Infographic: Online vs. Classroom Real Estate Courses
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Can You Take Real Estate Courses Online?
If you’re thinking about becoming a real estate agent, you’ll need to take pre-license courses from a state-approved real estate school and pass the real estate exam before you can start representing buyers and sellers. The required courses can be taken in a classroom or online, as long as you take them from an online school (education provider) that is approved by their state's real estate commission.
If you are struggling to decide which education environment is right for you, start by thinking about what factors you value most. Is it the cost of the program or maybe it's the ability to study on your own time.
Online vs. Classroom Real Estate Course Comparison
Are you wondering if it's better to take real estate classes online or in person? This visual guide highlights the pros and cons of online and live, in person courses to help you make a decision about what learning environment is best for you.
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Flexibility
The majority of good online real estate courses are designed so that you can access them at your own convenience from anywhere with an internet connection. This may be at your home, at your office, waiting for your coffee at the local coffee shop, etc. Classroom courses are offered at a specific location and on a fixed schedule that may not work well with every student.
Best Option: Online
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Low Cost
Online real estate courses are usually less expensive than face-to-face classroom courses. Additionally, taking your courses online saves you the cost of transportation getting to a classroom location, the time you’d be missing work, and the cost of supplies such as books, pens, pencils, notebooks, etc.
Best Option: Online
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Convenience
Similar to flexibility, online courses tend to be more convenient for students than classroom courses. While classroom courses often require books and time traveling to a classroom location, online courses can be accessed and completed at any time and on any device (mobile, tablet, desktop, etc.), from the comfort of your home or office.
Best Option: Online
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Instructor Support
Instructor support is frequently an advantage of classroom courses. If you have questions or need help studying, face-to-face interaction with an instructor can be helpful and help you master the coursework. Some online schools provide minimal instructor support while others like VanEd provide instructor support by phone, chat, and an online Q&A.
Best Option: Classroom
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Social Interaction
Social interaction can be an essential part of learning. If you are someone that needs social engagement with other students, classroom courses are certainly the best choice for you. Some online courses contain forums and other unique ways for students to interact, but these rarely compare to the classroom experience.
Best Option: Classroom
| Online Courses | Classroom Courses | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros | Online courses are easily accessible for students as students can move through the coursework whenever it fits their schedule. Online real estate courses are generally less expensive and provide students a quick and easy way to get licensed or fulfill their continuing education requirements. | Classroom courses are great for students who enjoy a traditional learning setting and prefer feedback and live interaction from other students and a real estate instructor. Students who take classroom courses should be aware of their class's schedule, location, and any other materials that might be needed throughout the course. |
| Cons | While online courses are usually the preferred choice for real estate students, this style of learning can have some disadvantages. Online courses do not offer face-to-face interaction with an instructor and almost always lack student-to-student interaction. | Overall, classroom courses are less flexible than online courses and are more expensive. These courses tend to take longer for students, and students might find the lack of convenience a problem as they progress toward getting their real estate license. |
Written and Published by: VanEd
