If the idea of selling condos in Cleveland or craftsman-style homes in Columbus appeals to you, then a career in real estate may be for you.
The good news is that there are several reputable schools offering face-to-face instruction and online real estate classes in Ohio where you can receive top-tier real estate education.
Ohio mandates anyone interested in getting a real estate license to complete 120 hours of pre-licensing education. Many real estate schools offer detailed courses with practice question banks and live instructor support. If you’re an agent, you can sign up for a continuing education course with one of the schools.
You can choose from many schools and pick one depending on your timeline, budget, schedule, and study goals. We’ve researched some of the best real estate classes in Ohio to help you get started.
Kaplan Real Estate Education
Kaplan has been offering real estate education for over 65 years, making it one of the oldest in the business. It doesn’t offer the mandated 120-hour pre-licensing course. However, there are other compelling reasons to choose this school.
One of the main reasons is their self-paced online classes, which provide the flexibility you need. The online course has detailed video segments with text-based instructions. They’re popular with busy professionals who study or work full time as it allows them to learn, pause, and resume the course as needed.
Another advantage to choosing Kaplan is its excellent exam prep materials. With the $99 exam prep package, it offers one of the cheapest real estate classes in Ohio. You can access several key materials to help you pass your licensing exam. These include:
- QBank access
- National PSI Drill and Practice QBank
- Ohio Real Estate Drill and Practice QBank
- Mock license exams with answer explainers
If your goal is continuing education, Kaplan offers a CE course. The best thing about this program is that it is tailored to your needs and goals. With the CE package, you’ll also get the assistance of an expert instructor to help you navigate the course. Kaplan’s live chat and support network are commendable. Students can connect with real estate experts via email.
Sinclair Community College
Instead of online classes, you can attend the old-school way at Dayton’s Sinclair Community College. This public college offers two kinds of real estate courses:
- Associate real estate degree
- Pre-licensing course
Students enrolled in the college can pursue the pre-licensing course along with college credit. This way, they can complete their associate degree while working as an Ohio real estate agent.
Those interested in Sinclair’s pre-licensing course can choose from one of these courses:
Real Estate Degree Program AKA Associate of Applied Science Degree
This full-fledged degree course takes a little longer (15 months). That said, it offers one or more embedded certificates upon completion. The courses in the program include those mandated by the Ohio Division of Real Estate. By the end of the course, you will have earned a degree. You’ll also be prepared to take the Ohio real estate exam.
Ohio Real Estate Sales Associate (Short-term Technical Certificate)
This course meets the mandatory requirement of 120 hours of real estate education. It is suitable for people seeking a career in real estate sales. The course curriculum consists of:
- Real Estate Law – 40 hours
- Real Estate Finance – 20 hours
- Real Estate Principles and Practices – 40 hours
- Real Estate Appraisal – 20 hours
After completing the course, you’ll receive an Ohio Real Estate Sales Associate Certificate.
Real Estate Sales Professional
This is another short-term course with 18 credit hours that requires you to take the Ohio real estate license exam. The course hours and program are similar to the Short-term Associate course.
Marion Technical College
This public college, also known as MTC, has a fast-track real estate education curriculum worth considering. MTC’s goal is to provide “faster credits with fewer classes.” This means the curriculum involves eight-week sessions in a semester rather than the conventional 16-week sessions.
All classes are available online, so on-campus visits are not required. Students can also finish their courses anytime between March and October.
After completing the course, students will get an associate’s degree in real estate. If you want a shorter certification course, MTC also provides a pre-licensing course spanning 120 classroom hours.
Marion’s flexible schedule is one of its most appealing features. However, if you’re on a tight budget, MTC’s course pricing structure may be too steep for you.
Its real estate course, comprising 10 credit hours, costs $2,070. You will need to spend an additional $310 on books and materials. Nonetheless, its pre-licensing course is ideal for anyone looking for flexibility in their course schedule.
Hondros College
Hondros College offers one of Ohio’s most comprehensive real estate education programs. They have diverse offerings, providing:
- Video-based online classes for self-paced learning
- Live online classes
- In-person classes
Their package offerings are extensive, with everything you need included in their pricing structure. For example, there are three bundles worth considering. Each of these courses comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Career Start Package at $1,299: This basic package is an excellent starting point for your real estate career. You’ll receive all the materials you need for your pre-licensing course. This includes the 120-hour classes, a test cram course, textbooks, and instructor support.
The cost also includes a national exam review and background check fingerprinting charge required for your exam application. Its most remarkable aspect is that it allows you to attend career expos to connect with hiring brokerages.
Set for Success Package at $1,499: This bundle includes all of the above, plus a CompuCram Exam Prep, a Math Review course, and real estate vocabulary flashcards to help you prepare for the exam. You also get a Pass or Don’t Pay guarantee with this package.
Ultimate Real Estate Package at $1,799:
Aside from inclusions from the previous two packages, the Ultimate Package offers:
- 30 hours of CE, i.e., continuing education classes
- 20-hour post-licensing course
- Professional membership with the Hondros Alumni Association
Hondros College also provides Broker Pre-licensing courses.
Columbus State Community College
The Columbus State Community College, or CSSC, is another public college in Ohio with real estate license classes. This college is approved by the Ohio Board of Realtors.
You can take live online classes or attend in-person instruction at the Columbus or Westerville campuses.
