4 Best Real Estate Schools in Oregon (2023 Updated!)

There’s no doubt about it. Oregon real estate is hot, hot, hot.

According to the latest statistics, 19,614 Oregon homes sold in the second quarter of 2021 yielding a 37% increase over the second quarter of 2020. There was also a 59% increase from the first quarter figure.

Several markets in the state are doing well, but the largest increase is in the Portland metro area. In fact, the only county that didn’t see an increase is Tillamook which is a very small market.

If you’re looking to get in on this, it’s important to know that a successful career path starts with your real estate education. That’s why getting inside knowledge from industry experts is crucial when deciding where to get your real estate license in Oregon. In fact, making the right choice for your real estate school is one of the most important choices a new agent can make!

Our in-house real estate experts spent hundreds of hours researching, scoring, and ranking the top Oregon real estate schools.  Our experts also took into account the ratings and reviews from thousands of Agent Advice agents who have taken the courses themselves.

We’ve ranked and rated each school on 8 different factors to come up with the very best real estate schools in Oregon. Our full guide on how we rank courses is available here, but the short version of factors considered are: 

1. Course value
2. How easy the courses were to navigate
3. If there were any technical glitches
4. Return policies
5. Overall performance of each school as a whole
6. Reviews directly from agents who’ve attended the school

There are dozens of options (some of them not so great!), so we’ve taken the work off your plate by narrowing down the list to only the ones that scored high enough. Whether you’re dedicating yourself full time to your new career, are looking to fly through the courses quickly to get them over with, or are busy and looking to work through them when you have downtime, here is a list of the best online real estate schools in Oregon you should consider.

1. The CE Shop
2. OnlineEd
3. Kaplan Real Estate Education
4. Mbition
5. Train Agents Online

Quick Compare 

The CE Shop

Editor’s Score: A+

The CE Shop is one of the top names in online real estate education. They provide classes in most states in the U.S. These include pre-licensing, exam prep, post-licensing, continuing education and licensing upgrade courses.

The school offers an expert staff. They are devoted to constantly improving their services. They operate on a group of core values which includes being customer focused, respecting each other, doing what they say, a commitment to improving, giving back and having fun.

Get Current Pricing 

Study Courses

The CE Shop offers a variety of study courses to Oregon students. These include the following:

• Courses Only: Courses only offers 150 hours of Oregon pre-licensing education.
• Standard Package: The Standard Package comes with the 150 hours of Oregon pre-licensing as well as Exam Prep Edge and a pass guarantee.
• Value Package: The Value Package comes with the same curriculum as the Standard Package as well as Building Business Courses.
• Premium Package: The Premium Package has all the features of the Value Package and also includes a 30 hour OR Post Licensing Package.

All the courses come with business eBooks written by experts, career resources, downloadable resources, digital flashcards, a real estate glossary and a study schedule.

 

Pass Rates

The CE Shop has a 91% national pass rate. 75% of students pass on their first attempt, 12% pass on their second attempt and 4% pass on their third attempt.

There is no information available on pass rates for Oregon specifically.

Reviews

The CE Shop tends to rank highly in customer reviews.

Students who liked the course said that the curriculum was easy to follow and understand. They said the practice questions and exam and study sheets were helpful in providing the information they needed to pass the course. They said a wide range of topics were covered providing a well-rounded foundation for their real estate careers.

Those that were not happy with the course said the curriculum was convoluted and complicated. They said the exam questions aren’t answered in the lesson material. They also mentioned that they had trouble getting the support they needed.

Best Things About the School

The CE Shop has a great reputation in the industry. Here are some of the best things about the school.

• Wide Variety of Study Courses: The CE Shop has four different study courses available for students making for a customizable experience.
• Reasonably Priced: At the time this article was written, The CE Shop’s courses ranged from $257 to $407 making them competitively priced as compared to other real estate schools.
• Additional Resources Available: The courses come with additional resources including eBooks, career guidance materials, digital flashcards and more.
• High Pass Rates: The CE Shop boasts a 91% pass rate which is exceptionally high.
• Good Curriculum: The school offers a good curriculum that’s backed by the fact that it’s ARELLO certified.
• Fair Cancellation Policy: The CE Shop has a fair refund policy in place.

