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You’ll need to complete 75 hours of prelicensing classes to get licensed as a real estate agent in North Carolina. We’ve done the research for you, evaluating the many courses available to pinpoint the best real estate schools in North Carolina to help you pass the state exam and set you up for early career success. Whether you’re planning to work in Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Asheville or Wilmington — our guide to the best real estate schools in North Carolina will help you get up and running quickly.
Did you know?
You can complete your North Carolina real estate licensing classes from the comfort of home? Before you dive in, it’s important to know that in North Carolina, all beginning real estate agents are referred to as provisional brokers. As a provisional broker, you can work as an agent and sell homes, but you must work under a Broker-in-Charge who oversees all transactions
Note: The pass rate listed for AceableAgent is its overall national rate.
AceableAgent
Best North Carolina real estate school for 24/7 virtual instruction
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overview
Built by experts in learning science, Aceable Agent’s courses feature videos, interactive games, and bite-sized lessons to help you successfully meet your 75-hour prelicensing coursework requirement. And the school’s practice tests, contract workshops, and other tools are designed to ensure confidence as you begin your career. Students appreciate that course content is presented in a highly engaging way and find the layout of the courses interactive and stimulating. With the ability to stop and resume where you left off from your iPhone or computer, Aceable Agent’s courses are refreshingly accessible.
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PricingAll AceableAgent’s prelicensing classes meet North Carolina’s 75-hour prelicensing requirement..
Prices Starting at Prelicensing $479 Professional Development $26 Prelicensing Pricing Premium Deluxe Basic $779 $629 $479 All Deluxe features + 1 hr of private tutoring, 5 live webinars weekly, access to webinar archives, live Q&A with experts weekly All Basic features + Virtual instructor + PrepAgent w/ 75 videos, 70 audio lessons, digital flashcards, 1,660 additional practice questions & 100+ pg Exam Prep Ebook Required 75 hrs of coursework. Lite Exam Prep includes 1000 exam practice questions and audio guide. Mini course on starting your career by finding a sponsoring broker -
Pros + ConsPros:
Cons:
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FeaturesCourse 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.
The CE Shop
Best North Carolina real estate school for getting your license fast
Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Overview
The CE Shop combines updated course content with an interactive teaching approach, which has been proven to be a far more effective learning method. The school consistently updates its course material to stay on top of industry changes. And its custom online learning platform, LEAP, encourages students to engage with essential content for improved retention. With a 96% student satisfaction rate, it’s clear that The CE Shop’s students appreciate the courses’ features, support, and intuitive interface.
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PricingAll 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.
Prices Starting at Prelicensing $715 Exam Prep $79 Post-licensing CE $249 Prelicensing Pricing Career Accelerator Career Builder Career Essentials $1079 $795 $715 All Career Builder Features + NC Post-Licensing Package All Career Essentials Features + Business Building Courses Required 75-hr NC prelicensing coursework. Paid for Proctoring Attempt, Exam Prep Edge, Instructor Led Webinars on Exam Topics, North Carolina Real Estate: Principles and Practices, 8th Edition, Business Ebooks, Career Resources, Downloadable Resources, Digital Flashcards, Real Estate Glossary, Study Schedule -
Pros + ConsPros:
Cons:
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FeaturesCourse 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%.
Carolina School of Real Estate
Best North Carolina real estate school for all stages of your career
Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars
Overview
A locally-owned, Winston-Salem, NC-based real estate school, the Carolina School of Real Estate’s various course offerings help students succeed in obtaining their North Carolina Real Estate License, maintaining licensure, and expanding their industry knowledge base. With more than 60 years of combined experience in the industry, the school delivers quality educational instruction at all stages of your career. Students enjoy the convenience of simply hitting pause to stop the class, then picking up exactly where they left off, anytime. The Carolina School of Real Estate is exclusively focused on North Carolina. As such, it can offer expertise on the state’s requirements and markets.
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PricingAll 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.
Prices Starting at Prelicensing $455 Post-Licensing $225 Post-licensing CE $55 Pricing for Courses Course Prelicensing Course Post-licensing Courses Self-paced Prelicensing Course $529 $455 $269 $225 Required 75 hrs of coursework. Read-only course is self-paced. Quizzes throughout the course must be passed in order to move forward. Includes access to Buffini & Company’s coaching videos 75 hrs of required instruction.
In-person or livestream via Zoom on designated dates / times.
Topics include basic real estate practices & principles, real estate law, financing, brokerage, contracts, closings + moreRequired 30 hrs of post-licensing coursework. Primarily video with some light reading, activities & quizzes. Includes The Adventure Guide book. Choose from the following courses: Broker Relationships and Responsibilities, Contracts and Closings or NC Law, Rules & Legal Concepts Taught by experienced professionals. Each course fulfills 30 of the required 90 hrs of renewal coursework. Courses include Broker Relationships and Responsibilities, Contracts and Closings + NC Law, Rules & Legal Concepts -
Pros + ConsPros:
Cons:
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FeaturesCourse 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.
