5 Best Online Real Estate Schools in Virginia for 2023 (Updated!)

Undoubtedly, Aceable’s course stands out as the most effective real estate course in Virginia. If you are seeking a course that will keep you engaged and motivated, this is the one to choose. With top-notch test prep included in your purchase, it also provides the best chance of passing the real estate exam.

Although Aceable’s course is slightly more expensive than others on the market, it is unquestionably worth the investment. Their high pass rates and customer satisfaction scores are just a few of the reasons why Aceable is the best overall real estate school in Virginia. Additionally, there is currently a significant sale, making it an even more attractive option.

Unlike other online real estate courses, even the cheapest package from Aceable will get the job done, but I recommend upgrading to the Deluxe package for the added confidence it provides. The premium study aids are incredibly helpful!

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Convenience: Rated 4.7 out of 5. The course’s overall format initially caught my attention. The natural pauses built into the course are incredibly helpful for study breaks, and the interactive games, infographics, and videos provided an engaging learning experience. This is great for visual learners. The in-course audio feature is also a game-changer, providing narration to guide you through your lessons if you prefer auditory learning. On top of that, the mobile app allows you to study at your own pace from anywhere, making it easy to fit into your busy schedule.

Pass Rate: Rated 4.8 out of 5. Aceable boasts an 91% pass rate for Virginia students, which is actually impressive, considering that many other schools have pass rates in the ~70% range. In fact, all of the schools on our list are about the state average. Pass rates are also one of the most important factors to consider when selecting a real estate course, and Aceable’s study aids and practice exams are significant contributors to this high success rate. You have access to premium study aids that come with 1,660+ additional practice exam questions. That’s more than most other schools.

Course Duration: Rated 4.6 out of 5. The Virginia real estate course takes only 60 classroom hours to complete, but Aceable’s extension policy is fair. If you do not finish the course in its entirety in the first year, you can pay $49 to extend your course access for another 6 months. However, most students finish in around 3-6 weeks, so this is not a significant issue. It’s nice to have this security blanket though if you do happen to run into an issue or get caught up on a lesson plan. Things come up, and this is a pretty cheap way to ensure that you still have time to finish your course before it expires.

Support: Rated 4.7 out of 5. Aceable’s customer support team is unmatched. They are quick to respond to any issues and have knowledgeable employees who are familiar with the school’s policies and Virginia’s licensing requirements. Live chat support is also available, allowing you to troubleshoot any glitches in real-time. Additionally, all of Aceable’s tech support is based in the US, so language barriers are not a concern. The only downside is that support is not available on weekends, so you may have to wait until Monday for assistance.

Refund Policy: Rated 4.5 out of 5. Aceable offers a 30-day refund policy, as long as you have not finished your course. This is standard in the industry, and other providers like The CE Shop and Colibri offer similar policies. However, Aceable’s Ace or “Don’t Pay” Guarantee is a unique insurance policy that ensures you don’t waste money if you do not pass the test on your first try. Other providers either do not offer this feature or charge an additional fee to include it.

Overall Value & Recommended Package: I highly recommend taking Aceable’s Virginia pre-licensing course. For those just starting out, I suggest looking into the Deluxe package, which provides excellent value with 75 videos and audio lessons, and additional practice test questions. You can also finance your course purchase, which is a unique option. You can choose between small monthly payments or four installments, making it a great option if you are concerned about paying the full amount upfront.

The CE Shop’s course is simple to understand and one of the easiest options available in Virginia. If you’re unsure about committing, they offer a five-day free trial and a very accommodating return policy.

Although it’s slightly more expensive than RealEstateU, it’s definitely worth the extra cost for the high-quality content and user-friendly mobile app. Another plus is that there are various package options to choose from.

Plus, this is one of the courses available for our Tuition Reimbursement program, which is a big help. All you have to do is attend at least 1 interview with one of our recruiters after passing the state exam & before joining another brokerage, and we’ll reimburse you for the entire cost of the course that you purchase from us.