Downsides

Now let’s look at a few areas where the school could use improvement.

• No One Off Classes for Oregon Students: The CE Shop typically offers one off classes for students that are separate from the packages. Unfortunately, no such option is offered for Oregon students.
• No Live Options: The school offers online classes only. Students can not take in-person or livestream courses. This may make the curriculum difficult for those that aren’t self-motivated.
• Limited Pass Guarantee: Even though a pass guarantee is in place, it is limited to students that purchased the Exam Prep Edge and scored 80% or above on topic exams.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

Students may receive refunds for classes as long as the request is made within 30 days of the purchase date and the course is no more than 50% complete. They may also get a refund for a standalone Exam Prep Edge as long as the request is made within 30 days or purchase and the initial assessment has not been completed.

Pass Guarantee

The CE Shop offers a pass guarantee for students that are enrolled in the Exam Prep Edge whether it’s part of a course package or purchased as a standalone product. Students may be refunded the full value of the course if they got a score of 80% or higher on all topic exams.

The CE Shop Pros	The CE Shop Cons
Carry out the courses at your own pace, so you don’t feel overly pressured	System often has technical issues
Knowledgeable instructors who are willing to work closely with students	Customer service is less than perfect
Well-designed courses that offer an interesting spin on the classwork	State portion of course is outdated

Learn More 

OnlineEd

Editor’s Score: A-

OnlineEd has been providing real estate courses since 1998. The Oregon-based institution offers a variety of pre-licensing and continuing education classes. You are not required to get special software to take the courses. All the material is online so you can started right away.

The courses are created exclusively for an online experience. The unique content is written by experienced industry professionals. It is not retailed or repackaged material from other vendors.

The school has been approved by NMLS since 2009. The courses have sold all over the nation every year since.

Get Current Pricing

The Oregon chapter of OnlineEd offers a variety of real estate courses including the following:

• Get a License
• Renew a License
• Become a Principal Broker
• Become a Property Manager
• Career Enhancement Courses

Pre-licensing: The pre-license course provides the full 150 hours required to earn an Oregon real estate license. It offers the following:

• Practice tests
• Online flashcards
• Test simulator
• PDF & EPUB eBook
• Mobile friendly proactive instructor
• Printable certificate

The course is $359 but you can also get optional add-ons for:

• Textbooks
• Exam prep textbook
• Earth advantage broker accreditation course
• Read along audio MP3
• Oregon broker advanced practice courses

Continuing Education: The school also offers a continuing education course for those looking to renew their license. It offers the 30 hours required and comes with everything you need for the renewal process.

However, it is not for first time renewal. Those renewing their license for the first time will need to take Oregon broker advanced practice courses which are available as an add on with the initial course.

The continuing education package comes with:

• Online audio
• Law & Rule course
• PDF & EPUB eBook
• Mobile friendly
• Printable certificate

It costs $119.

The Principal Broker Pre-License Course Brokerage Administration and Sale Supervision (BASS) with Exam Prep: This 40-hour class has everything trainees need to know about running a brokerage. It comes with:

• Practice tests
• PDF & EPUB eBook
• Printable certificate
• Exam prep book
• Price match guarantee

It costs $499. Additional add-ons include a textbook and First Renewal CE.

Become a Property Manager: The Oregon Property Manager Pre-license Training Package is a 60 hour course approved by the Oregon Real Estate Agency. It includes:

• Practice tests
• A printable certificate
• PDF & EPUB eBook
• Price match guarantee

The course costs $465. Additional add-ons include a textbook and First Renewal CE.

Career Enhancement Courses: The OnlineEd Oregon chapter offers many career enhancement courses that educate agents about real estate issues, business and technology and real estate issues. You also earn private designations and/or become a transaction coordinator.

