7 best real estate schools in North Carolina (NC) for 2024

All AceableAgent’s prelicensing classes meet North Carolina’s 75-hour prelicensing requirement..

Pros:

• New virtual instructor feature provides answers and detailed explanations about content and concepts 24/7 (Available in Deluxe and Premium packages only).
• Courses are self-paced so you can plan your education around your schedule.

Cons:

• No NC post-licensing or CE courses are offered.

Course Formats: Self-paced online.

Course Access: 180 days from starting the course to successfully complete the Mobile App course and/or online course.

Ace or Don’t Pay Guarantee: If you don’t pass the licensing exam after three attempts, AceableAgent will refund your money.

Student Support & Engagement: Prelicensing course instructors can be reached by email anytime. During the week, you can also contact the Student Concierge team by phone. And the new virtual instructor is available 24/7 to answer your course questions and explain key concepts.

Exam Prep: The Basic Prelicensing package features Lite Exam Prep, including 1,000 unique Real Estate Exam practice test questions. The Deluxe and Premium packages include 1,660+ additional practice exam questions aligned with the state and national portions of the North Carolina real estate exam.

Final Exam: For the North Carolina real estate prelicensing course, there are two different types of exams that must be passed. The first is a level assessments’ section recap to ensure that you understand the material. Each level assessment must be passed prior to moving on to the following section or retaken until you pass. The second is the final course exam, which covers everything learned in the 75-hour North Carolina real estate course. To complete the course and apply for your North Carolina real estate license, you must pass this exam before sitting the NC state exam.

All of The CE Shop’s prelicensing classes meet North Carolina’s 75-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet NC’s 90-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed within the first 18 months of licensure.

Pros:

• Free 5-day trial of the NC Salesperson Prelicensing courses.
• Treated like a 40-hour work week, your education can be completed in as little as two weeks.

Cons:

• ​​​​Lack of access to live instructors.

Course Formats: Online interactive.

Course Access: Six months from the date of purchase.

Pass Guarantee: With the CE Shop’s “Pass Guarantee,” prelicensing students can request a reimbursement of the cost of the initial licensing exam if a retake is required.

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

Exam Prep: The CE Shop’s Exam Prep Edge courses include an initial assessment, after which the school’s interactive dashboard guides you through each topic while gauging your competency. The course also prepares students for the licensing exam through unlimited practice tests with unique questions.

Final Exam: The state of North Carolina requires that the final course exam be proctored. Prelicensing final exams must be passed with a minimum of 80%.

All Carolina School of Real Estate’s prelicensing classes meet North Carolina’s 75-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet NC’s 90-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed within the first 18 months of licensure.

Pros:

• If you fail the self-paced prelicensing final exam, you may take the course again at no charge.
• Weekend and evening courses are available.

Cons:

• The self-paced prelicensing course is a read-only course. There are no videos or virtual instructors.

Course Formats: In-person or livestream.

Course Access: All courses must be completed within 180 days from registration.

Refund Policy: A non-refundable $100 deposit is required with registration. The deposit is, however, returned if the class is canceled or postponed. If a student transfers to another scheduled class, you may receive credit for the $100 deposit.

Student Support & Engagement: Support is available via phone during normal business hours. Students can also submit a form requesting help or asking questions.

Final Exam: The self-paced prelicensing final exam consists of 112 questions taken online and will be monitored using an online proctor. The post-licensing final exam consists of 40 questions taken online and will also be monitored using an online proctor.

All Kaplan’s prelicensing classes meet North Carolina’s 75-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet NC’s 90-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed within the first 18 months of licensure.

Pros:

• Tuition fee includes exam prep course.
• Kaplan’s online video courses let you stop, start, and resume your courses as needed.

Cons:

• You must have Zoom downloaded and installed on your computer/ laptop for Live Online classes.

Course Formats: Live online or online video courses.

Course Access: Per the North Carolina Real Estate Commission Rule, all students taking an asynchronous online video course have six months from the date of purchase to complete their course.