While the basic package is adequate, the “Premium” package is recommended due to the Pass Guarantee benefit and the study guides that make it worth the extra cost in the beginning. You’ll be thanking yourself when you go to take the real estate exam.

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Convenience: 4.8 out 5. The CE Shop’s standout feature is its user interface, which is custom-designed for easy use on any device. Moving seamlessly from computer to tablet made studying on-the-go not only convenient but enjoyable. I also found the dashboard to be impressive, with a tracker constantly updating to show my progress through the course.

The backend system allowed for easy navigation, with the ability to skip ahead or go back for a refresher on a particular topic. The content itself is a good mix of videos, slideshows, audio recordings, and interactive quizzes, with video recaps provided at the end of each section. While there is some reading required, the multimedia components make it engaging and easy to digest.

Pass Rate: 4.7 out 5. The pass rate for Virginia students at The CE Shop stands at 88%, which is quite impressive. While it may not be the highest pass rate in the state, it is significantly above the average pass rate. In contrast, many real estate schools, which did not make our list, have a pass rate of less than 60%. The CE Shop maintains a consistently high pass rate by offering students unlimited practice tests. These tests highlight the areas that need improvement and explain why certain answer choices are incorrect. Moreover, the system reorders the questions on subsequent attempts to reinforce learning. This feature is especially helpful for last-minute cramming sessions.

Course Duration: 4.6 out of 5. Although the Virginia real estate course only takes 60 hours to complete, it’s good to have options if you encounter issues or a busy schedule. The CE Shop offers extension policies, which can be a bit confusing, but I’ll break them down for you as much as I can.

Initially, the course is valid for six months from the date of purchase. If you need more time, you can request a one-month extension at no additional cost. After that, for each 30-day extension or partial 30-day extension, you’ll need to pay 20% of the current retail price of the course. You can request extensions for up to six months, after which the course will expire 12 months from the original purchase date.

Support: 4.6 out of 5. The CE Shop’s support team is available 24/7, 365 days a year, which is definitely a plus. They are responsive and can be reached through various channels such as email, phone, and live chat. They excel at resolving technical issues, although they may not be the best at answering content-related questions or licensing inquiries. That being said, they do have a “two-day promise” where they will consult with an instructor and get back to you within 48 hours if they don’t know the answer to your question immediately. While this might seem like a long wait, it’s better than not getting a response at all.

Refund Policy: 4.8 out of 5. The standout feature of The CE Shop’s Virginia real estate course is the 5-day free trial. This allows you to test the course out without any commitment, and you can cancel without penalty if it’s not the right fit for you. This is a unique offering compared to other real estate schools in Virginia.

As for their refund policy, it’s fairly typical. They offer a full refund within the first 30 days, as long as you haven’t completed more than 50% of the course. This is similar to the policies of other schools like Aceable and Colibri.

Overall Value & Recommended Package: In my opinion, The CE Shop’s Virginia pre-licensing course is a great option if you’re looking for a user-friendly experience. I would recommend considering the Premium package as it offers valuable business building courses and downloadable resources that can be useful in your career. These additional benefits make the extra cost worthwhile, and you can continue to use them even after passing your exam.

RealEstateU, while being the cheapest course in Virginia, has its ups and downs. While you won’t be paying premium prices, you won’t get the same level of resources and study materials that other online real estate schools offer.

However, the flexibility the course provides is the biggest advantage. You can move through the material as quickly as you want, and there are no time limits or restrictions on the lessons. This makes RealEstateU the quickest real estate school in Virginia, and you can obtain your license in just a few weeks if you treat it like a normal work week.

Plus, this is one of the courses available for our Tuition Reimbursement program, which is a big help. All you have to do is attend at least 1 interview scheduled by an AgentAdvice recruiter after passing the state exam & before joining another brokerage, and we’ll reimburse you for the entire cost of the course that you purchase from us.