Oregon career enhancement courses include:

• Earth Advantage Broker Accreditation: This course allows you to become an Earth Advantage Broker so you can meet consumer demands for healthier, more durable, energy-efficient homes.
• Oregon Transaction Coordination Bundle: This course teaches you to become better experienced with becoming a neutral transaction coordinator.
• Accredited Luxury Home Specialist: Learn how to sell luxury properties to high-end clients.

Pros:

• Wide variety of courses
• Affordable prices
• Provides property management and broker courses which are not available for other states
• Affordably priced
• Price match guarantee available with many courses.

Cons:

• Add-ons cost an additional fee and may be included in other school courses without the added charge

Learn More

Kaplan Real Estate Education

Editor’s Score: C+

The Kaplan Real Estate school is designed to help busy students fit education into their hectic schedules. They provide a variety of formats for courses that include pre-licensing and continuing education. These include on demand, live online and textbook home study classes.

The school advertises itself as being the number one real estate school in Oregon. They offer services that will guide you through your career from getting your license to your subsequent renewals. They have worked with thousands of students assisting them in launching their careers, navigating their education and finding courses that will help them excel as real estate agents.

Study Courses

Kaplan offers two study courses for their pre-licensing students. These are as follows:

The Real Estate Study Package

This package includes the following:

• The Language of Real Estate MP3, a mobile friendly bestselling audio book that helps you learn and practice industry terms.
• The Language of Real Estate book which provides an encyclopedia like approach to thousands of real estate practices, terms and concepts. It is a 40^th anniversary edition so it’s updated with the latest in real estate laws. It provides beginners with pre-licensing education, and it can help seasoned professionals learn about in-depth topics.
• Modern Real Estate Practice Flashcards: Students will receive over 700 flashcards that provide a comprehensive review of key concepts covered in Modern Real Estate Practice.

National PSI Real Estate Drill and Q Bank

This online package allows you to test yourself on an interactive testing platform. The QBank allows you to simulate various test environments from licensing exams to custom quizzes. The explanations help you learn from your own mistakes.

Features include:

• A Performance Tracker that lets you pinpoint problem areas.
• Access to your QBank from anywhere at any time
• Customizable exams broken down by topics and subtopics
• Simulated licensing exams.
• Answer explanations

Pass Rates

Kaplan has a 76% pass rate. That means students that take the course have a good chance of passing the real estate exam.

Reviews

Kaplan has gotten mostly positive student reviews.

Students that liked the class said it helped them pass the first time they took the exam. They said the instructors were excellent and they got terrific customer service. They said the Quiz Banks were an excellent resource and a worthwhile investment.

Those who were not happy with the school said the curriculum did not provide them with the information required for the test. They mentioned that they needed to put in a lot of reading and studying because the courses themselves were not comprehensive enough. They also had difficulty with customer service.

Best Things About the School

Kaplan is a well-known leader in online education. Here are some of the best things about their real estate school.

• Inexpensive: At the time this article was written, the home study class was just $49, and the online class was $79 making for an unbelievable value when it comes to pre-licensing education.
• High Pass Rates: 76% is a very good pass rate for the school.
• Online Course Points Out Problem Areas: The online course has customizable features that allow you to target problem areas.
• Online Course is Mobile Friendly: The online course is accessible from anywhere making it easy to fit pre-licensing education into your busy schedule.

Downsides

Now here are some areas where the school could use improvement

• Home Study Course is Not Interactive Enough: The home study course lacks interactive features which is difficult for students who are not self-motivated. It also does not seem targeted in helping students pass the exam.
• Online Course is Not Comprehensive: The online course seems like a better option than the home study course, but it also does not seem targeted enough and the reduced price is concerning considering you get what you pay for.
• No Live Courses Offered: Most students who gave Kaplan a positive review did so because they liked their teachers. However, the school only offers online and home study courses to Oregon students which may be subpar compared to an in-person or livestream option.
• No Pass Guarantee for Oregon Students: The school’s pass guarantee only applies to students that take the live or live online courses. Therefore, Oregon students aren’t eligible.

