachusetts real estate exam.

Pros:

• Provides students with career assistance
• Offers one-on-one coaching and training

Cons:

• Website is not easy to navigate
• Textbooks not included

Course Formats: Online live streaming and virtual classes.

Course Access: 60 days to complete courses.

Refund Policy: While the Lee Institute does not offer a pass guarantee, the school can refund a student within seven business days from your registration date if you send an email canceling your registration and requesting a refund, and you have not logged onto and/or begun the online course.

Student Support & Engagement: Should you have any comments or questions, the Lee Institute staff is available via email, phone, or 24-hour live chat. Technical support is available during normal business hours via a submission form.

Exam Prep: The Lee Institute’s exam tutorials help both the salesperson and broker prepare for the licensing exams. Students who access the online practice exam questions will also find support from a team of experts.

Pros:

• Mix and match morning, evening, and Saturday online sessions to fit your schedule
• Closed caption course options in Chinese, English, Portuguese, and Spanish for live and online licensing classes
• The 40-hour courses have two parts and can be completed in any order

Cons:

• There is only one prelicensing real estate agent course offered
• School is lacking 24/7 or live chat customer support

Course Formats: Live and on-demand classes.

Course Access: 180 days from the date of registration to complete your 40-hour course.

Course Guarantee: With New England Academy’s Prelicensing Course Guarantee, you may retake your class for free within 12 months of your course completion date if you don’t pass the Massachusetts Real Estate exam the first time.

Student Support & Engagement: Real-life instructors are available to answer any questions, Monday through Friday, via email. During the week, you can also contact the Student Concierge team by phone. General support is available daily via phone, email, or chat.

New England’s instructors are available to answer questions, provide support on technology and course materials, or address application/exam concerns. They can be reached by phone or email, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 4PM.

Exam Prep: Designed to refresh your memory and prepare you to take the Massachusetts real estate exam, the License Exam Review Course features over 12 hours of video recapping the most critical licensing topics from your real estate license course. It also includes 535 quiz questions, as well as access to the videos and quiz questions for up to three months.

Reciprocal Licensing: If you have dual licenses in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, you can save time with the 15-hour MA & NH Combined CE Package, which includes courses designed to satisfy both states’ CE requirements. After the class, you will receive the certificate for each state to renew both states’ licenses. The MA & NH package includes required Core Course, Buyer Agency, Financing, Disclosures / Seller Due Diligence, 1031 Exchanges, Code of Ethics, and Conducting Open Houses and Developing a Safety Plan.

Pros:

• Affordable and engaging courses
• Ideal for those who need to get their prelicensing requirement fast

Cons:

• Few prelicensing packages to choose from and no exam prep or broker pre-licensing packages offered
• Classes are on a set schedule, not self-paced

Course Formats: Online, live courses via Zoom.

Course Access: While the live online courses themselves must be taken on set days / times, access to the online educational video library ranges from six to 12 months, depending on the package you purchase. Additionally, you can access the class recordings for a full year after class.

Reimbursement Policy: If you get hired by Metropolitan’s partner brokerage, you might be eligible for a full tuition reimbursement.

Student Support: If you have questions or comments, support is available daily via phone, email, or form submission.

Exam Prep: Based on a robust understanding of the licensing exam and how to approach, take, and pass it, Metropolitan’s exam prep includes a powerpoint presentation, study book, and 30+ hours of online videos as bonus material.