Kaplan Real Estate Education
Best North Carolina real estate school for exam prep
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overview
Kaplan Real Estate Education works with thousands of students each year, helping them begin and advance their real estate career. Students report being impressed with the school’s high-quality prelicensing, exam prep, and continuing education courses and the industry-expert instructors who teach them. Kaplan’s online prelicensing courses not only include full access to the instructor, but also enable you to complete your required education when and where it’s convenient for you. And each course combines solid industry fundamentals with the latest state-specific information needed to ace the North Carolina licensing exam.
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PricingAll 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.
Prices Starting at Prelicensing $449 Exam Prep $99 Post-licensing CE $429 Prelicensing Pricing Career Launcher Live Online Package Career Launcher Package Prelicensing Live Online Course Prelicensing Course $749 $649 $549 $449 Required 75 hrs of NC coursework. Includes Modern Real estate Practice in North Carolina textbook, NC and National Drill & Practice QBank + Exam Prep courses, Access to National Interactive Study Group & Online Career Mentor Connect, 1-on1 tutoring. Choose from live online or online video format Required 75 hrs of NC coursework. Includes Modern Real estate Practice in North Carolina textbook, NC Drill & Practice QBank + NC Exam Prep courses, Accelerator Online Video Course and Live Online Coaching. Access to Interactive Study Group & Online Career Mentor Connect, 1-on1 tutoring. Choose from live online or online video format Required 75 hrs of NC coursework. Includes Modern Real estate Practice in North Carolina textbook, NC and National Drill & Practice QBank + Exam Prep courses, Access to Interactive Study Group. Choose from live online or online video format Required 75 hrs of NC coursework. Online video course includes Modern Real estate Practice in North Carolina textbook, NC Drill & Practice QBank + NC Exam Prep courses. Access to Interactive Study Group & Online Career Mentor Connect, 1-on1 tutoring. Choose from live online or online video format -
Pros + ConsPros:
Cons:
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FeaturesCourse 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.
Colibri’s Sister School, Superior
Best Best North Carolina real estate school for career resources
Pass Rates: 63%
Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Overview
Superior’s instructors hold distinguished titles and are also actively engaged in North Carolina’s communities. And most of Superior’s instructors are practicing area brokers themselves. To accommodate professionals leading busy lives, the school has ample course options, offering half-day, full-day, night, and weekend classes. Students are impressed with Superior’s leading course material, instructor insights, and career connections. Superior also offers exclusive access and discounts to real estate coaching company Buffini & Company.
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PricingAll 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.
Prices Starting at Prelicensing $529 Exam Prep $69 Post-licensing CE $269 Prelicensing Pricing Career Ultimate Career Professional Classroom & Livestream Packages Career Essentials $949 $639 $549 $529 Required 75 hrs of NC coursework. Online course includes practice exams, Buffini & Company Career Coaching videos, printable Adventure Guide, audio review of National Exam topics, Instructor Q&A, Crammer Course, Exam Prep powered by CompuCram, hardcopy course textbook + more Required 75 hrs of NC coursework. Online course includes practice exams, Buffini & Company Career Coaching videos, printable Adventure Guide, audio review of National Exam topics, Instructor Q&A + more Required 75 hrs of NC coursework. Includes practice exams, Buffini & Company Career Coaching videos, printable Adventure Guide, hardcopy course textbook + more. Choose from Virtual Classroom or Live Class on designated dates / times, at various locations across NC Required 75 hrs of NC coursework. Online course includes practice exams, Buffini & Company Career Coaching videos, printable Adventure Guide & more -
Pros + ConsPros:
Cons:
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FeaturesCourse 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
Best North Carolina real estate school for affordable learning
Overall Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars
Overview
FastPass Learning is a North Carolina-approved real estate school providing high-quality online courses, from prelicensing to continuing education. The school prides itself on offering exceptional service and guidance, as well as an intuitive learning experience. FastPass Learning’s online courses were designed to make it as easy as possible for students to get the education they need. And students feel better prepared for their real estate career after completing the school’s courses.
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PricingFastPass 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.
