Picking the right real estate schools is crucial for your real estate career. A good real estate school can help you meet your goals, whether you’re looking for a comprehensive pre-licensing course or materials for exam prep. In this post, I’ve ranked and reviewed the top six real estate schools in McAllen, Texas, along with my top choice, so you can pick the right one for your requirements.
Curious about my top picks in this post? My favorite choices for the real estate schools in Texas are Aceable Agent and Real Estate Express.
Real estate is a rewarding career in Texas, as it is a huge state with numerous opportunities for real estate agents. Plus, some of the fastest growing cities are also in Texas, meaning all industries are booming here. The average salary of a real estate agent in Texas is around $105,878 per year, depending on the expertise. Besides that, the Texas home values have risen by 22.1% compared to the previous year. Additionally, there are 113,251 homes for sale in the state, and the listed median price for homes in Texas is $405,000.
So, if you’re willing to buy and sell homes in Texas, you must know that the demand is continuously increasing. Thus, this is the right time to get your Texas real estate license and begin the career of your dreams.
This guide will help you to:
- Choose one of the best online real estate schools in Texas
- Learn about their best features and offers
- Compare the different schools according to your requirements
What are the Best Real Estate Schools in McAllen, Texas?
The best online real estate schools in McAllen, Texas, include my top choices, Aceable Agent and Real Estate Express, along with other picks. These best real estate schools in Texas are state-approved, and they offer courses that will help you get a Texas real estate license. To get a Texas real estate license, you must complete a 180-hour pre-licensing course. The online real estate schools in Texas will allow you to complete this course using different study formats according to your flexibility. For instance, some schools offer online Livestream and self-paced courses, while others will allow you to attend the Texas real estate classes in person. With online real estate schools, you have more flexibility and can complete a course in the comfort of your home.
1. Aceable Agent
Best Overall
Zack’s Take:
Aceable Agent is my top pick as it offers a perfect solution to students with hectic schedules. The mobile app is easy to use, and its courses and materials are easy to process.
- Best For Mobile devices
- Price: $499 to $593 for pre-licensing
Overview
Aceable Agent has headquarters in Austin, Texas, but it offers online Texas real estate education to aspiring agents in many other states. It is one of the top online real estate schools, with a pass rate of 80%. The school offers video and audio lessons, practice exams, exam prep e-books, and live webinars. The online classes offered by Aceable Agent are compatible with all types of devices. Once you’ve purchased a package from Aceable Agent, you can use their user-friendly mobile app. The real estate school is a perfect choice for students with busy and irregular schedules.
Highlights
- There are easy-to-navigate courses, educational resources, and testing materials available for the students.
- They offer a broker-agent matching program that allows you to interact with a real estate broker in your vicinity.
- Their mobile app is compatible with all devices and allows you to take classes anywhere and anytime.
- The online real estate school is 100% TREC-approved and includes the 180-hours pre-licensing course needed to get a Texas real estate license.
- The school is endorsed by top agents such as Chris Heller, which means it is reliable.
- Their website has an option that allows you to compare various packages to choose one that suits your requirements best.
Pricing
Aceable Agent offers three main packages for pre-licensing courses; Basic, Deluxe, and Premium. The Basic plan is for $499, Deluxe is for $536, and Premium is for $593. Besides that, there are Continuing Education classes available in bundles, the 18-hour bundle is for $89 and the 8-hour bundle is for $45. You can also choose from the individual CE courses, which range from $26 to $30.
What I Like
I appreciate that Aceable Agent is one of the first real estate schools to develop a mobile app. The app allows you to switch seamlessly among your gadgets and take classes anywhere and anytime.
What I Dislike
There are a few materials related to practice questions and overall exam prep. I think that the school should provide more practice materials to prepare for the state exam.
2. Real Estate Express
Best Runner-Up
Zack’s Take:
Real Estate Express is my second pick as it is one of the country’s most reliable real estate schools. It has a panel of the most experienced and knowledgeable instructors, and its courses and packages are well-organized.
- Best For Course Content
- Price: $384 for the basic online package and $601.30 for Livestream packages
Overview
Real Estate Express offers top-of-the-line courses to aspiring agents all over the country. The school has helped thousands of students complete their Texas real estate education and pass the state exams with good rates. It is approved and accredited by IDECC and ARELLO, which makes it a reliable option for obtaining a Texas real estate license. Besides its comprehensive packages, Real Estate Express also offers live training every week to prepare the students for exams.
Highlights
- There are various learning features and tools on the website, including exam prep tools and access to instructors.
- Their courses are affordable as the course prices are split into three payments, allowing the students to pay quickly.
- Their instructors have decades of real estate experience, and they offer comprehensive live support to the students.
- There are a variety of packages that allow you to choose any one that suits your requirements.
