5 Best Real estate schools in Wisconsin | Full details

One of the things about real estate schools in Wisconsin is to help you get a real estate license in Wisconsin. There are many real estate schools in Wisconsin to consider, but there are some specific things to look out for.

It is important that you know that houses are selling faster than you think and even for more money than ever. This increase in sales has become a trend all over the country but is more prominent in Wisconsin.

More than 38,5000 homes have been sold in the state in the first half of 2020 making for an 8.4% increase from the previous year.

Milwaukee markets are doing especially well, especially with more than 10,450 homes that were sold during the first half of the year. Other regions that are doing well include the northern, southeast, central, and south-central regions of the state. 

The demands of people have continued to be strong and the weak supply has continued to make prices soar higher.

Being successful in real estate starts with the kind of education you get. Why do you have to get educated in real estate? Getting the inside knowledge of the real estate industry will give you an edge over your competitors.

Not only that, it will give you an insight into how to get your real estate license in Wisconsin. There were different factors considered while ranking these real estate schools.

Some of these factors include:

  • The value of the course
  • How easy the courses were to navigate
  • Are there any technical glitches
  • The performance of the school as a whole
  • The return policies
  • Agent’s reviews from those who attended that school

what’s required for your Real Estate License in Wisconsin

The real estate licensing information summarizes the minimum requirements established by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.

In this section, I will be dishing out the requirements to become a Real Estate Licensed Broker and a Real Estate Licensed Sales Agent.

Wisconsin Real Estate License: Sales Agent

To apply for a Real Estate Salespersons license, applicants must complete the 72-hour salesperson’s pre-license program within 5 years before application of a license

Governing Agency

Name: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
Phone: 6082671813
Fax: 6082671809
Website: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/RulesStatutes/RealEstate.aspx
Address: 4822 Madison Yards Way Madison, WI 53705

Wisconsin Real Estate License: Broker

As of 2014, all new Broker applicants must complete 72-hours of pre-licensing education within 5 years of application of a license.

Governing Agency
Name: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
Phone: 6082671813
Fax: 6082671809
Website: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/RulesStatutes/RealEstate.aspx
Address: 4822 Madison Yards Way Madison, WI 53705

List of the Best Real estate schools in Wisconsin

Here is the list of real estate schools in Wisconsin; Some of them are online schools.

  • Real Estate Express
  • The CE Shop
  • RealEstateU
  • Kaplan
  • Turnkey School of Real Estate

Real Estate Express

Real Estate Express is one of the real estate schools in Wisconsin that provides innovative, result-driven learning experiences to their students. They are the leading real estate education provider in Wisconsin.

This simply means that they give you what you need and when you need it. They offer flexible and comprehensive learning solutions through their online courses that have over the years prepared their students to pass the license exams.

Real Estate Express is accredited by ARELLO and IDECC.

This real estate school is where you get to complete your course at your own pace. There are online packages as well. Their online courses earn an average rating of 4.3 out of 4.5

Study Courses

Real Estate Express offers a variety of online and livestream packages to pre-licensing students. The online classes include:

  •   The Basics: The Basics is recommended for students with extensive experience in real estate and strong comprehension and test taking skills. It includes a 72 hour pre-license course, support from the WI instructor and 2 real estate eBooks.
  •   Exam Preparation: This course is for students with real estate experience who need extra exam prep. It includes practice exams you can take as often as you’d like. It comes with everything the Basics offers as well as exam prep and a pass or don’t pay guarantee.
  •   Exam Preparation Plus: The Exam Prep Plus offers a more personalized approach and access to intimate instructor Q & A sessions. It includes everything the Exam Prep offers as well as a real estate dictionary and a live exam crammer series.
  •   Ultimate Learning: Ultimate Learning offers a combination of online classes and textbook learning. It comes with everything the Exam Preparation Plus offers as well as a 90 day bootcamp and “How to do the Job” content from actual agents.

The classes can be accessed at any time.

Students that choose to take the livestream course can pick a schedule that works best for them. Each course includes:

  •   72 hours pre-license course
  •   State approved instructor support
  •   2 real estate eBooks
  •   Exam prep
  •   A real estate dictionary
  •   A printed course textbook

Pass Rates

Real Estate Express has a 78% pass rate nationwide which is higher than average as compared to other real estate schools. There were no statistics available on Wisconsin rates specifically.

