Looking for the best real estate schools in Maryland to launch your career this year? We’ll help narrow your search based on our reviews of MD classes, which use criteria like usability, scheduling, pricing, the quality of course materials, and extra features.
Completing 60 hours of classes is the first step to getting your real estate license in Maryland. Following your course of study, you’ll need to pass the state’s real estate exam and then apply for a Maryland real estate license.
We want to help you choose the right Maryland real estate school to fit your lifestyle, schedule, and timeline. After all, you want to do more than just pass the state’s licensure exam—you want to kickstart your new career. Let’s get started!
4 Best Real Estate Classes in Maryland
| Our Top Picks | Prelicensing Pricing | Promo Codes |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall: Colibri Real Estate | From $284 | TheClose30 - Save 30% |
| Best for Online: The CE Shop | From $279 | Theclose35 - Save 35% |
| Best Expert Instructors: Tristar Academy | From $305 | CLOSE10 - Save 10% |
| Best for In-Person Instruction: Long & Foster | From $154 |
(Maryland prelicensing package prices as of May 2023)
Real Estate Schools in Maryland – Helpful Info
Maryland Real Estate Governing Body:
Maryland Real Estate Commission
Prelicensing Requirements:
60 Hours
Post-licensing Requirements:
None
Continuing Education Requirements:
15 Hours Every Two Years
Becoming a Maryland real estate agent isn’t significantly expensive or time-consuming. Still, you’ll want to choose an approved Maryland real estate school that offers high-quality instruction, exam preparation, and continuing education once you’re licensed. Here are the types of classes offered by real estate classes in Maryland:
Prelicensing Courses
Before you can take the Maryland real estate exam, you need to complete 60 hours of prelicensing courses at a state-approved school. Once you’ve finished the prelicensing course, you’ll have a solid understanding of national and state real estate laws and regulations. If you’re not entirely sure about what comes next in your journey, please refer to our guide that describes how to get a Maryland real estate license.
Exam Preparation Courses
Passing your state licensing exam won’t be a walk in the park. Since there’s a lot of material to cover in your prelicensing course, it can be helpful to layer on some additional study time devoted to preparing for the Maryland real estate license exam. Some real estate schools on our list, such as The CE Shop, include specialized exam prep material in their prelicensing course packages.
Continuing Education Courses
Once you’ve passed the exam, the state of Maryland requires new real estate agents to complete 15 hours of continuing education (CE) within two years. Maybe it’s still too early to consider CE now, but if you like your prelicensing course provider, you’ll most likely consider that school’s CE offerings too. Some packages in this article include CE courses.
Now that you have a better understanding of what you’ll need over the years from the Maryland real estate school of your choosing, let’s dive into our top four picks.
Best Overall Real Estate Classes in Maryland: Colibri Real Estate
People all over the country turn to Colibri Real Estate to receive comprehensive real estate education in a flexible format. Their Maryland real estate classes are affordable and regularly receive rave reviews from students.
Colibri Real Estate offers prelicensing real estate education in many states, making them a market leader in the education space. You’ll be able to ask state-approved instructors questions about course content by email or phone. Colibri Real Estate also offers exam prep materials in three of their four packages.
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Colibri Real Estate Pricing
Let’s learn more about Colibri Real Estate’s packages.
- The Basics ($284): If you’ve got a real estate background or pride yourself on being a self-starter, you may only need to purchase Colibri Real Estate’s entry-level package. It includes 60 hours of classes plus three e-books.
- Exam Preparation ($370): You should study for the Maryland real estate exam before you take it. This Colibri Real Estate package includes exam prep materials such as simulated exams, digital flashcards, and audio review guides, plus a Pass or Don’t Pay guarantee.
- Exam Preparation Plus ($455): Aside from everything in the previous package, this one gives you 40 hours worth of access to live instructors per month. You’ll be able to ask clarifying questions about complex material from people in the business.
- Ultimate Learning ($527): This package includes everything in the Exam Preparation Plus package, plus a one-year membership to a professional development website. This membership will allow you to take non-credit courses to help you generate leads, write listings that pop, and improve your monthly commission check.
- Livestream Learning ($488): Have access to everything in the Ultimate Learning package while connecting virtually with experts and classmates. There are full-day classes Monday through Thursday and evening classes Tuesdays and Thursdays.
(Colibri Real Estate Maryland prelicensing packages prices as of May 2023)
Readers of The Close can SAVE 30% on any Colibri Real Estate prelicensing course in Maryland. Use promo code TheClose30 at checkout.