- There are Livestream and self-paced packages; the Livestream courses allow you to learn in real-time, while the self-paced courses enable you to learn at your own pace.
Pricing
Real Estate Express offers four different packages; the basic online package is $384, and the Ultimate learning package is $601.30. Besides these online packages, there are Livestream packages, which are available for $601.30 for 180-hours pre-licensing courses.
What I Like
What I like most about Real Estate Express is its curriculum and courses are very professionally designed. Their packages deliver excellent value for money, and the students get a lot of knowledge and materials for preparation.
What I Dislike
I dislike that the school doesn’t offer a Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee, which many other real estate schools provide. Besides that, some of the courses are difficult to process quickly.
3. Champions School of Real Estate
Best For Course Variety
Zack’s Take:
Champions School of Real Estate is one of my favorite picks as it allows you to choose from various course formats according to your flexibility.
- Best For Course Formats
- Price: $980 for pre-licensing
Overview
Champions School of Real Estate has five physical schools in Texas but none in McAllen. However, there are online options for students from other cities in Texas that allow you to learn in the comfort of your home. You can get an all-in-one experience at this school as it offers a variety of courses with different delivery methods. Though their pre-licensing courses are a bit expensive, the exam prep is more affordable than other real estate schools.
Highlights
- There are a variety of course formats which include blended classroom, virtual classroom, online interactive, and online correspondence.
- The school allows you to choose any delivery method or select all of them too.
- The online real estate school offers pre-licensing, continuing education, exam prep, broker, and sales agent apprentice education.
- There are helpful student resources, including FAQs and detailed guides on renewing a Texas Real Estate license.
- There are specific study materials for exam prep, and the school has a good pass rate.
- The Texas real estate school allows you to switch between different delivery methods according to your convenience.
Pricing
The 6-course licensing program is for $980, and the price for the course increases as you add more courses. For instance, the 11-course licensing and renewal program with success tools costs $1624. The exam prep is $120, so you can choose a delivery method.
What I Like
I like that the school allows you to choose a delivery method for each course. Using this feature, you can use either blended classroom, virtual classroom, online interactive, or online correspondence for any package.
What I Dislike
The courses offered by Champions School of Real Estate are very costly. These bundles and packages are far more expensive for someone looking for a budget solution.
4. Kaplan
Best For Interactive Education
Zack’s Take:
Kaplan is on my list as it prepares aspiring real estate agents for real-world skills that will help them in their real estate careers.
- Best For Interactive Education
- Price: $389 for pre-licensing home study, $169 for exam prep
Overview
Kaplan real estate school offers pre-licensing, post-licensing, exam prep, and continuing education to Texans. For pre-licensing, they further provide salesperson pre-licensing courses and broker licensing courses. The Texas real estate school has been around for many years and has study materials, textbooks, and experienced instructors to help aspiring real estate agents. Kaplan stands out for its on-demand videos and live streams, which students can take to learn from home.
Highlights
- The school offers an interactive platform that allows the students to get their queries answered quickly with the help of instructors.
- Real estate professionals design and write the courses and content, and thus they provide valuable insight into real estate education.
- There are different delivery methods which include OnDemand online Video, Home Study, and Live Online.
- The Texas real estate school also offers an on-demand real estate math course that helps students with finance and mathematical areas.
- There is a Real Estate Accelerator live online sales training and coaching course for professional development.
Pricing
The school offers different pre-licensing packages starting from $389 and ending at $1089. The packages include On-demand videos, home study packages, and live online packages. The exam prep courses are $169 for both pre-licensing classes.
What I Like
I admire the school’s ability to provide an interactive and flexible platform to those who seek real estate education in Texas. The best thing about this school is that it also offers career launch packages so students can easily step into the practical world after completing their education.
What I Dislike
I think that the packages are not as flexible as they should be. Plus, the formats are a bit complicated; for instance, the on-demand and live online packages are similar to home study packages but are still categorized differently.
5. Real Estate Business School
Best For Busy Schedule
Zack’s Take:
Real Estate Business School is on my list because it offers excellent flexibility to the students. The school also provides self-paced learning for busy learners.
- Best For Busy Schedule
- Price: $449 for pre-licensing, $99 for Continuing Education, $155 for exam prep
Overview
Real Estate Business School is located in Austin, Texas, but it offers online education to people all over Texas. The Texas real estate school provides courses for salesperson license and broker Texas real estate license, continuing education, commercial courses, and more. Their exam prep course is comprehensive and includes all the terminologies and concepts to help you understand the exam-taking techniques. Their courses are well-organized and fast-paced and are designed to assist you in the best way possible.
Highlights
- The school offers multiple packages and individual courses for pre-licensing and continuing education.
- The Texas real estate courses are easily accessible from any tablet or desktop computer so that you can learn in the comfort of your home.
