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From Bethesda and Towson to Havre de Grace and Silver Spring, it’s now easier than ever to complete the required 60 hours of real estate prelicensing classes from the comfort of your own home in Maryland. Our guide to the best Maryland real estate schools will help you find the right online program to fit your goals, budget and learning style. With a variety of formats and study materials to choose from, we break down the best Maryland real estate schools and their course packages to help you successfully launch a new career in 2025.
The CE Shop: Best for a flexible schedule
Starting price: $269
The CE Shop combines updated course content with an interactive approach to learning, which has been proven to be an incredibly effective method for retaining information. The CE Shop’s custom online learning platform, LEAP, engages students with real-world scenarios. Students appreciate The CE Shop’s features, support and intuitive interface so much that they’ve given the school a 96% student satisfaction rate.
Pros & Cons
- Five-day trial with free unlimited access to all course content
- Unlimited practice tests
- No mobile app
Features
- 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 live chat, email and phone.
- Money Back Guarantee: With the CE Shop’s “Money Back Guarantee,” you can request your money back within 30 days of purchase, so long as the course is not more than 50% complete.
- Exam Prep: The CE Shop offers comprehensive, interactive Exam Prep as part of the CE Standard, Value, and Premium packages. Packages include an initial assessment, after which the school’s interactive dashboard guides you through each topic while gauging your competency. Exam Prep also prepares you for the licensing exam through unlimited practice tests with unique questions.
- Final Exam: The state of Maryland requires that students take a course final exam, which must be proctored. Prelicensing course exams must be passed with a minimum of 70% and may be taken a maximum of two times.
Pricing
The CE Shop’s prelicensing classes meet Maryland’s 60-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet Maryland’s 15-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed two years from the date of original licensure.
- Courses only ($269): 60 hours of prelicensing courses, e-books, career and downloadable resources, digital flashcards, glossary and study schedule.
- Standard package ($369): Courses only, plus exam prep edge with national and MD-specific prep.
- Value package ($445): Standard package, plus Kickstarter Professional Development Program.
- Premium package ($655): Value package, plus 15-hour post-licensing courses and real estate e-textbooks.
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Kaplan Real Estate Education: Best for value
Starting price: $249
Kaplan has over 65 years of experience providing courses. They’ve helped thousands of students begin and advance their real estate careers. Graduates are impressed with the school’s high-quality prelicensing, exam prep and continuing education courses and the industry-expert instructors who teach them. Complemented by text-based content to reinforce key concepts, Kaplan’s online video courses feature multiple video segments with expert instructors.
Pros & Cons
- Prelicensing tuition fee includes exam prep
- National and state QBanks simulate most test environments, helping improve your exam score
- You must have Zoom downloaded and installed on your computer/ laptop for live online portions of certain courses
Features
- Course Formats: Self-paced online.
- Course Access: Six months from the date of purchase to complete the course.
- Pass Guarantee or Refund Policy: For web-based courses and classes, Kaplan’s students are eligible for a full tuition refund within 30 days of purchase, but only if the class has not been completed.
- Student Support: Customer or technical support staff are available to answer any of your questions via email, the chat feature, or phone during business hours. The student support team is also available via email or phone.
- Exam Prep: When you enroll in one of Kaplan’s prelicensing online courses, you receive various levels of exam prep, depending on the package purchased. Kaplan also offers stand-alone Exam Prep Packages that include the National and Maryland Drill & Practice QBank. The National Drill & Practice QBank includes hundreds of questions on an advanced interactive testing platform. And the state Real Estate Drill & Practice QBank simulates nearly every test environment.
- Final Exam: The state of Maryland requires that students take a course final exam, which must be proctored. Prelicensing final exams must be proctored.
Pricing
Kaplan’s prelicensing classes meet Maryland’s 60-hour prelicensing requirement. Kaplan’s post-licensing courses meet Maryland’s 15-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed two years from the date of original licensure.
- Principles & Practice ($249): Required 60 hrs of MD coursework. Online course includes Live Online National Interactive Study Group webinar for exam prep & Career Mentor Connect for professional development.
- Principles & Practice w/ Exam Prep ($279): Required 60 hrs of MD coursework. Online video course includes Principles & Practices features + MD and National Real Estate Drill & Practice QBank.