BEST FEATURE: Colibri Real Estate offers a lot of bang for your buck. Most of their packages include state-specific instructor support, access to real estate e-books, career resources, and test prep materials. Don’t forget to look for additional savings and promo codes to use at checkout to save even more money on these affordable packages.
ROOM TO IMPROVE: Colibri Real Estate offers a fast-moving but thorough education. However, their top-tier package focuses on professional development courses. Instead, we’d like to see them offer the continuing education courses that are required to renew your license.
BOTTOM LINE: For fast-moving, affordable real estate education, choose Colibri Real Estate.
Best Online Real Estate Classes in MD: The CE Shop
You’re correct in assuming that the “CE” in The CE Shop’s name stands for “continuing education.” Still, this online real estate school specializes in quality prelicensing courses for dozens of states, including Maryland. The CE Shop’s top-level prelicensing package includes everything you need to get and stay licensed without the need to go to a physical school. However, if you prefer a traditional classroom setting, we recommend The CE Shop’s local partner, Maryland Real Estate Academy.
We love The CE Shop’s expertly-designed materials and affordable options. The CE Shop boasts a higher-than-average success rate for both the national and state portions of the Maryland real estate exam. The curriculum offers interactive content that repeats material that’ll likely be on the exam. This makes even the most complicated information easy to digest and recall.
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The CE Shop Pricing
The CE Shop offers four prelicensing packages for Maryland. Even though the higher-tier prices are not the most affordable on our list, the packages do often go on sale. Also, even the most basic package includes digital e-books, downloadable flashcards, career resources that’ll help you choose a brokerage, and a suggested study schedule.
- Courses Only ($279): This entry-level package includes the required 60 hours of prelicensing classes in a convenient, work-at-your-own-pace format (plus the resources listed above).
- Standard Package ($399): If you’re looking for a prelicensing package that includes state and national exam prep, this is it. The Standard Package also includes a pass guarantee. If you don’t pass the state licensing exam after using the exam prep material included in this package, the school will reimburse you the cost of the test.
- Value Package ($449): This includes everything in the Standard Package, plus access to business-building courses. You’ll learn what it takes to make money in real estate.
- Premium Package ($639): It only makes sense that a business called The CE Shop would include continuing education courses in at least one of its prelicensing packages. The Premium Package adds on the 15 hours of continuing education classes you’ll need to renew your certification the first time.
(The CE Shop Maryland prelicensing package prices as of May 2023)
Readers of The Close can SAVE 35% off any The CE Shop prelicensing course in Maryland. Use promo code TheClose35 at checkout.
BEST FEATURE: We like that you can buy the Premium Package from The CE Shop and get all you need to obtain and renew your real estate license in Maryland from one company. This allows you to switch careers and brokerages without having to shop around for additional training and resources—especially if you plan to keep your day job. When you purchase the top-tier package with The CE Shop, you only have to remember one login and password for all your real estate education needs.
ROOM TO IMPROVE: This online school doesn’t give students access to real estate professionals in the area who can offer valuable, real-world advice. If you have questions that need immediate answers, there are no live instructors that can accommodate you. Consider taking your prelicensing courses with Long & Foster Institute of Real Estate if picking the brains of local agents who have been successful in their career appeals to you.
BOTTOM LINE: We know that you’ll love The CE Shop’s interactive content. Visit their website to choose which package works best for you.
Can You Be a Part-time Real Estate Agent? (+ Free Guide & Videos)
Best Real Estate Classes in MD for Instruction From Active Brokers: Tristar Academy
Both Colibri Real Estate and The CE Shop are experts in producing quality online educational content. However, there’s something to be said about having a live, online instructor teach you about their profession.
Tristar Academy offers prelicensing real estate courses for Maryland that are livestreamed over Zoom. The 60-hour, 7-week course is scheduled in the evenings to help you complete it around your day job. Other schedule options include weekday classes for two weeks and weekend classes for five weeks. You can also access recorded classes later on to reference the material taught in them. If you’d like to finish your courses more quickly, Tristar Academy has other schedule options available.
The school also offers a self-paced learning option for students looking to obtain their Maryland real estate license.
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Tristar Academy Pricing
We’re impressed with Tristar Academy’s pricing for livestream courses. Most real estate schools charge significantly more for live (or live online) instruction than they do for prepackaged material.
- Maryland Prelicensing for Real Estate Salesperson ($305): This 7-week course includes the cost of registration and Zoom classes, plus a textbook.
- Prelicensing for Real Estate Salespersons in Maryland, Self Paced: ($305): This course allows students to complete the 60 hours of prelicensing training at their own pace. It includes a digital copy of the course textbook, studying tips, test-taking tricks and a step-by-step checklist for obtaining your license.