Reviews

Real Estate Express consistently ranks highly in online reviews and is enjoyed by its students for the most part. 

Students who liked the school said it was convenient and user friendly. They said that the feedback for correct and incorrect answers was helpful. They appreciated that they were given the chance to try each quiz multiple times.

Those that were not happy with the school said they had problems with the set-up and using the site. They said the course could be better laid out and more interactive. They said the grammar could use improvement.

Best Things About the School

Real Estate Express is an industry favourite overall. Here are some of the best things about taking a course at the school.

  •   Wide Variety of Courses: Students can choose from a variety of courses ensuring they find one that works best for them.
  •   Livestream and Online Courses Offered: With livestream and online courses offered, students can go at their own pace or get an in-person experience from the comfort of their home.
  •   High Pass Rates: Pass rates are relatively high so students that attend have a good chance of passing the class.
  •   Pass Guarantee: Pass guarantees are available to students who take the second tier of classes and above.
  •   State Approved Instructors: The school has state approved instructors who are likely to give you a well rounded education.

Downsides

Now here are some areas that could use improvement.

  •   Doesn’t Work on All Devices: The course does not work well on all devices. It is especially difficult to access on mobile.
  •   Little Forum Participation: There is a forum on the site but the school does not promote it well. They would benefit from promoting it more to encourage participation.
  •   No In-Person Option: It’s great that the school offers livestream and online options but there is no in-person format available. This makes it difficult for students that are not self-motivated.

Ultimate Learning: $359.40
Exam preparation plus: $315.000

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The CE Shop

This real estate school has innovative courses that were written by the industry’s experts. These courses are designed with your success in mind.

All of our courses are available online 24/7, which means our award-winning education is always within reach.

Their industry-leading courses combine the classroom environment and online learning with national and state-by-state regulatory requirements.

Exam Prep Edge is a part of their program that allows you to take an initial assessment and receive feedback on the topics you’ve mastered and the ones you need to focus on.

Once you do that, you’ll study lessons by topic and improve your score with their real-time dashboards while taking unlimited simulated practise exams to fully prepare you for your state exam.

Study Courses

The CE Shop offers a variety of study courses to Wisconsin residents looking to get their licenses. These include:

  •   Courses Only: This course provides the required 72 hours of Wisconsin pre-licensing education.
  •   Standard Package: The standard package includes 72 hours of Wisconsin pre-licensing education, exam prep edge, and a pass guarantee.
  •   Value Package: The Value Package has all the features of the Standard Packages as well as business-building courses.
  •   Premium Package: The Premium Package has all the features of the Value Package as well as an 18 hour WI CE Package.

All courses come with business eBooks written by experts, career resources, downloadable resources, digital flashcards, a real estate glossary, and a study schedule.

Students can also purchase the WI Real Estate Salesperson 13 Hour Equivalency Course. This is made for agents who are licensed in another state and only need to take the state part of the exam.

Pass Guarantee

The CE Shop has 91% national pass rates. 75% of students pass the exam on their first attempt, 12% pass on their 2nd attempt and 4% pass on their 3rd attempt.

There was no information available about Wisconsin pass rates specifically.

Reviews

The CE Shop has gotten many positive online reviews. 

Students who enjoyed the school said it was well worth the money. They said the curriculum was compiled in a user-friendly manner. They said the exam prep was very helpful when it came to pass the exam.

Those who weren’t happy with the school said the material was convoluted and complicated. They said the course was not interactive enough. A few students also reported administrative issues.

Best Things About the School

Now here are some of the best things about The CE Shop:

  •   Online Classes Offered: The online classes make it easy to fit learning into your busy schedule.
  •   Variety of Study Courses Offered: Students can choose from a variety of study courses to find the option that is best suited to their needs.
  •   High Pass Rates: CE Shop’s high pass rates mean you have a good chance of passing the exam after taking their courses.
  •   Good Curriculum: CE Shop is ARELLO certified, a sign that their curriculum stands out as being especially thorough.
  •   Well Known: The school is one of the most well known when it comes to providers of real estate education. They have spent a long time building a positive reputation in the industry.
  •   Fair Return Policy: The 30 day return policy the school offers is reasonable.

Downsides

Now here are a few aspects of the school that could use improvement.