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Convenience: 4.3 out 5. Over 140,000 real estate professionals have used RealEstateU to obtain their Virginia real estate license. You can access the course from your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Although the interface feels cheap in some ways, they provide a step-by-step checklist at the beginning to help you navigate through the course. They use a progress tracker to keep you informed of what steps come next, ensuring that you don’t fall behind.

The biggest disadvantage of RealEstateU is their dull content. While some states come with videos and interactive games, the Virginia course is pretty reading intensive. If you prefer this old-school learning approach, then RealEstateU might be the course for you. However, I found it was hard to retain information in this format.

Pass Rate: 4.3 out 5. RealEstateU’s pass rate is the second lowest on this list of schools, but it’s still not bad. 78% of students pass their real estate test on the first try, which is higher than the state average. Although you can choose a school like Aceable or The CE Shop if you want the best chance of passing, many students opt to take their course through RealEstateU and then pay for a test prep for an additional cost from another provider. The good news is that you can quickly move through the lessons, and then spend extra time studying from guides you buy elsewhere. It’s not for everyone, but it can be done if you are in a pinch.

Course Duration: 4.5 out of 5. RealEstateU doesn’t offer extension options in Virginia, but their initial access lasts for 12 months. Many other providers start at 6 months and then require students to extend if they aren’t finished in the allotted time. If you want more time to finish your course, you can purchase it again. Although there are downsides to that, the price point is cheaper than many other schools. However, if you need to buy the course again, you’ll have to start over the lessons from the beginning.

Support: 3.8 out of 5. Whew. This is the biggest pitfall for me. RealEstateU’s customer support team can be frustrating to deal with (to say the very least). I had a quick question and the only way to reach out to someone was through a contact box on their website. They don’t offer live chat, nor do they have a phone number or direct email address. You can check their FAQs page if you think your issue might be widespread, but I didn’t find it very helpful when trying to address my specific questions.

Refund Policy: 4.6 out of 5. RealEstateU doesn’t offer free trials or money-back guarantees, but they do offer a 30-day refund policy for classes that are not completed. Keep in mind that $20 may be deducted from your refund depending on the class you are enrolled in. This is pretty standard, and other schools like The CE Shop and Colibri offer something similar.

Overall Value: In general, RealEstateU’s Virginia pre-licensing course may not be the top choice, but it can suffice if you have financial constraints. If you’re a new agent, I recommend considering Aceable’s exam prep option in addition to the REU course. This combination will provide you with a dependable course that you can complete quickly, as well as exam preparation resources to ensure that you feel confident when studying for the test.

We’ve built the most affordable way for you to get your Real Estate License. All you have to do is attend at least 1 interview with one of our recruiters after passing the state exam & before joining another brokerage, and we’ll reimburse you for the entire cost of The CE Shop course that you purchase from us.

That’s right – we’ll reimburse you whether you choose to join our team or not (but we hope you do!).  About 50% of our tuition reimbursement graduates choose to work for our team after interviewing with us.  The other 50% of our tuition reimbursement students that choose to join another brokerage still get their course costs fully reimbursed.

Why are we the only real estate company that reimburses your course costs even if you don’t join our brokerage?  There are a few key reasons that we’ve decided to set our program this way:

1.   Our 50% join rate is way higher than the industry average for recruiting, and we really want agents to be excited when they join us, which only works if they love what we have to offer.  Most brokerages only want experienced agents, but we specialize in helping new agents build their real estate careers from the ground up.  We have hundreds of agent training courses that range from helping you build out your social media presence to learning the ins and outs of commercial real estate; we have mentors dedicated to new agents to help them through their first sales; we even have a dedicated coach to help with mindset and motivation; and more.  So we don’t need to force new agents to join our team to save a few bucks.
2.   If you choose to join another team, we also hope you change your mind someday and come back to join us.  Many agents reach out to us months or years after trying another brokerage first, and this gives us a chance to keep the door open for the 50% of new agents who don’t join us immediately.  If we can’t be the right brokerage for you right now, then we still hope to be the right brokerage for you some day in the future.
3.   Too many real estate organizations fail to live up to their promises.  We’re not perfect, but we really try to follow-through on every promise we make, including our tuition reimbursement promise.