Cancellation Policy

Students who wish to cancel a web-based course will be eligible for a refund if the request is made within 30 days of purchase and the course has not been completed. Associated shipping charges are nonrefundable.

Students who wish to cancel a live class will be eligible for a refund if the request is made within 30 days of purchase and the course has not been completed. They must also return all course materials in like new condition.

Students may also transfer classes for free up to four times. After that, they will be charged a $20 transfer fee.

There is no information on returns for the home study course, but it can be assumed that students will only be eligible if they can return the products in like new condition.

Pass Guarantee

If you take Kaplan’s course and do not pass the test, you may retake the course for free as long as you enroll in the second course within six months of the original purchase date. The pass guarantee applies only to students that take the live or online classes and is, therefore, not valid for Oregon students.

Kaplan Pros	Kaplan Cons
High pass rates	Limited course offerings
Online and home study courses are flexible and easy to schedule around	No pass guarantee for Oregon students
Online course is mobile friendly and customizable	Limited interactivity in courses

As a side note, while Kaplan may be a good school in some respects, it provides limited features to Oregon students.

 

Mbition

Editor’s Score: C+

Mbition advertises itself as a nationally recognized provider of real estate, appraisal and home inspection training. It offers services in most states in the U.S. It connects students with the solutions they need at any stage of their career.

The school offers premium content that is engaging and designed to fit a variety of learning styles. The curriculum is compliant with national and state requirements. It has a reliable customer service team and instructors with over 50 years of combined experience in the industry.

Study Courses

Mbition offers two different pre-licensing courses for students. These include the following:

Oregon Real Estate Exam Prep: State and National: This course includes a Question Bank with over 1000 questions covering all exam skills and offering insight and task explanations. It has a testing mode that mimics a real test atmosphere with a clock, a feedback report and questions gleaned from a large testing pool. It also has feedback reporting that shows you areas that need review.

Oregon Master Exam Prep Package: This package has everything you need to prepare you for the real estate exam. It offers complete exam prep for the national and state portions of the test with an adaptive learning technology that develops a customized study plan suited to your individual needs. It has an exam prep toolkit with flashcards that help you review important terminology, agency, contracts finance and law. It also provides valuable exam taking tips.

The school also has a bookstore that sells textbooks that serve as valuable informative resources.

Pass Rates

I could not find any information on Mbition’s pass rates.

Reviews

Mbition got positive testimonials on their web site page. Students say that the classes are quick and efficient and that the customer service is great. They say the curriculum is delivered in an easy-to-read format.

Outside of their web site, there were some complaints, specifically on the BBB (Better Business Bureau) site. A common complaint among students was that they didn’t realize that they would have limited access to the courses and that they were timed out before they got a chance to complete the curriculum. They also said the course was repetitive and longer than it needed to be.

Best Things About the School

Here are the best things about Mbition School.

• Inexpensive: At the time this was article was written, the Real Estate Exam Prep Package was $79 and the Master Exam Prep was $129 making the school an inexpensive option as compared to its competitors.
• Continuing Education Offered: The school offers a variety of continuing education courses so you can go back to further your career if you are happy with the school.
• Bookstore: The school has a bookstore where you can purchase textbooks that will help you learn about the industry.
• Webinars and Additional Resources: Mbition offers webinars and additional resources that provide insider information that can be valuable as you move forward in your career.
• Flexible: The online classes make it easy for students to fit studying into their busy schedule.

Downsides

Here are some areas where the school could use improvement.