  •   Online Courses Only: The school does not offer any in-person or livestream classes. This makes it difficult for students who learn better in a live format.
  •   No Mobile App: Students would benefit from a mobile app that would allow them to take courses from anywhere at any time. Unfortunately, no mobile option is available.
  •   No Professional Development Classes: While you can go back to the school for continuing education courses, there are no options for those looking to become an appraiser or a home inspector.
  •   Limited Pass Guarantee: The pass guarantee is only valid for students who took the exam prep edge and passed exam topics with a score of 80% or higher.

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RealEstateU

RealEstateU is an online real estate school based in Florida that offers real estate licensing, continuing education, and real estate investing courses.

RealEstateU is one of the real estate schools in Wisconsin that was founded by Andrew Anic and Ciprian Morariu in January of 2013.

While pursuing a Master’s degree in real estate finance from NYU, Andrew teamed with Ciprian an entrepreneur, to build an online video library of practical and affordable real estate courses.

RealEstateU began by producing a series of real estate investing courses for aspiring entrepreneurs, taught by NYU instructors and several experienced real estate investing professionals throughout the country.

The courses cover a range of commercial investing techniques including:

  • How to Buy Your First Multi-family Property by Albert Dweck
  • The Art of Syndication by Vinod Chopra
  • Breaking Into REO by Peter Kasyanenko
  • Deal or No Deal by Ben Leybovich
  • Self Directed IRAs by Thomas Phelan
  • Real Estate Accounting For Beginners by John Mahoney
  • Motivation From a Proven Investor by Vinod Chopra

other Study Courses

RealEstateU offers one study course for pre-licensing students. It consists of the following:

  •   Audio lessons with written transcripts
  •   An orientation at the beginning of the course
  •   Infographics and contract documents
  •   Multiple choice quiz- students must get a score of at least 70% on each quiz before advancing to the next chapter
  •   A chance to take the proctored exam after the course is completed
  •   A Certificate of Completion after passing the course

Students may also buy the school’s package of textbooks and appendixes. This includes audio transcripts, contract documents and infographics which can be downloaded as PDFs. A PDF textbook is also available.

Pass Rates

Could not find any information online about the school’s pass rates.

Reviews

RealEstateU has gotten mostly positive online reviews on Agent Advice.

Students who liked the school said they found it helpful that all the course material was consolidated into one study guide. They appreciated the flexibility of being able to do the course online. They also said the course was very affordable and easy to follow.

Those that were not happy with the school said they had to do a lot of writing in order to grasp the full curriculum. They said they could not absorb it by listening to the lectures alone. They also said the course material was outdated.

Best Things About the School

There are plenty of good things about RealEstateU. Here are some of the school’s best points.

  •   Affordable: At the time of writing this article, the school was just $199. This makes it one of the most affordable options out there.
  •   30 Day Refund Policy: The school has a fair 30 day refund policy.
  •   ARELLO Certified: The school is ARELLO certified meaning its curriculum is top notch.
  •   Go at Your Own Pace Online Classes: Students can go at their own pace making it easy to fit learning into their busy schedules.

Downsides

Now here are some aspects of the school that could use improvement.

  •   Textbooks Sold Separately: Even though the course advertises itself as coming with audio transcript, and infographics, these are actually sold separately so students who want these resources will incur an additional cost.
  •   Only One Study Course Offered: There is only one study course offered for Wisconsin pre-licensing students.
  •   No In-Person Courses Offered: The school offers an online course only. This means it is not the best choice for students who are not as self-motivated.
  •   No Continuing Education Courses: The school only offers pre-licensing education to Wisconsin students. There are no options for continuing education or additional licensing.
  •   Curriculum is Outdated: The curriculum was created in 2013 so it is no surprise that some students say it is outdated.

Kaplan

Kaplan is one of the top real estate schools in Wisconsin that is a well-known provider of online education. They realize that students have busy schedules and as a result always try to provide flexible learning to their students.

The courses offered in this real estate school are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services: Real Estate Examining Board. Their instructors are engaging and knowledgeable. They provide an environment that’s conducive to learning.

Study Courses

Kaplan provides a variety of courses to students looking to become agents. These include the following:

  •   Career Launcher Package (Home Study and Online): This course comes in both home study and online versions. It includes a National Interactive Study Group, a Real Estate Accelerator Course, a National Pearson VUE Drill and Practice QBank and a Wisconsin Real Estate Drill and Practice Q Bank.
  •   Wisconsin Real Estate Principles with Exam Prep: (Home Study and Online): This course comes in both home study and online versions. It includes a National Interactive Study Group, a National Pearson VUE Drill and Practice QBank and a Wisconsin Real Estate Drill and Practice Q Bank.
  •   Wisconsin Real Estate Principles: This reviews the principles of Wisconsin real estate law including regulation and practice.
  •   Minnesota to Wisconsin Real Estate License Course Live Online: This course is designed for agents transferring licenses from Minnesota to Wisconsin. It includes  the 13 hours of the state portion of the test.