(Tristar Academy prelicensing package prices as of May 2023)
Readers of The Close can SAVE 10% on Tristar Academy prelicensing courses using promo code CLOSE10 at checkout.
BEST FEATURE: Tristar hires instructors who are active brokers. If you think you might struggle to concentrate on sometimes dry material presented via a series of slides, PDFs or videos, enroll in Tristar Academy’s livestream program. You’ll be able to interact with a teacher and other students. But also, the instructor will be able to offer insights from their experiences as a practicing real estate broker.
ROOM TO IMPROVE: We’d love to see Tristar include test prep materials in their Zoom package.
BOTTOM LINE: Don’t put off enrolling in the Zoom prelicensing courses offered by Tristar Academy. Since the school offers classes that begin on specific dates, you might have to wait for the beginning of the next session to get started.
Best In-Person Real Estate Classes in MD: Long & Foster Institute of Real Estate
Long & Foster isn’t chiefly a real estate school—it’s a major brokerage in Maryland. The upside of that is, if you join the Long & Foster real estate team after earning your license, you may qualify to be reimbursed for the cost of their education program after closing your first sale.
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Long & Foster Real Estate Pricing
Long & Foster Real Estate offers three affordable packages for both livestreaming and in-person courses. All courses require 100% attendance and must be completed within three months from your start date. If you miss a class, you must attend a make-up class using the schedule found on their website.
- Tuition Only ($154): This package includes just the prelicensing course. Only students who already have all the required books are eligible to purchase this option.
- Tuition & Workbook Only ($177): For students who already have 2 of the 3 required books, this is your best bet. This package covers tuition and the Modern Real Estate Practice Workbook.
- Tuition and Books ($249): This affordable package includes tuition plus all the required books for your prelicensing course.
(Long & Foster prelicensing package prices as of May 2023)
BEST FEATURE: They offer livestream and in-person courses throughout the day and on weekends. They also provide local real estate connections.
ROOM TO IMPROVE: Their website doesn’t inspire confidence. It’s hard to navigate and find information.
BOTTOM LINE: Brokerages use training programs to recruit new agents. That means, if you show promise, you may be able to fast-track your way into your first job. You can also learn about Long & Foster while you’re still studying to decide if they’re right for you.
How We Selected the Best Real Estate Classes in Maryland
To handpick the top real estate classes in Maryland, our team of real estate professionals, writers, and editors used a methodology that involves scoring each school based on pricing, course offerings, web and mobile interface, student support, class formats, and more. Here at The Close, we strive to provide you with unbiased options for all your real estate needs.
FAQs About Real Estate Classes in Maryland
While this article has hopefully helped you choose one of the top real estate schools in Maryland, you do have more steps to complete to get licensed. Here are some answers to our reader’s most common questions about real estate schools in Maryland, passing the state exam, and more.
What is the best real estate school in Maryland?
Colibri Real Estate is our top pick for online real estate schools here and in many states. Their user interface is well designed, and their courses are affordable. The program also breaks down complicated information so it’s easy to understand.
The good news is that you really can’t go wrong with any of the Maryland real estate classes on our list. If you’re ready for a career change, take action and enroll today.
How much are real estate classes in Maryland?
On our list, starter packages range from just over $150 to more than $300. Colibri Real Estate is right in the middle, but you can receive a discount by using a coupon code from The Close.
How hard is the real estate exam in Maryland?
There are 110 multiple-choice questions on the two-hour, computer-based exam. The test is divided into two sections. One covers national real estate topics, and the other asks questions about Maryland real estate laws and procedures. To pass, candidates must obtain at least a 70% on each section.
How many Realtors are there in Maryland?
According to the National Association of Realtors’ data, there are 27,259 Realtors in Maryland. This is a very slight increase from the previous month, and a 3.1% decrease from last year.
How much do real estate agents make in Maryland?
It all depends on the number of deals and the commission splits, but according to Indeed.com, the average real estate agent in Maryland makes $96,807 per year, which is around the same as the national average. Agents with ten or more years of experience should make about $17,000 more a year.
What’s the average home price in Maryland?
According to Zillow, Maryland’s home values rose 3% to reach $387,872 in 2023. Of course suburbs outside of bigger cities, like Washington D.C. have much higher averages. Bethesda’s home values are right around $1 million.
Real Estate Broker vs. Agent: A Head-to-Head Analysis
Bringing It All Together
It’s an interesting time to launch a career in real estate. We’re happy to share our expertise and research on the best real estate schools in Maryland to help you choose one that’s right for you. Have advice, thoughts, or more questions? Leave us a comment below!
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