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If you are looking to become a real estate agent, your first step is to obtain a salesperson license in your state. This requires you to complete the pre-licensing courses and pass the salesperson exam.
Colibri Real Estate (formerly Real Estate Express) is an education provider approved in many states. It offers pre-licensing courses, exam prep, continuing education courses, and post-licensing courses. Colibri receives an extraordinary rating from a massive number of students. Many find its training material practical, thus lead them to successfully passing the salesperson exam.
Since you are reading this post, chances are you might have already heard about this online school before. But you would like to obtain more details so you may make an informed decision.
In this post, I will do a complete review of the Colibri. You will find out the course materials, costs, student reviews and ratings from different sources.
When choosing a real estate school, I prefer one where you could take the courses online. This way, you could study at your own pace whenever and wherever. The Colibri Real Estate is a trustworthy real estate education provider. You may click here to see whether they offer pre-licensing course in your state. (**)
Review Summary of the Colibri Real Estate Courses
Note: Below were the information obtained before Real Estate Express branded into Colibri Real Estate
| The Basics | Exam Preparation | Exam Preparation Plus | Ultimate Learning | Students Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $209.30 | $250.60 | $333.20 | $395.50 | 4.61 out of 5 stars from 1854 reviews |
| Alaska | $262.50 | $290.50 | $314.30 | $249.30 | 4.29 out of 5 stars from 34 reviews |
| Arkansas | $230.30 | $271.60 | $318.50 | $380.80 | 4.51 out of 5 stars from 882 reviews |
| California | $83.30 | $157.50 | $244.30 | $314.30 | 4.44 out of 5 stars from 40256 reviews |
| Colorado | $279.30 | $321.30 | $359.80 | $416.50 | 3.92 out of 5 stars from 7388 reviews |
| Florida | $92.40 | $143.50 | $223.30 | $307.30 | 4.46 out of 5 stars from 18656 reviews |
| Georgia | $188.30 | $230.30 | $293.30 | $349.30 | 4.58 out of 5 stars from 3782 reviews |
| Hawaii | $251.30 | $300.30 | $384.30 | $454.30 | 4.20 out of 5 stars from 61 reviews |
| Illinois | $230.30 | $300.30 | $349.30 | $415.10 | 4.48 out of 5 stars from 3771 reviews |
| Indiana | $352.80 | $391.30 | $431.90 | $510.30 | 4.02 out of 5 stars from 776 reviews |
| Iowa | $251.30 | $292.60 | $339.50 | $401.80 | 4.33 out of 5 stars from 316 reviews |
| Kansas | $136.50 | $177.80 | $252.70 | $336.00 | 4.27 out of 5 stars from 1168 reviews |
| Kentucky | $307.30 | $348.60 | $431.20 | $493.50 | 4.39 out of 5 stars from 846 reviews |
| Louisiana | $188.30 | $229.60 | $276.50 | $338.80 | 4.52 out of 5 stars from 476 reviews |
| Maryland | $139.30 | $174.30 | $226.80 | $296.80 | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $279.30 | $328.30 | $380.80 | $433.30 | N/A |
| Michigan | $125.30 | $166.60 | $213.50 | $275.80 | 4.32 out of 5 stars from 2896 reviews |
| Minnesota | $419.30 | $460.60 | $507.50 | $569.80 | 4.21 out of 5 stars from 1922 reviews |
| Mississippi | $139.30 | $180.60 | $263.20 | $325.50 | 4.62 out of 5 stars from 699 reviews |
| Missouri | $174.30 | $244.30 | $300.30 | $349.30 | 4.43 out of 5 stars from 6724 reviews |
| Montana | $209.30 | $250.60 | $297.50 | $359.80 | 4.32 out of 5 stars from 762 reviews |
| Nebraska | $209.30 | $261.80 | $314.30 | $366.80 | 4.47 out of 5 stars from 143 reviews |
| Nevada | $209.30 | $250.60 | $297.50 | $359.80 | 4.00 out of 5 stars from 398 reviews |
| New York | $216.30 | $254.80 | $293.30 | $349.30 | 4.35 out of 5 stars from 2098 reviews |
| Oklahoma | $263.90 | $305.20 | $369.60 | $414.40 | 4.41 out of 5 stars from 1076 reviews |
| Pennsylvania | $223.30 | $259.70 | $307.30 | $370.30 | 4.36 out of 5 stars from 2796 reviews |
| South Carolina | $420.00 | $461.30 | $508.20 | $570.50 | 4.21 out of 5 stars from 451 reviews |
| Tennessee | $188.30 | $229.60 | $276.50 | $338.80 | 4.43 out of 5 stars from 5278 reviews |
| Texas | $354.90 | $417.90 | $487.90 | $557.90 | 4.39 out of 5 stars from 19355 reviews |
| Vermont | $174.30 | $223.30 | $272.30 | $321.30 | 4.34 out of 5 stars from 32 reviews |