- There is no course expiry date, meaning you can access the course material and content anytime after completion.
- The school allows you to choose the live learning option or have a mix of live and self-paced courses.
- There are comprehensive education resources on the website, which include a book store and how-to guides.
Pricing
The licensing package offered by Real Estate Business School is $449. This package includes online with on-demand video and consists of a 180-hours course, exam preparation, and mentoring. The Continuing Education course is for $99. Besides that, their exam prep course is for $155, which includes online on-demand videos.
What I Like
The best thing about Texas Real Estate Business School is that it allows you to complete the real estate courses at your own pace and according to your schedule. The school can be a good choice for those who have a busy routine.
What I Dislike
I believe that their courses are not the best solution for people who prefer an interactive learning experience. Many real estate terminologies and concepts can confuse beginners, so having instructor support and interaction is essential for many.
6. VanEd
Best For Experienced Agents
Zack’s Take
VanEd is one of my choices for the Texas real estate schools as it offers affordable pre-licensing courses. It is also a good option for experienced agents looking to polish their careers.
- Best For Experienced agents and professionals
- Price: $347 for pre-licensing and $41 for exam prep.
Overview
Van Education is a well-known real estate education provider in the country. It offers pre-licensing, exam prep, post-licensing, continuing education, and appraisal courses. However, it doesn’t offer classes in all states, but if you live in Texas, you’re lucky. Their official website is very easy to navigate and is equipped with lots of tools and features to help you throughout the courses. If you’re an experienced real estate agent, you can still improve your resume by learning more skills and techniques from the instructors of this school.
Highlights
- The school is approved by IDECC and ARELLO and is certified by CDEI, REEA, and RAPDD.
- Their Texas pre-licensing package includes downloadable books that allow you to print the course and have it in physical form.
- They offer a comprehensive exam prep course which includes topic review, topic exams, and a comprehensive final exam with varied questions.
- There are three main packages for pre-licensing, which include Standard, Convenience, and Premium packages.
- The school offers different payment plans through which you can choose a two or three-month installment option to cover the price of the course.
Pricing
The Standard package is $347 and contains 180 hours of pre-licensing courses, exam prep, downloadable e-books, live customer service, and payment plans. The Convenience and Premium package includes all these features and Recorded Proctoring Service (RPS). Besides that, the exam prep course is for $41 and $55.
What I Like
I like that VanEd offers different payment plans that help students easily pay their tuition fees. Besides that, the online chat system is beneficial as it lets you connect to the staff and get support immediately.
What I Dislike
VanEd should introduce a mobile app that could help the students get the classes more flexibly. A user-friendly app will improve the student experience as it will help them learn anywhere and anytime on their mobile devices.
What are the Requirements to Get a Real Estate License in Texas?
To get a Texas real estate license, you must complete six courses of 180 hours from a real estate school. These courses include:
- Principles of Real Estate 1
- Principles of Real Estate 2
- Law of Agency
- Law of Contracts
- Real Estate Finance
- Promulgated Contract Forms
These six courses must meet the TREC requirements and should undergo a check through the Texas Real Estate Commission. After completing the courses from a state-approved school, you must pass the state exam with a minimum score of 70%. The Texas Real Estate Exam has a total of 125 questions, out of which 85 are national, and 40 are state. To pass the exam, you must score at least 56 on the national and 21 on the state.
How Much Does a Realtor Make Per Year in Texas?
The salary of a real estate agent in Texas or any state depends on a variety of factors. However, the average salary of a realtor is $98,446 per year in Texas. The average wages also depend on the years of experience, expertise, and skills. The more experienced the realtor is, the more his salary is.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Real Estate License in Texas?
To obtain a Texas real estate license, you must do a 180-hour pre-licensing course. There are six courses to get a real estate license in Texas, each of which is 30 hours. Now the period required to cover the 180-credit hours depends on the real estate schools. Some schools will take around 4 to 6 months while others might complete it more quickly, that is, in about 3 to 4 months, if the classes are conducted daily.
How Much Does it Cost To Get a Real Estate License in Texas?
The total cost to get a Texas real estate license doesn’t only involve the cost of the courses but also other fees such as exam fees, application fees, fingerprinting fees, textbooks, etc. It costs around $500 to $1000 for pre-licensing courses, which include 180-hour of a total of six courses. Besides that, every real estate school has different prices for these courses. These schools also offer different types of packages, and the cost may increase according to instructor support, materials access, and many other features.
Conclusion
A Texas real estate agent career has many benefits, mainly if you have obtained a license from a renowned and state-approved school. Since there are a wide variety of real estate schools in Texas, it gets difficult for a beginner to choose one. That is why I have reviewed the top schools offering real estate education to Texans. As you look through your options, don’t forget to check out my comprehensive review of Texas’s best real estate school.