- Career Launcher Package ($479): Required 60 hrs of MD coursework. Online video course includes Principles & Practices w/ Exam Prep + Accelerator video Course and Live Online Coaching.
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Weichert Real Estate School: Best for course format variety
Starting price: $220
For aspiring agents who need prelicensing courses or experienced agents who need continuing education, Weichert Real Estate School is a great choice for Maryland licensing classes. Its instructors bring real-world expertise to teach lessons so agents will not only learn the required material to pass the exam, but will also be prepared with in-the-field knowledge once they get their licenses. There are multiple learning formats to choose from, so learners can get the most out of their education, including live stream Zoom, self-paced and in-person options
Pros & Cons
- In-person, live virtual and self-paced courses
- Local instructors
- Career potential with Weichert after passing the exam
- Competitive pricing
- Instructor accountability and guidance
- Self-paced course offers limited support
- Limited class times for live instruction
- Interface can feel a bit more dated
- Career support is limited to working with Weichert
- Upgraded course features are limited
Features
- Course Formats: Live virtual, self-paced and in-person course options.
- Course Schedule: Livestream classes have various schedules to fit your needs, including day and night options. In-person classes are run on a Monday through Friday schedule. Self-paced options have access for six months from the date of purchase.
- Course Access: Students can access the self-paced courses at any time. Livestream and in-person courses are based on scheduling.
- Pass Guarantee or Refund Policy: Refunds are available if requested before the course is started, minus the $65 registration fee; there is no pass guarantee.
- Student Engagement & Support: Direct support from instructors during class; administrative support available by phone or email
- Exam Prep: Built into the course packages; stand-alone exam prep is available.
- Final Exam: A proctored final exam is required at the end of the course.
Pricing
Weichert Real Estate School offers an affordable way to obtain your Maryland real estate license. From self-paced to in-person courses, pricing includes live instruction, course materials and exam prep.
- In-person course ($220): 60-hour prelicensing course taught in person
- Live virtual ($220): 60-hour prelicensing course taught by instructors over a virtual platform
- Self-study online only ($269): 60-hour prelicensing course online, provided by The CE Shop
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Colibri Real Estate: Best for weekend warriors
Starting price: $279
Colibri Real Estate is a state-approved real estate education provider that offers both livestream and at-your-own-pace classes. Their livestream classes are ideal for those who study best with a regimented schedule, while Colibri’s online courses appeal to students who prefer a more flexible schedule. If you’re trying to get your Maryland real estate education requirements fulfilled while still working a 9-to-5 job, you’ll appreciate being able to take the weekend or evening classes at home. Students enjoy Colibri’s easy-to-navigate website, its clear studying format, and learning reinforcement through a test at the end of each chapter.
Pros & Cons
- Free Virtual Career package available
- Next-gen student dashboard allows students to track their progress
- Online and livestream classes cannot be mixed and matched. Each class must be completed in the format it was started
Features
- Course Formats: Self-paced or livestream 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 Maryland real estate license exam within 30 days of completing the course’s exam prep, Colibri will reimburse the original cost.
- Student Support: Prelicensing packages enable students to email or call local experts with your questions. In general, live chat can be used to connect with an Education Specialist or Advisor. Or send an email or call during the business hours detailed on the website.
- Exam Prep: Colibri’s exam prep packages include audio review guides, flashcards, simulated practice exams and a readiness assessment to help pass your real estate state exam.
- Final Exam: The state of Maryland requires that students take a course final exam, which must be proctored. The course final exam is the last chapter of your Colibri course. You must complete all the course chapters and quizzes before you can take the closed-book final exam.
Pricing
Colibriʻs prelicensing classes meet Maryland’s 60-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet Maryland’s 15-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed two years from the date of original licensure.
- The Basics ($279): 60-hour prelicensing courses, instructor support, study guides, audio lessons and Buffini & Company coaching videos.
- Exam Preparation ($379): The Basics, plus CompuCram exam prep, which includes simulated exams, flashcards, readiness assessment and audio review guides.
- Exam Preparation Plus ($449): Exam Preparation, plus live and interactive instruction, which includes Exam Crammer Webinar series and instructor Q&A
- Ultimate Learning ($559): Exam Preparation Plus, plus one-year access to Career Booster, which includes videos, job aids, buyer and seller checklists and action plan templates.