| Virginia | $118.30 | $159.60 | $242.20 | $304.50 | 4.45 out of 5 stars from 1754 reviews |
| Washington | $216.30 | $258.30 | $286.30 | $412.30 | 4.21 out of 5 stars from 3264 reviews |
| Washington DC | $192.50 | $244.30 | $297.50 | $332.50 | 4.21 out of 5 stars from 33 reviews |
| Wisconsin | $262.50 | $314.30 | $367.50 | $419.30 | 4.60 out of 5 stars from 5 reviews |
| Wyoming | $349.30 | $489.30 | $542.50 | $577.50 | N/A |
Source: RealEstateExpress.com (Aug 27, 2021)
Is Colibri Real Estate legit?
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Colibri Real Estate is a legit business. The legal name of the company is American School of Real Estate Express LLC. It is a Limited Liability Company (LLC), which incorporated on Sept 25, 1997.
The company has been accredited by BBB since May 3, 2006. It has an outstanding A+ rating, which is the highest rating one could get.
Here’s the company’s contact info:
- 399 S Spring Ave Ste 108 Saint Louis, MO 63110-1216
- Phone: (866) 739-7277
- Fax: (314) 205-1613
Is Colibri Real Estate accredited?
Colibri Real Estate is accredited by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) and the International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC).
Colibri Real Estate offers approved pre-licensing courses in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- *Montana
- Nevada
- *New York
- Oklahoma
- *Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
The above list may be subjected to change. You can contact your state real estate commission/department to verify the school name. Colibri Real Estate (may be listed as American School of Real Estate Express LLC).
Can you takes Colibri Real Estate courses at your own pace?
In most states, you can take the Colibri Real Estate courses at your own pace on your own time since their educational resources are available online. The materials are self-explanatory and easy-to-understand. But if you have any questions, you may contact their teachers online.
Here’s a student looking to serve the real estate needs in the Hispanic community
Real Estate Express has four pre-licensing education packages: Basic, Exam Preparation, Exam Preparation Plus, Ultimate Learning
These 4 education packages are available in most of the states and I’ll be using the one in California as an example.
1) The Basics package consists of the following:
- The required hours of pre-licensing course
- State approved instructor support
- 3 Real estate eBooks
- Note: This is good if you’re a disciplined self-starter
2) The Exam Preparation package consists of the following:
- The required hours of pre-licensing course
- State approved instructor support
- 3 Real estate eBooks
- Exam Prep
- Note: This provides extra exam simulation and weekly real estate insights
3) The Exam Preparation Plus package consists of the following:
- The required hours of pre-licensing course
- State approved instructor support
- 3 Real estate eBooks
- Exam Prep
- Exam Cram Video
- Real Estate Dictionary
- Instructor Q&A
- Note: It gives you live access to expert instructors
4) The Ultimate Learning package consists of the following:
- The required hours of pre-licensing course
- State approved instructor support
- 3 Real estate eBooks
- Exam Prep
- Exam Cram Video
- Real Estate Dictionary
- Instructor Q&A
- 90-day Boot Camp
- Printed Course Textbook
- 1 year of Professional Development Membership
- Note: This provides all the tools to equip you in becoming a real estate expert
Furthermore, in most states, Colibri Real Estate offers a “Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee” on the Exam Preparation, Exam Preparation Plus and Ultimate Learning packages.
I really like how confident they have on their products. But due to State Laws, these guarantees are not available in Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and Tennessee.
Colibri Real Estate has different education offerings in some states
Although the above four education packages are available in most of the states, there are some exception.
For example, in New Jersey, pre-licensing education is only available in the Livestream package. ($335.30). Also, there are some states where Real Estate Express is partnering with another school to provide education. For example, they partner with Arizona School of Real Estate Business and Hondros College for the pre-licensing courses in Ohio.