Prices Starting at Prelicensing $356 Exam Prep $72 Post-licensing CE $167 Pricing Premium Prelicensing Prices Starting at Post-Licensing Course Package Individual Post-Licensing Online Video Courses Continuing Education Courses $470 $356 $367 $167 $47 Required 75-hrs of coursework. Includes NC Exam Simulator & course eBook. 7 days/week instructor support Required 75-hrs of coursework. 7 days/week instructor support Required 90-hrs of coursework. Includes 3 x 30-hour online video courses: Broker Relationships and Responsibilities, Contracts and Closings + NC Law, Rules & Legal Concepts 30-hr online video courses Broker Relationships and Responsibilities, Contracts and Closings or NC Law, Rules & Legal Concepts may be purchased as stand-alone courses Stand-alone CE online courses cover current industry topics. Each course fulfills required 4 credits of CE coursework -
Pros + ConsPros:
Cons:
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FeaturesCourse 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
Best North Carolina real estate school for unique offerings
Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars
Overview
For over two decades, Sea Coast Real Estate Academy has been providing a quality education for those wanting to obtain a real estate license and continue their learning. The school is known for its affordable prelicensing education and real estate courses are taught by dynamic teachers in a comfortable setting that student’s appreciate. Sea Coast Real Estate Academy also provides post-licensing, exam prep, and continuing education. Accessible on all devices, course formats are offered via livestream, self-study, and on-demand video.
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PricingSea 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.
Prices Starting at Prelicensing $450 Exam Prep $25 Post-licensing CE $225 Pricing NC Prelicensing Self-Paced Prelicensing Post-Licensing $450 $450 $225 Required 75-hrs of coursework. Covers real estate principles & practices, including property ownership, real estate law, finance, brokerage relationships, closings, transfer of title & more. Includes textbook / e-book, math workbook, free exam review sessions & course material.
Designated dates, Night or DayRequired 75-hrs of coursework. Read-only course. Quizzes throughout the course must be passed before moving forward. No additional books or materials required. Includes textbook / e-book, math workbook, free exam review sessions & course material.
Designated dates, Night or Day30-hr online courses Broker Relationships and Responsibilities, Contracts and Closings or NC Law, Rules & Legal Concepts. Must be purchased as stand-alone courses. Choose from designated dates / times -
Pros + ConsPros:
Cons:
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FeaturesCourse 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.
Methodology: How we chose the best real estate schools in North Carolina
To determine the very best North Carolina real estate schools, we conducted extensive research, rating each school based on the following:
- Affordability and flexibility
- Course offerings, including study tools and technology
- Course access and format options
- Instructor expertise and accessibility
- Pass rates and student satisfaction
- Return policies or pass guarantees
- Student support and engagement
Finally, we considered each school’s unique features and professional development opportunities, which can be of lasting value to real estate agents like yourself.
Frequently asked questions
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What are the steps to getting a North Carolina real estate license?The requirements for taking the NC real estate exam and becoming a provisional broker are as follows:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Complete 75 hours of NC prelicensing real estate classes
- Complete a background check
- Apply for your Provisional Broker’s License online
- Schedule, take, and pass the licensing exam
- Select a sponsoring broker-in-charge so that you can get an active license and become a
- North Carolina provisional real estate broker
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How much does real estate school cost in North Carolina?Starting a new career in real estate will require an investment, so support it with an education that will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need. To become a real estate agent in North Carolina, here’s what to budget for:
- Prelicensing exam coursework = $356 to $715
- Background check = $35
- North Carolina application fee = $100
- State examination fee = $56
Estimated total = Between $547 and $906
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How long is the North Carolina licensing exam?The NC Real Estate License Exam consists of 120 questions and is based on the 75-hour prelicensing curriculum. The number of questions included on the License Exam are as follows:
- The provisional broker exam consists of 80 national questions. You’re given 2.5 hours to complete this section.
- The provisional broker exam consists of 40 state specific questions. You’re given 1.5 hours to complete this section.
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How hard is the North Carolina real estate exam?To pass the North Carolina real estate licensing exam, you’ll need to score a minimum of 71% on the National portion and 72% on the State portion. For the thousands of students who pass the North Carolina licensure exam every year, the key to not just passing but scoring higher than what’s required is preparation through the right education provider.
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What is the average salary for a North Carolina real estate agent?According to Glassdoor.com, the estimated average salary for a North Carolina real estate agent is $114,091 annually (as of this writing).
The full picture: Best real estate schools in North Carolina
Starting a new career in real estate can be exciting. If you’re new to North Carolina real estate, knowing what the best online real estate schools in the state have to offer can make all the difference! Now that you have the inside scoop on the top North Carolina real estate schools, you can choose one that best suits your goals, learning style and budget.
From tips on finding the best school for getting your real estate education to passing the state licensing exam and fulfilling your continuing education requirements, HousingWire has the information you need to start your career and succeed as a North Carolina real estate professional.
Helpful links for North Carolina real estate schools
We’ve rounded up the links and sites that prospective real estate agents visit the most for more information on obtaining a license, choosing a school, and other requirements in North Carolina:
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