Pass Guarantee or Refund Policy: Kaplan offers online students a full tuition refund within 30 days of purchase, but only if the class has not been completed.

Student Support & Engagement: Student or Technical Support staff are available to answer any questions via phone during business hours. General support is also available via email or live chat.

Exam Prep: Kaplan offers comprehensive, instructor-led North Carolina broker exam prep courses delivered in both live online and online video formats. When you enroll in one of the North Carolina prelicensing online video courses, you receive free enrollment in the real estate exam prep course.

Final Exam: All students taking a synchronous live online class must complete their course and pass the proctored end-of-course final exam within 23 days of the last day of class. According to North Carolina Real Estate Commission rules, course extensions cannot be granted.

All Superior’s prelicensing classes meet North Carolina’s 75-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet North Carolina’s 90-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed within the first 18 months of licensure.

Pros:

• A Free Career Starter Kit is available.
• Virtual Career Nights are offered.

Cons:

• Course is paced at a learning level that the school sets, so you may have to sit through additional class hours even after you take and pass the quiz

Course Formats: Self-paced online courses or live classes.

Course Access: Per North Carolina Real Estate Commission rules, you must complete your course, including passing the proctored end-of-course exam, within 180 days of enrollment.

Pass Guarantee or Refund Policy: Students who take the school’s CompuCram® North Carolina Exam Prep and don’t pass the exam on the first try are eligible for a refund of the original price of the CompuCram purchase.

Student Support: With Classroom & Livestream Packages, you can engage with instructors and other real estate students through Q&A sessions. Support is also available by chat and phone during normal business hours.

Exam Prep: Superior offers a suite of North Carolina exam prep tools, from all-in-one solutions like CompuCram to an intensive eight-hour livestream crammer course. Exam prep includes practice tests, simulated exams, exam vocab, a livestream prep course led by area instructors, and a Readiness Indicator to track your progress.

Final Exam: The free, online final exam must be taken by the designated date and will be monitored using an online proctor.

FastPass Learning’s prelicensing classes meet North Carolina’s 75-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet North Carolina’s 90-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed within the first 18 months of licensure.

Pros:

• Complete courses using your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
• Free trial of prelicensing courses available.

Cons:

• Course selections are limited.
• For post-licensing courses, textbook is not included in the tuition.

Course Formats: Online video

Course Access: All courses expire six months after the date of enrollment. In some cases, expired prelicensing course enrollments may be extended for a fee.

Refund Policy: FastPast Learning’s Premium Prelicensing package includes a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.

Student Support: Students that enroll in the Prelicensing Premium class receive instructor support seven days/week. For general support, the FastPass team is available via submission form, email, or phone during normal business hours.

Exam Prep: FastPass Learning’s practice exam package is meant to prepare you for the North Carolina real estate licensing exam with exam simulations and an intuitive exam prep to help improve your score on topics that are difficult for you.

Final Exam: North Carolina regulations require that you take a proctored final exam after completing your course

Sea Coast Real Estate Academy’s prelicensing classes meet North Carolina’s 75-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet NC’s 90-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed within the first 18 months of licensure.

Pros:

• Real estate education can be gifted to aspiring agents by purchasing credits.
• Free exam prep review sessions available.

Cons:

• No post-licensing packages available. Each post-licensing class has to be purchased separately.

Course Formats: Online, self-paced.

Course Access: All prelicensing courses must be completed within 180 days of registration. This timeframe includes the final exam and retake exam.

Refund Policy: A student who withdraws from the broker prelicensing or a post-licensing course can choose from receiving a full refund or transfering to a different class before the first class. No refunds will be made on or after the first class.

Student Support: If you need to speak to someone over the phone, you can leave a voicemail that the school’s admin will return during normal business hours. Support is also available via email.

Exam Prep: Sea Coast’s Broker Exam Review is an online class offered via Zoom on designated dates/ times. It includes three hours of exam review and one hour of Q & A.

Final Exam: The prelicensing course includes a 112-question final exam. The exam must be taken online and will be monitored using an online proctor.