As for the ones in Maine and Utah, they are still working on it.
Colibri Real Estate has standalone exam prep
If you have already taken the pre-licensing courses somewhere else, you may purchase their standalone Exam Prep. The program includes:
- Simulated exams
- Flashcards
- Readiness Assessment
- Audio Review Guides
They also have a “Exam Prep Live“, where you may get access to:
- Exam Crammer Webinars
- Instructor Q&A
The Colibri is the online school that I like. Their Exam Prep have helped thousands of students pass their exam on the first try. They even have a “Pass or Don’t Pay” Guarantee. That’s why confident they are with their program. You may click here to view their exam prep. (**)
Here’s a father of a growing family who found the Exam Prep Master helpful.
Colibri Real Estate also offers other courses
In addition to the pre-licensing courses, Colibri Real Estate also offers continuing education courses, post-licensing courses, and broker courses. They offer continuing education courses through their sister company, McKissock Learning. They also have a CE Plus Membership, which allows you access to all CE courses in your state.
Some states may require post-licensing education. This is different from the CE requirement. Colibri Real Estate Express offers them in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia.
If you would like to upgrade your license in becoming a real estate broker, Colibri Real Estate also has broker pre-licensing courses for California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois Managing Broker, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, and Texas.
How is the rating of Colibri Real Estate?
According to the Colibri Real Estate website, and I quote they are “A leading real estate school for over 520,000 students. And counting.” Though they did display a few testimonials, I could not find any student rating.
They used to show such rating when they were still Real Estate Express. At that time, they received an outstanding average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from 768 reviews. But of course, anyone can brag about their business, so I look into ratings from independent sources and see if their positive reviews also hold up in there.
How did students rate Colibri Real Estate on Indeed?
Once again, since they re-branded from Real Estate Express to Colibri Group. The new brand hasn’t received too many rating at the time I’m writing this post.
Therefore, I checked out Real Estate Express on indeed.com. Out of 252 reviews, and it receives 4.1 out of 5 stars. As I read through the comments, many students said that they love that the course package allows them to study at their own pace.
A student was able to work full time while studying for the real estate license. Another one finished the course in only nine days and passed the the MO Real Estate exam on the 1st try.
Many found the course materials very hands-on, easy to navigate and understand. They said the tips and quizzes really help them prepare for the test and lay a solid foundation for the real estate career.
On the other hand, a student suggested it would be better if the program can have more picture diagrams and audio. This could be helpful for different types of learners.
What did students say about Colibri Real Estate on Facebook?
Colibri Real Estate has a company page on Facebook. I couldn’t find their review rating and there is a mixture of comments.
On the pros side, many students applauded the excellent customer service. They especially compliment one of their staff, Soledad Lam, and said she is the most friendly and helpful person they have met. If you have any problem with the program, you may try to reach her at 949-600-5041.
On the negative side, some people said that there were typos or grammatical mistakes.
Also, a student said there was a technical problem in accessing the course materials, but he couldn’t get help during the weekend. I checked on the BBB website, their office hours should be Monday to Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Although I believe the technical issue should be a rare incident, it’s better not to wait until the last weekend before the exam in studying for it. You may want to leave more buffer time.
Despite negative comments, Colibri Real Estate did respond to them and tried to resolve the issue.
What do Students Think of Colibri Real Estate?
If you are reading up to this point, I bet you must be interested in getting a real estate license. Your first step is to complete the pre-licensing courses. You should select one that has an excellent reputation and long-term track record of satisfying students. The Colibri is exactly that! You may click here to check it out yourself. (**)
Disclaimer: The information in this post is for general information only, and not intend to provide any advice. They are subjected to change without any notice, and not guaranteed to be error-free. Some of the posts on this site may contain views and opinions from individual not related to JCHQ Publishing. They do not necessarily reflect our view or position.
(**) Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. Our company, JCHQ Publishing will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking on the link. Please understand that we include them based on our experience or the research on these companies or products, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something through the links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
Reference:
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)- American School of Real Estate Express LLC (source)
- Facebook – Real Estate Express (source)
- indeed – Real Estate Express (source)
- Real Estate Express – Are you approved in my state? (source)
- Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) (source)
- International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC) (source)