Pass Rates

Kaplan has a 76% pass rate. This is relatively high as compared with other real education providers.

Reviews

Kaplan has gotten mostly positive online reviews. 

Students that took the course said they were glad that the online format allowed them to go at their own pace. They said that the teachers were patient and explained the curriculum in a way that made it easy to understand. They also said the school provided excellent customer service.

Those that were not happy with the school said the curriculum did not provide what was needed for the test. They said they had to rely on outside sources to get the information they needed. They also said that their continuing education credits were never applied.

Best Things About the School

Here are some of the best things about the school:

  •   Self Paced and Convenient: The self-paced curriculum makes it easy to fit education into your busy schedule.
  •   High Pass Rates: A 76% pass rate means students who take the course have a good chance of passing the exam.
  •   Variety of Courses: There are a variety of courses so students can find one that’s best suited for them.
  •   Study Groups Available: The study groups are beneficial in helping students absorb the material.

Downsides

Now here are some areas of the school that could use improvement:

  •   No In-Person Option Offered: Students do not have the option of using an in-person format. This makes it difficult for those that are not self-motivated to learn the material.
  •   Courses Can Be Expensive: Courses range in price from $199 to $649. While there are affordable options, the lower priced ones may not provide you with a well rounded education. On the other hand, the higher priced ones may be too expensive for some students.
  •   Instructors Available Via Email Only: If you have a question for the instructors, you may have to wait to get an answer. While other schools may provide live Q & A, Kaplan teachers are available via email only.

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Turnkey School of Real Estate

Turnkey School of Real Estate offers in-person and virtual live real estate pre-license courses in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to jump start your new career.

This is one of the real estate schools in Wisconsin that gives you the necessary support and confidence to pass your examinations as well as prepare you for a successful career in real estate.

Their instructors bring decades of real-world experience to the Turnkey School of Real Estate’s innovative and industry-leading technology that helps you learn.

In this school, you will Stay in front of the right people at the best time, whether via a tablet, mobile phone, laptop, or another device.

Study Courses

Turnkey offers both livestream and in-person courses for pre-licensing. The in-person courses are taught 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Thursday. They are recommended for those who thrive in a live setting. The curriculum is handed out on the first day of class.

The on-demand course is available throughout the year. Students can attend when they choose to do so. No books are needed, all study materials can be printed as PDFs. The printable material includes a video, case studies, true and false vocabulary, quiz sections and more. After completing the course, you will get a Certificate of Completion and you will be eligible to take the real estate exam.

Pass Rates

There was no information online regarding the school’s pass rates.

Reviews

Turnkey does not have a lot of online reviews but it got a five out of five on its Facebook page.

Students that took the course said they were glad to have a variety of options including in-person, livestream and online formats. They said the school helped them pass the test on the first try. They also said the teacher took a lot of time out and even stayed with students after class, to ensure they learned the material.

On the downside, students mentioned that because of all the personal attention the teachers gave students, the in-person format is preferable over the online and livestream versions.

Best Things About the School

Turnkey offers several benefits to its students. Here are some to consider:

  • A Variety of Formats: Students can choose from livestream, online and in-person formats to find an option that works best for them.
  • Innovative Technology: The school offers innovative technology in that the online classes can be accessed via computer, tablet and mobile phone.
  • Good Student Reviews: Students gave the school mostly positive reviews.
  • Good Teachers: The teachers spend time with students ensuring they understand the material.
  • Affordable: Classes are reasonably priced.

Downsides of the School

The school is a terrific choice for students, but it comes with its share of downsides. Here are some to consider.

  • In-person Courses are Superior: Although it’s great that the school offers a variety of lesson formats, the online lessons don’t provide the personalized experience the live lessons do.
  • Limited Study Courses: The school does not provide information on what’s included in their curriculum on their website (which can be frustrating for those signing up). However, it seems as if they provide a standard course which does not allow students to customize to take advantage of the features that are best suited to them.

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