At the end of the day, we’re betting on you becoming a great agent, and if we can make obtaining your real estate license more affordable, then hopefully you’ll return the favor and join us after graduation or come back to us any time you’re ready for a new brokerage.  It’s that simple, and we’re happy to invest in you.

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How does the reimbursement work?

Email us (support@agentadvice.com) once you receive confirmation from the state that you’ve passed the state exam, and one of our recruiters will reach out to you to get to know you and share any and every thing you’ll want to know to decide if our brokerage is the right fit for you.

We’ll schedule the interview at a time that works for you.  All you have to do is attend the interview and provide a little feedback to our support team, and our support team will reimburse your credit card for the amount that you’ve paid us within 2 business days.  All in, it’s about an hour commitment between the interview and feedback.  No other strings attached.

Tip:  If you’ve already started a different course at your own expense, or prefer to pick your own school at your own expense, we’d still love to interview you.  Just reach back out when you’re licensed, and we can connect you with our hiring team, however, we’re unable to reimburse your course costs at this time unless you purchase the course directly from us. 

AgentAdvice.com is not the provider of any courses, and all state certifications, ongoing support questions, etc. will be provided by and fulfilled directly through the school. 

Think you have what it takes to be a successful real estate agent?

“When I interview people who have just passed their real estate course, I’m looking for agents that meet a couple of characteristics. If you have these characteristics, it will determine who is successful and who is not in real estate.

It’s not an easy industry. If it was easy, we’d all be rich. First, I’m looking for agents that have a vision for what they want to be, people who want more than what they have. Now, I’m not talking about money, motivated people necessarily. If money motivates you that’s fine, but in most cases, money’s not the motivator.

I am looking for agents that are in touch with their motivations to grow. Is it having a house for your family? Is it providing an education for your children? Is it providing security for your future retirement? It doesn’t matter, I’m looking for agents that have a vision, and are passionate about taking care of present and future concerns, whatever they are. So that’s number one: ambition.

Number two is looking for people that have a little bit of courage. This business requires courage. In my experience, having now been in conversations with well over a thousand agents over the last 18 months, and recruited more than a hundred, there’s one characteristic successful agents have. They don’t shrink from a challenge. They don’t, they still take action even if they don’t know all of the answers to all of the questions. They know that if they get faced with a question that they don’t really answer to, they know they can find the answer.

I’m looking for people that are ambitious, are courageous, and then finally are ready to grow. I want to help give people the opportunity to be the best version of themselves.

Usually, it’s not easy, and many times there are tears, and sweat, and frustration involved, but you go through that because you are so ambitious and in love with the future you’re trying to create. That passion for your future, it gives you courage to press through the hard times. So if you’re ambitious, courageous, and you’re ready to grow, and you think being in a conversation with a guy like me might be helpful to your future then let’s get you the tuition reimbursement you deserve!”

Agent Advice Success Stories: 

Terrica C.
New Keller Williams Agent & Tuition Reimbursement Recipient

“I always wanted to become a real estate agent, and finally decided to take the next step. Getting started with my course was easy. Agent Advice just sent me a link, and I did the whole thing online. I finished the class, now I just need to get scheduled for the state test. I would definitely recommend Agent Advice to anyone looking to get their license, especially if they’re wanting to do it for free.”

Rachel K.
New Real Estate Agent & Tuition Reimbursement Recipient

“I was moving from Tennessee to Florida, so I was considering a career change. I always thought real estate might be something I’d be good at, so I connected with someone at Agent Advice and decided to take the course. It was easy to follow and understand, and the course I chose kept me interested. It didn’t take long for me to finish the class and I passed my state exam on the first try! I then reached out again to Agent Advice and set up an interview with a tuition reimbursement sponsor, and got my money back that same day. All in all, it was really simple and easy.”