• Limited Formats: MBition offers online courses only. There is no live option or home study option. This means the curriculum may be difficult for students who are not self-motivated.
• Negative Customer Reviews: The less than stellar customer reviews are a definite cause for concern.
• Limited Study Courses Available: With only two study courses available, students have limited options when it comes to finding a solution that works best for them.
• Pass Guarantee Only Covers the State Licensing Fee: Unlike most real estate schools that grant full refunds for students who don’t pass the exam or allow them to retake the course for free, MBition only covers the state licensing fee.

Cancellation Policy

Mbition will provide refunds for students that cancel within 7 days if the course has not been accessed. They will be granted a full refund minus a 15% administrative fee. If the request is made within 7 days and the course has been accessed, they may be charged an extra $25. The school has the right to deny any requests that don’t adhere to their cancellation policy.

Pass Guarantee

Mbition has a pass guarantee in place. Students who take the course and score at least 80% on all the exams will be refunded for the state licensing fee.

Mbition Pros	Mbition Cons
Comprehensive course content	Study packages don’t cover everything needed
Additional study materials offered	No free cancellation or refund policy

 

Also Considered:

Train Agents Online

Editor’s Score: C

Train Agents Online advertises itself as one of the best schools for online real estate certification. They offer classes to aspiring agents in Oregon, Washington and Texas. They claim their classes come with everything you need to meet the educational requirements and pass the exam.

The school is ARELLO certified, IDEC certified and certified by the State of Oregon. They offer both pre-licensing and continuing education courses. They are staffed with experienced instructors and customer service reps.

Study Courses

The school offers three study courses for Oregon students. These include:

Platinum Oregon Broker 150 Hour Package: This course is 100% online allowing students to go at their own pace. It is provided on a state-of-the-art platform. It is taught by licensed instructors. It includes extensive exam prep, a math master tutorial and all seven courses provided by the state.

Gold Oregon Broker 150 Hour Package: The Gold Course comes with everything the Platinum course offers minus the math master tutorial.

Silver Oregon Broker 150 Hour Package: The Silver Course offers everything the Gold course offers minus the exam prep.

Pass Rates

There is no information available regarding the school’s pass rates.

Reviews

Train Agents Online has gotten mixed reviews online. Students that liked the school said the course contained everything they needed to pass the exam including Oregon real estate rules, regulations and laws. The said the pre-exam feature was helpful. They appreciated the flexibility the classes offered.

Those who were not happy with the course said there was no continuity between subject matter and the curriculum was poorly put together. They said the material was presented as a slide show making for a lack of interactivity. Some also mentioned that it needed an update.

Best Things About the School

Here are some of Train Agents’ best features.

• Competitive Pricing: All courses fall between the $200 and $300 range making for competitive pricing.
• ARELLO Certified: The course is ARELLO certified so it should provide a quality curriculum.
• Flexible: The online format makes it easy for students to fit courses into their busy lives.
• Three Courses Offered: Students can pick from three class choices making for a decent amount of variety.

Downsides:

• No Live Option: The school offers online classes only. The fact that there is no live option means it may not be the best choice for students that are not self-motivated.
• Negative Students Reviews: The negative student reviews are a definite cause for concern.
• Limited Course Choices: Although three courses are offered, the curriculum is very similar.
• Limited Pass Guarantee: The school’s pass guarantee only covers the testing fees for the second attempt. They do not offer refunds or free classes for students that don’t pass.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

Train Agents will grant students a refund as long as the request is made withing 14 days of purchase and the course has not been completed. If all requirements are met, a full refund will be granted minus a $25 cancellation fee.

Pass Guarantee

The school provides a pass guarantee for students enrolled in the Platinum Package only. If these students don’t pass the exam the first time, they will pay for the second attempt.

Training Agents Online Pros	Training Agents Online Cons
Three courses offered	Negative student reviews
Affordable	No live option
Fair cancellation policy	Limited course choices
Flexible	Limited pass guarantee

Oregon real estate is on fire making now the perfect time to get in on the ground floor. The right school will help you get a jumpstart on your career.

The school’s listed above are some of Oregon’s finest, but which will be the best choice for you? Good luck making this important decision when you feel the time is right.