Illinois Real Estate School Online Reviews

When Chicago was first referred to as the “most impressive fly-over city” in the country, residents understandably took offense. Much of Illinois is rural, but Chicago is a world-destination. Moreover, just because the state is rural, doesn’t make it, or Chicago, not worthy of visiting or living.

Thankfully the real estate market agrees. Agents in Illinois are aware their state is one of the best-kept secrets, and continue to make big bucks with big sales. Additionally, Illinois online real estate schools serve this growing market, and if you’re thinking of a career in real estate, picking the right online school is fundamental to eventual success.

Illinois Real Estate School Reviews

The key to selecting an excellent online school is the reviews. The Internet has flattened communication, and we can now exchange ideas, opinions, commentary, and recommendations in an open, transparent fashion. If that Chai Macchiato Latte was a real dud, you’re going to hear about it online. The same goes for online real estate schools as well. If class support is terrible, the platform is clunky, and the price is through the roof, then the comments will reflect that.

4 Guidelines for Online School Success

Fleshing out the Illinois online real estate school winners isn’t difficult. Reviews will lay out a clear path. Yet, just because you choose a top school doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. Online schooling, in the same manner as in-person schooling, takes discipline. Following are four tips that will help ensure your online experience is a successful one.

1. Browse Intelligently – The best part about the web is you can intelligently create learning tools to help you in your studies. Also, many online students create folders with useful links related to the subject matter. They’ll then share these alongside tools like online flashcards to help with test preparation.

2. Join a Study Team – Study teams can be the difference between average and excellent grades. Concepts are covered in a classroom (in-person and online), but, some of those concepts can be difficult to keep up with up. Study teams group students to share what they’ve learned and help the collective group absorb the content. Just because you’re online doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of having fellow student interactions.

3. Treat Studying Like A Job – This tip is critical. Starting an online real estate program is not something to be taken lightly. Treat this decision seriously and treat studying like a job. Map out precise hours during the day to review the content you are hearing and seeing. Make sure you are in an environment that is conducive to studying and keep that weekly schedule constant.

4. Eliminate Distractions – In line with treating studying like a job is eliminating distractions. The best part about online learning is flexibility. The worst part about online learning can also be flexibility. If you aren’t resolute in minimizing distractions so you can study and advance accordingly, the flexibility to take classes when you want will fail. Attend courses and study in areas that are not frequented by others, and make sure all devices that could result in distractions are far away.

Analyzing Illinois Real Estate Schools Online Reviews

An online review can tell you a lot about a school. However, it can also tell you very little. The value of a review lies in the author’s credibility. Because you don’t know online reviewers personally, you must make educated guesses based on the most frequent ratings or rankings of a school.

Illinois Real Estate Schools Online Reviews

Illinois Online Real Estate Schools 4.54

4.54/5 Average Rating of Illinois Schools
7526 Total Reviews

Online reviews have radically changed the way we live. While that might sound like an exaggeration, an online review doesn’t only apply to things we purchase or consume. We use online reviews to judge whether a park is suitable for kids, what movies are the best in a particular genre, or how a music album compares to a band’s previous record. Reviews are used for nearly everything, and with the Internet, they are now for everyone to consume.

The critical thing to remember when using online reviews to judge real estate schools is the number and quality of the reviews. It is easy for people to collude and post negative online reviews about a school in an attempt to sway people from enrolling. Their motives are varied, but this does occur. The same happens on the other end as well. If you come across an online real estate school with nothing but 5-star, perfect ratings, that is also odd.

No school is perfect, and it is normal for a good school to have lots of reviews. As such, look for a healthy mix of good and bad reviews. The great schools end up having more average and very-good reviews. Second, lots of overly negative reviews are questionable. The person leaving them, based on the language they use, could be suspicious. And as mentioned earlier, the motive behind the review could also be questionable.

Reputable, online real estate schools will have many reviews, and few will fall into these questionable categories. A cursory review of 5 to 10 minutes is all it takes to see if they meet these criteria.

How to Use Several Websites for Online Real Estate School Reviews in Illinois

While extracting school reviews from one website sounds practical, it will provide a limited snapshot of the school. Nowadays, multiple sites will pull distinct reviews for schools, services, products, etc. A host of reviews to peruse and filter provides even more transparency and better insight. Reviews are easy to find and also fun to read!

Top 3 Real Estate Schools Online in Illinois

Like most large states, Illinois has a range of outstanding online real estate schools to choose from. Earning six figures in real estate in Illinois is a definite possibility, and the quality of online schools has progressed over the past decade.

Above all, three online Illinois, real estate schools, stand out – Colibri Real Estate, The CE Shop, and Real Estate School of IL.


1. Colibri Real Estate

colibri logo 600
4.5 stars

4.4/5 Rating (768 Reviews)

Colibri Real Estate has carved out a niche for itself within the online real estate school market. While many schools are proponents of fancy platforms and cutting-edge features, Colibri Real Estate places students in direct contact with professors. Positive, online reviews rave at the accessibility students have with Colibri Real Estate. They can communicate with their professors over email and the phone as well.

On the negative side (remember, every school has negative reviews), students were not big fans of the student forum. This area is supposed to group students to discuss course content and serve as a place to socialize. Yet, participation, according to reviewers, was low, and there was little intervention on behalf of the school.


2. The CE Shop

The CE Shop Logo
4.5 stars

4.57/5 Rating (6564 Reviews)

Being known for affordability has its perks, right? The CE Shop checks that box, and online reviewers back it up. Most reviewers claimed they had quoted competitor schools, and The CE Shop provided the best bang for their buck. Another positive review was excellent career preparation. This is a familiar knock against bad, online real estate schools. Many times, online school courses are well-received, but once the graduate hits the working world, everyday real estate challenges hit them unexpectedly. The CE Shop scores high based on reviewers with career preparation.

On the downside, a handful of reviews pointed to difficulty leaving The CE Shop program. Fair warning, this comment is prevalent across many online schools. Like most things, once you purchase, said provider wants to retain you. It’s difficult to conclude if this is a real issue with The CE Shop or merely a common complaint from those that want to leave for one reason or another.


3. Real Estate School of IL

Real Estate School of Illinois logo
4 stars

3.96/5 Rating (194 Reviews)

One of the highest-ranked online real estate schools in Illinois, the Real Estate School of IL, is head-to-head in terms of affordability with The CE Shop. Online reviewers rave in a similar manner surrounding the price. In fact, the school offers a 10% discount to those that match their same price or lower. That’s a plus that’s certainly worth raving about!

On the negative side, a lack of study materials was mentioned more than once. Referenced pages in study books could not be found, and complementary materials were sometimes left out. This is concerning, but can be remedied by the study groups that many Real Estate School of IL classes put together ahead of time. It’s a negative, but not an overly serious one.


What You’ll Need to Do After You’ve Completed Online Illinois Real Estate School

The first thing to do after you’re done with your Illinois online real estate course is celebrate! Soon after that, however, is applying for your license. A big part of your eventual success in a market as fertile as Illinois will be connections. These connections will arrive via your mentor broker.

A mentor broker is fundamental in this process. Moreover, they’re your entrance to getting your proverbial “feet wet” in the market, and the good ones will open up many doors. In conclusion, make sure to choose this person/firm with caution. They will be an excellent resource for the first two years.