Marcus W.
New Real Estate Agent & Tuition Reimbursement Recipient

“The entire process was seamless, and the communication from the very beginning was great. When I first came across Agent Advice I had lots of questions, but I was able to get in touch with someone right away who helped explain the process from start to finish. Once I completed the course and set up an interview with a brokerage, they stopped the payments immediately. I also enjoyed the subscription payment option that Agent Advice has. It gave me the flexibility and motivated me to finish the course quickly. I’m still deciding on which brokerage is the right fit for me, but I enjoyed getting to interview with someone so that I could ask questions about what the day-to-day would look like at that company.”

If you’re looking for the best refund policy in Virginia, look no further than Colibri Real Estate. Their refund policy is unbeatable, offering a Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee, a course swap option, and the ability to demo the student dashboard before committing to payment. If you’re unsure about pursuing real estate school, this is the perfect option for you, as it provides the best chance of receiving a refund if you change your mind.

When it comes to price, it’s definitely on the higher end of the spectrum, but there are four packages ranging in price ($203-$484) to choose from, which means you can add as many features as you want to. There are also almost always discounts and sales going on, which is a huge help.

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Convenience: 4.6 out 5. Regardless of the package you select with Colibri, you’ll receive similar course content. All four packages include study guides and coaching videos from Buffini & Company that present real-world examples of scenarios and questions that you’ll encounter in the industry. These videos alone have a value of $150, making them a fantastic supplement to the other course material you’ll receive.

To access the best test preparation, live Q&A sessions, or simulated exams, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the more premium options. However, the most affordable course will still be effective, depending on your learning style.

What I love most about Colibri is their “readiness assessment.” This assessment will evaluate your preparedness for the exam and give you a score of 1 through 10 to help you decide whether you should continue studying or sign up for the exam.

Pass Rate: 4.2 out 5. The pass rate of Colibri’s Virginia students isn’t great, but it’s not horrendous either. It’s only slightly higher than the state’s average pass rate, with only 75% of students passing the state exam. Although this may seem decent, there are other schools on this list with much higher pass rates. However, it is worth noting that Colibri has aided over 500,000 potential agents in obtaining their Virginia license. Whether or not to choose Colibri ultimately depends on your preferences, but given its high cost, there are certainly more interactive and effective options available to prepare for the exam.

Course Duration: 4.5 out of 5. While the Virginia pre-licensing course can be completed in just 60 hours, some students prefer to have more time to complete it in case they get busy. Colibri offers several options to extend your course access, including 7, 30, or 60-day options, although prices increase the longer you want to extend. Another option is to select the “retake” option, which offers a $25 discount if you need to start the course over. While Colibri’s policy is more generous than other schools, it’s worth noting that you’ll only have initial access for 6 months before you need to consider extending your course.

Support: 4.6 out of 5. Colibri has established itself as a trustworthy online real estate education provider, and their customer support is a testament to their reputation. They have multiple tabs with different contact options to speak with a real person. You can call their enrollment or support phone lines, or chat with their “live education specialist” for assistance. I was impressed with how quickly they responded and the helpful resources they offered.

In addition to that, Colibri’s social media channels are regularly updated with scheduled maintenance notifications and other important information. I found it easy to connect with fellow students in my area through their active Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Refund Policy: 4.6 out of 5. Colibri is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a real estate course with a solid refund policy. They have various safeguards in place to ensure you don’t lose your money. If you opt for their self-paced online courses, which are the most popular, you can receive a 100% refund within the first week if you’re not satisfied with the course. If you haven’t started the course yet, you have up to a month to request a full refund. If you choose the livestream package, you have 24 hours to change your mind or switch to an online-only format if you decide to seek a refund.

Overall Value & Recommended Package: I would recommend Colibri’s Virginia pre-licensing course. For aspiring agents, I’d suggest taking a look at the Ultimate Learning package. The extra perks like the career success tools, the coaching videos, and the CompuCram Exam Prep make it a great value that will help you find success long after you finish your real estate course.