Students can choose from two types of real estate courses:
Pre-licensure Certification Program
This course includes four classes and the required 120 hours of study. After completion, you will obtain certification and be eligible for the Ohio Real Estate Exam.
You can complete all four classes together in one semester. This certificate course is flexible. You can choose from weekend, day, or evening classes to suit your schedule.
The college calculates pricing for this program by per credit hour. It costs $173 per credit hour, i.e., $1,730 for 10 credit hours.
Real Estate Associate Degree (Associate of Applied Science)
This two-year degree course gives a well-rounded real estate education. It prepares you for a career in real estate sales and other allied real estate professions.
Recently, the institution began offering a three-week Continuing Education (CE) course. This comes as wonderful news for real estate agents looking to refresh their knowledge. It also offers Broker Pre-licensing training.
The CE Shop
The CE Shop is well-known nationwide for its real estate courses. It now brings its expertise to Ohio by partnering with one of its private colleges. In collaboration with Davis College, the CE Shop has launched a real estate pre-licensure program.
The program includes the standard 120-hour course, which you may complete via four interactive online classes. The course is recognized by the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools.
You can choose from four packages to avail the program’s various features.
Basic Package at $1,499: This includes the mandated hours for pre-licensing courses. It also provides career resources, business e-books, study plans, and digital flashcards to help you prepare for the exam.
Standard Package at $1,569: Besides the course, this package offers exam prep material and a pass guarantee. Other features like flashcards and e-books from the previous package are also included.
Value Package at $1,605: This bundle includes all of the bells and whistles of the previous packages, plus business-building courses as a bonus.
Premium Package at $1,795: This package has it all, from the full course and textbooks to an additional 20-hour Ohio Pre-licensing Salesperson Course. Students will also receive a specialized real estate e-Textbook.
Aside from pre-licensing courses, the CE Shop offers continuing education courses and exclusive exam prep coaching. Its online interface is well-designed and up-to-date, making it one of the best online real estate schools in Ohio.
McKissock Learning
While other colleges primarily focus on pre-licensing courses, McKissock Learning is an excellent choice for continuing education. One of its most notable qualities is that it refreshes its course content weekly to reflect new trends, updates, and insights from the real estate industry.
McKissock classifies its courses based on your education goals, making it easier to select from several options. For example, sales agents can pick between the Ohio CE PLUS Membership course and the nine-hour Salesperson Core Bundle.
The CE PLUS membership is more expensive at $154, but it prepares you beyond the requirements of a standard CE course. It includes free resources such as:
- Professional development tools
- Videos from industry experts
- On-demand webinars
- How-to videos
- Over 100 job aids to help you advance your career
The short salesperson course is an excellent choice if you want to study just the core concepts. It is an intensive course that teaches essential Ohio laws, civil rights, and Ohio ethics in nine hours. It costs $34.
Real estate salespersons can also take a longer, 30-hour renewal course that covers more hands-on topics. This course covers essential tech tools, contract laws, and bias awareness concepts.
Lastly, brokers can choose from three distinct packages if they want to renew their licenses or refresh their core concepts.
The best feature of McKissock’s courses is that you can swap any course for another one if you change your mind. Moreover, they have a Pass Guarantee, which inspires confidence in their offerings. Students can also reach out to live support from instructors via email.
The only thing missing from McKissock’s learning repertoire are pre-licensing courses and exam prep offerings.
How to Get a Real Estate License in Ohio
Getting your real estate license isn’t as complicated as it may seem. You can kickstart your real estate career by following these simple steps:
- To appear for the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam, you must complete a mandated 120-hour real estate education course. You also need to have a high school diploma or its equivalent. The 120-hour course typically includes four real estate courses in Ohio’s real estate laws, state laws, real estate finance, and appraisal.
- It is mandatory to have a sponsoring broker while applying for the Salesperson Exam. Once licensed, real estate agents must work under the supervision of a broker. Enrolling in a reputable real estate school allows you to connect with such brokers in the region. Accordingly, look for a school that provides this type of networking opportunity.
- Before taking the exam, you must pass a fingerprint and background check.
- The Real Estate eLicense Center of the Ohio Department of Commerce Division processes all exam applications. After application acceptance, you’ll need to schedule your exam.
The Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam lasts 180 minutes, during which you must complete both the national and state sections. A passing score of 70% is a must to obtain your license.
Kickstart Your Real Estate Career With One of Ohio’s Finest Schools
Embarking on a career in real estate can be an exciting journey, especially given the industry’s popularity. According to ZipRecruiter, the average first-year salary of a real estate agent is around $73,720, or around $35 an hour.
Ohio has a wealth of real estate schools that offer the learning flexibility you need. Whether you prefer online learning or in-classroom courses, most schools offer both options.
The best way to choose the right school for you is to focus on these aspects during your research:
- Curriculum: Scan the curriculum and syllabus carefully to ensure they include exam preparation materials and practice questions to help you prepare for the final exam. If you’re preparing for your pre-licensing exam, it must include 120 hours of mandated courses.
- Format: Choose a format best aligned with your studying needs. Some prefer a classroom environment, while others prefer the self-paced leisure of online videos.
- Cost: Many schools offer diverse packages you can choose from per your study needs. Choose the one that suits your needs and budget.
With the right education from one of Ohio’s finest real estate schools, you can confidently stride into the dynamic world of real estate, ready to turn your dreams into a reality.
