AceableAgent

AceableAgent is an online real estate school that takes people through the pre-licensing education their state requires and prepares them for the licensing exam. It is part of the Aceable family, which also runs driving, insurance and mortgage courses, and the footer gives Aceable, Inc. an address in Austin, Texas. The homepage headline is "1,000,000+ Aspiring Real Estate Agents Chose AceableAgent," with a rating of 4.8/5 from 12,006 reviews. The reader is someone who wants a real estate license and has to fit the coursework around a job or family.

What a student gets

The homepage promise is "short videos, interactive games, and bite-sized lessons designed to keep you engaged. No textbooks. No snoozefests." Courses are "100% online and self-paced," usable "from any device, anytime," and come with audio voice-over so students can listen "while laying on a beach towel or going on a walk." Videos come from "multiple industry experts," and the course tracks progress to "identify areas that may need more practice before your exam."

The California page shows what this looks like in a real state. The license requires 135 hours in three DRE-approved courses of 45 hours each: California Real Estate Principles, California Real Estate Practice and California Legal Aspects of Real Estate, all under DRE Sponsor #S0654. Each course is split into levels with short assessments at the end; there is no time limit, but "you have to answer all of the questions correctly to pass," with multiple attempts allowed. Each course ends with a closed-book, timed final exam, preceded by a practice test. Finals are taken at home "with an online proctor at no additional cost," on a desktop or laptop with a webcam and microphone; tablets, Chromebooks and phones do not qualify. After all three finals, AceableAgent sends the certificates of completion to the state exam administrators.

Students switch between desktop and the iOS and Android apps, and the course saves their place. Support comes by email: "Our master instructors are available to answer any questions you have about the course content Monday through Friday," and a Student Concierge team helps during the week. The Basic package also lists "Email or text with course experts anytime." A "Virtual instructor is available 24/7 to answer your course questions," and the Deluxe package adds "an AI-powered course assistant."

Exam prep: AceMode and PrepAgent

Two tools sit on top of the course in the Deluxe and Premium packages. AceMode marks every topic "as strong, fair or weak" and builds personalized practice, so students can skip what they have mastered. PrepAgent, which the homepage calls "the most comprehensive real estate exam prep service," adds videos on state and national concepts, "thousands of state-specific and national practice questions with detailed explanations," audio lessons, online flashcards, an interactive ebook and "live webinars five times a week" with real estate experts. The Deluxe and Premium packages include 3 months of PrepAgent access and an "80+ page study guide." California students also get 900 free practice questions aligned to the state and national exam.

The California page cites its own study: "Based on the PrepAgent proprietary exam readiness assessment of over 2000+ students from hundreds of pre-license providers, AceableAgent students scored an average of 74%, while other real estate school students scored an average of 64%."

Packages and prices

The homepage lists starting prices by state: Arizona $449, California $199, Colorado $799, Florida $179, Georgia $219, Illinois $399, Michigan $169, New York $239, North Carolina $449, Pennsylvania $299, Ohio $949, South Carolina $479, Texas $449, Tennessee $199, Virginia $149 and Washington $199, each shown as "Starting at." The menu also lists Minnesota and Utah. A banner across the site advertises a "FALL FLASH SALE" with 40% off all real estate courses.

In California there are three packages, sold with Affirm or Klarna financing:

• Basic: the three 45-hour courses plus learning tools, with quizzes and knowledge checks, 1,000+ review questions and six study guides. "As low as $18/mo," or 4 interest-free payments of $49.75.
• Deluxe: everything in Basic plus the AI course assistant and advanced exam prep, which the FAQ describes as 1,660+ additional review questions, 75 video lessons, 70 audio lessons, flashcards and a review ebook. "As low as $27/mo," or 4 payments of $74.25.
• Premium: everything in Deluxe plus 1 hour of private tutoring, unlimited live webinars five times a week, the webinar library, live weekly Q&A, and Tom Ferry's Fast Track Career Course ("$149 Value"), 25 video lessons on starting a real estate career. "As low as $33/mo," or 4 payments of $89.75.

Guarantees

There are two separate promises. The first is a "100% Satisfaction Guarantee" described as a 30-day course trial: love it or get your money back, subject to terms and conditions. The second is the "Ace or Don't Pay Guarantee." The California FAQ says "Our real estate courses are so successful that we have a 91% first-time pass rate," and that "we guarantee you'll pass the state licensing exam. If you don't pass the California real estate license qualifying exam, you'll get your money back!" It adds that "Additional terms and conditions do apply. State laws and regulations may prohibit some students from qualifying." The Premium package carries the line "Pass the test or your money back!"

Licensing costs beyond the course

The California page is frank about the full cost. It says a pre-license course there can cost anywhere from $179 to $700 depending on the provider, that the state charges a $100 exam fee each time, a $350 application fee and a $49 fingerprinting fee, and that the total comes to "somewhere around $678 to $1,200." The state exam itself has 150 questions and needs a score of 70% or higher, and the only steps that must be done in person are fingerprinting and the exam.

Beyond the first license

AceableAgent continues past pre-licensing. The menu lists post-licensing courses for Florida, Georgia and Illinois, Texas Salesperson Apprentice Education, continuing education for Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York and Texas, a Career Fast Track professional development course, a career center with guides such as becoming a broker, a question of the day and a refer-a-friend program. The company says it has been "recognized by Newsweek, Fortune, and Housing Wire as being a top online real estate school," and the California page cites a "Rated Best Overall Real Estate School" mention by Fortune.

Who it suits and who it does not

AceableAgent suits people starting a real estate career in one of its states who want to study on a phone in short sessions. One parent quoted on the homepage writes that being "a mom of two under two is hard enough and Aceable make it convenient to pull out my laptop or cellphone any time I have a few minutes!" The 30-day trial and the pass guarantee lower the risk for first-time test takers, and the Premium package suits anyone who wants live webinars and a tutor.

It suits less well a student whose state is not on the list, or someone who wants a classroom with a set schedule. Proctored finals need a computer with a webcam, so a phone-only learner will still need one for the exams.