- Overview
- Accreditations
- A Look Inside the Courses
- Customer Service & Support
- Reviews & Student Testimonials
- Cost
- The Winner
Not all real estate schools are created equal. And when deciding which school is going to shape the entire future of your career, it is imperative to do your research.
A real estate school that works with your needs is the difference between a successful and unsuccessful career. Quality of support, course availability, education structure, pass rate, and completion time are just a few factors to consider when choosing a real estate school.
There is so much information about each school available that it is easy to become overwhelmed and confused. This article focuses on two of the leading real estate schools. We compare these two schools side-by-side, so you know which courses and education are best for you.
For simplicity and comparison, we will use some examples from both schools' Colorado pre-licensing programs.
1. Overview
VanEd
Since 1997, VanEd Real Estate School has been a trusted real estate education provider. Their courses are 100% online-based. Students have access to their coursework anytime and can complete their modules anywhere. This model is attractive to students who have full-time jobs or busy personal lives. Students take the course at their own pace.
They offer education for agents, brokers, and appraisers within the industry. Their courses include the following:
- Real estate licensing
- Real estate license exam prep
- Continuing Education for Agents & Brokers
- GRI Designation
- Appraisal licensing
- Appraisal continuing education
- Appraisal license exam prep
- Mortgage broker license
This wide variety of courses makes VanEd an ideal school for real estate agents who plan to stay in the real estate industry. The VanEd student portal keeps track of all the courses students take in one place. After licensing, students can take CE courses or advance their career by taking broker or appraiser courses on a familiar platform.
Perhaps one of the most noteworthy features of VanEd is the customer service support team. Reviews mention the helpfulness of this staff repeatedly. The support staff is a team of dedicated real estate instructors who have years of experience in the real estate industry. This staff is available to students for anything ranging from technical support to coursework assistance.
VanEd offers a 35% off discount to new pre-license students at all times and a 40% discount to veterans and active military personnel.
Real Estate Express
Real Estate Express has provided online and app-based real estate education since 1996.
They claim to have helped over 350,000 students launch their real estate careers on their website. They offer courses in 36 states.
They offer the following courses:
- Real Estate Licensing
- Post-Licensing
- Exam Prep
- Broker
- Continuing Education
- Mortgage Licensing
Not every course category is available in every state.
In 2014, Real Estate Express became part of the Colibri Real Estate group, falling under the same leadership of brands like McKissock Learning and Institute For Luxury Home Marketing.
Real Estate Express launched its live stream classes in response to the global pandemic. These classes allowed students to stream classes online and become a part of real-time classes without stepping foot inside a classroom. These live stream classes are available for pre-licensing, post-licensing, or continuing education courses.
Real Estate Express offers a "Pass Or Don't Pay" money-back guarantee if you do not pass your real estate exam after several tries in certain states. They also offer a live Q&A with real estate experts and other interactive features to their course packages.
2. Accreditations
VanEd
All of VanEd's courses are accredited and meet each state's requirements. Some major accreditations include:
- IDECC
- ARELLO
- REEA
- CDEI
- RAPDD
- Approvals in each state
Complete list of VanEd Real Estate School Accreditations
Real Estate Express
Real Estate Express courses are all approved by the state where a course is hosted. They are also backed by ARELLO and IDECC.
3. A Look Inside the Courses
VanEd
VanEd's courses are interactive and text-based and can be accessed 24/7 from any device. The courses are available as a downloadable eBook for students to study anywhere they choose. Students complete courses online at their own pace. This means that courses can be completed as fast as several weeks or as slowly as 12 months.
VanEd also offers a highly organized and effective Learning Management System (LMS). Their courses contain videos, infographics, various interactive exercises, intuitive navigation, course progress reminders, flashcards, quizzes, and the ability for students to take notes and save them to their accounts.
VanEd has several videos that show the courses from inside the student portal. Take a sneak peek into what the student portal looks like by viewing the below video.
One of VanEd's most popular real estate courses is in the Colorado market. This next video shows an overview of the Colorado course, but other courses have a similar structure.
Real Estate Express
Real Estate Express courses can be taken online through self-paced courses or live stream classes. This means that you can take the course at your own pace or join other students and learn from a live instructor.
Not all packages include all available features. There are four tiers of courses available.
- The Basics
- WHY IT'S FOR YOU
- You're a disciplined self-starter
- Have some real estate experience
- WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 168-Hour Pre-License Courses
- State Approved Instructor Support
- 3 Real Estate eBooksDeluxe
- WHY IT'S FOR YOU
- Exam Prep Package
- WHY IT'S FOR YOU
- Extra exam simulation
- Money back guarantee!
- WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 168-Hour Pre-License Courses
- State Approved Instructor Support
- 3 Real Estate eBooks
- Exam Prep
- Pass or do not pay guarantee
- WHY IT'S FOR YOU
- Exam Prep Plus
- WHY IT'S FOR YOU
- A more personal, guided approach best matches your learning style.
- You enjoy Q&A sessions with live instructors.
- WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 168-Hour Pre-License Courses
- State Approved Instructor Support
- 3 Real Estate eBooks
- Exam Prep
- Pass Or Don't Pay guarantee
- Instructor Q&A
- Live Exam Crammer Series
- WHY IT'S FOR YOU
- Ultimate Learning
- Why it's for you
- You want to change your life
- Become an expert in your new career
- WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 168-Hour Pre-License Courses
- State Approved Instructor Support
- 3 Real Estate eBooks
- Exam Prep
- Pass or Don't Pay guarantee
- Real Estate Dictionary
- Instructor Q&A
- Live Exam Crammer Series
- Printed Course Textbook
- 1 yr. Professional Development Membership
- Why it's for you
The more you pay for each course, the more support you can access from the Real Estate Express team. There is a $200 difference between the lowest and highest support level courses.
4. Customer Service & Support
VanEd
VanEd offers students the ability to speak directly with a knowledgeable instructor. VanEd instructors are successful real estate professionals who now teach students how to find success in the industry. Having instructors who know the industry and understand the exams is a huge advantage.
All instructors are practicing professionals with many years of experience in real estate and appraisal. The VanEd instructors are available during the workweek by phone or email.
The online Q&A system lets you contact instructors by email and browse through a well-organized collection of previously posted student questions and instructor answers.
Real Estate Express
The more you pay for each course, the more support you can access from the Real Estate Express team.
Students with the more expensive packages have access to live streaming courses, instructor Q&A, live exam crammer study sessions, and access to real estate professionals five days a week. These are not available to students at the lower two levels.
Lower levels can call or email a state-approved course expert and expect a response in approximately one business day.
5. Reviews & Student Testimonials
The most critical opinions to consider when looking for a real estate school are ratings from current and past students. Here is what recent students said about these two schools.
VanEd
VanEd Real Estate School has received an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from 167 students.
Real Estate Express
Real Estate Express Real Estate School has received an average rating of 2.1 out of 5 stars from 10 students.
6. Cost
Cost is an essential factor in real estate school. Understanding what you are paying for is important for finding a valuable and affordable product. Remember, this is a one-time schooling price you will pay. Splurging on a school that will provide everything you need is an excellent option for those who can afford it.
Be aware of inexpensive real estate schools as they may not offer quality or updated information and may not come with materials. Prices for real estate schools differ in each state. Because each state has different licensing requirements, prices vary in each state.
VanEd
VanEd Colorado pre-license courses offer three different packages priced according to the bonus features and extra necessary education each package includes. The three packages are essentials, advantage, and premium. Every package consists of a complete education, payment plans, live customer service, and live instructor support.
The courses include exam prep, exam pass money-back guarantee, and free trials in select states. Even though prices vary in each state, VanEd hits the middle mark at their base pricing. However, they constantly offer significant discounts that make their school extremely affordable.
Real Estate Express
Real Estate Express's course prices range from average to more expensive depending on which package you choose. Notice how the costs increase for better quality education and access to customer support. There are no additional courses packaged in the more expensive options. There are frequent sales on the website.
VanEd vs Real Estate Express: The Bottom Line
VanEd Real Estate School is the winner and the best online real estate school for those interested in a long career in real estate.
The main difference between the payment tiers for VanEd and Real Estate Express is that while Real Estate Express requests more money for higher-value education, VanEd provides the same high-quality education for all of their tiers. The VanEd courses may be priced higher when packaged with other necessary educational courses or features (required post-education, online proctoring, and exam prep). Still, the same high-quality course with all their available features is available even at the least expensive option.
The Real Estate Express live-streamed classes do set it apart from VanEd if you are looking for a virtual classroom experience.
The most concerning red flag regarding real estate express is the consistent poor reviews. The reviews state that the courses do not cover the appropriate information needed to pass the exam and get your real estate license. There are also many comments about how customer service is severely lacking.
For Real Estate Express, you need to pay a significant amount more to get the best educational opportunities. However, the highest tier package features are not offered at VanEd. These features may be a selling point for students who wish for extra guidance and support throughout their courses. Though, VanEd courses are available in PDF form, which can be viewed on the phone.
Written and Published by: VanEd
