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If you have priced out a Florida real estate prelicensing course in the last few weeks, you already know the range is all over the map. I have seen Florida packages advertised anywhere from around $149 (with an active promo) to nearly $800 for what is, on paper, the same 63 hour sales associate course the state requires. That gap is not a typo, and it is not random either.
I run Ecommerce Paradise, where most of what I write about is building online businesses. My guide to high-ticket dropshipping is the flagship piece on the site, but a lot of my readers are also looking at licensed side careers like real estate, especially ones that let you work on your own schedule.
So I dug into what six of the major Florida prelicensing providers actually charge right now, ranked them cheapest to most expensive by raw sticker price, and broke down what you give up or gain at each price point.
Quick note before we get into it: the cheapest sticker price is not automatically the best deal here. A course that gets you licensed cheaply is only a good deal if you actually pass the state exam and feel ready for your first transaction, and some of these packages bundle in a lot more exam prep than others for the price. Keep that in mind as you read.
| School | Cheapest FL Package | Format | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colibri Real Estate | ~$149 (promo pricing) | Online, self-paced | Budget shoppers who catch an active promo at a longer-established provider |
| AceableAgent | $179 | Mobile-first online course | People who want the lowest non-promotional sticker price and study primarily from their phone |
| Casa Academy | $199 flat, no tiers | 100% online, self-paced, AI-driven | Self-starters who want unlimited exam practice and an AI tutor bundled into one flat price |
| The CE Shop | Mid-range pricing | Online, self-paced | Students who want a provider active in all 50 states |
| Gold Coast Schools | $349+ | In-person, live online, or hybrid | Students who want classroom instruction and local reputation |
| Kaplan Real Estate Education | $459 | In-person with exam prep bundled | Students who want a national brand and heavy exam prep |
Want the full rundown on the best value option on this list? I broke down exactly what you get for the flat $199 price at Casa Academy, including unlimited exam practice and the built-in AI tutor. Check out Casa Academy here →
Why Florida Prelicensing Costs Vary So Much
Every one of these schools has to deliver the same baseline: the 63 hour Florida Real Estate Sales Associate prelicensing course that the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) requires before you can even sit for the state exam. That requirement comes straight from Florida Statute Chapter 475, the law that governs real estate licensing in this state, and it does not change based on which school you pick.
What does change is everything wrapped around those 63 hours. A school running physical classrooms in Fort Lauderdale or Orlando has rent, instructors, and facilities to pay for. A school built as a pure software product, like Casa Academy with its AI-driven practice questions and built-in tutor, has engineering and content costs instead, and those scale very differently as more students sign up.
Live instruction, printed materials, in-person proctoring, career coaching after you pass, these all cost money, and schools that offer more of them tend to charge more for the base package. That is not a knock on the pricier schools. It is just the tradeoff you are making.
Ranked From Cheapest to Most Expensive: Florida Prelicensing Costs in 2026
1. Colibri Real Estate: Around $149 Promo Price
Colibri has been in this space a long time under a few different brand names, and their Florida package normally lists around $248.34 but is very commonly discounted down near $149 through promo pricing. If you shop at the right time, Colibri lands as the cheapest sticker price on this entire list, with the benefit of a longer operating history and a brand a lot of agents already recognize.
The tradeoff is that promo pricing is not guaranteed. If you catch Colibri outside a sale window, you are paying closer to full list price, which pushes it well past every other option on this list.
2. AceableAgent: $179
AceableAgent built its name on mobile-first studying, the idea being you can work through your 63 hours from your phone between appointments or on a lunch break. Their Florida entry package runs $179, which makes it the cheapest non-promotional, always-available sticker price in this comparison, undercutting Casa Academy’s flat $199 by $20.
What you get for the extra money over a promo-priced Colibri is a more established track record and a course built specifically around phone-based studying rather than desktop-first. If that is how you actually plan to study, it might be worth the premium over the promo price. You can see current pricing through my AceableAgent link.
3. Casa Academy: $199 Flat, No Tiers — the Best Value Pick
Casa Academy is the newest name on this list, and it recently simplified its pricing: instead of multiple tiers, it is now one flat price of $199 for everything, with no add-ons to climb through. Florida-only, 100% online and self-paced, with no in-person option and limited live instructor support, but what you get in exchange is genuinely different from the older schools.
That $199 covers the full 63-hour Florida prelicensing course, unlimited access to a bank of 650+ Florida exam practice questions, a full-length timed practice exam built to mirror the weighting of the real state exam, and an AI tutor built into every lesson that you can ask questions to in English or Spanish while you study.
On raw sticker price, $199 is not the cheapest number on this list anymore. AceableAgent opens at $179 and Colibri’s promo price often lands near $149. But neither of those competitor prices is guaranteed to include unlimited exam-specific practice or AI tutoring at that price; where those features exist elsewhere, they are commonly sold separately as an add-on. So the real comparison is not $199 versus $179 or $149 in isolation, it is $199 all-in at Casa Academy versus a lower sticker price elsewhere plus whatever you would end up paying separately for comparable exam prep. For a self-motivated student who wants exam practice and tutoring handled inside one flat fee rather than tracked down and paid for piece by piece, Casa Academy is the strongest value on this list even though it is no longer the single cheapest sticker price. I go deeper into what is actually inside the $199 package in my full Casa Academy breakdown. I also compared it feature by feature against pricier competitors in my Casa Academy alternatives guide.
Industry coverage of this pricing gap, including a side by side against Gold Coast, has been written up by The Close, a real estate industry publication that tracks these providers closely.
4. The CE Shop: Mid-Range Pricing
The CE Shop operates in nearly every state, not just Florida, and markets itself heavily around what it calls industry-leading pass rates. I want to be straight with you here: I could not find a Florida-specific pass rate percentage published anywhere on their site, so I am not going to repeat a number I cannot verify. What I can tell you is that their Florida pricing sits in the middle of this list, more expensive than Colibri’s promo price, AceableAgent, or Casa Academy’s flat fee, but cheaper than Gold Coast or Kaplan.
If you value a provider that operates nationally and might move to another state down the road, that consistency has some value. Just do not let the pass rate marketing push you into paying more without checking Florida-specific numbers yourself.
5. Gold Coast Schools: Starting Around $349
Gold Coast is a Florida institution in the literal sense, they have been training agents in this state for decades and have a strong reputation, especially in South Florida. Their pricing starts around $349 and climbs as high as $799 depending on whether you choose online self-paced, live online classes, or full in-person instruction.
That is well above what Casa Academy, AceableAgent, or a promo-priced Colibri charge for the entry package, but you are paying for live instructors, a long track record, and a format with an actual classroom if that is how you learn best.
6. Kaplan Real Estate Education: $459
Kaplan’s In-Person Class with Exam Prep package runs $459, making it the most expensive option on this list. Kaplan leans hard into in-person instruction and bundles substantial exam prep into that price, which is a real selling point if you know you need structure and a classroom environment to actually finish a course instead of letting it sit half done.
If budget is your main driver, Kaplan is not the place to start. If structure and live instruction matter more to you than price, it is worth a look.
What You Actually Get at Each Price Point
Here is the pattern I noticed going through all six of these. The cheapest sticker prices, Colibri at promo pricing and AceableAgent, are both 100% self-study with no live classroom component. Casa Academy, at a flat $199, sits just above them on price but bundles in unlimited exam-specific practice and an AI tutor that the cheaper options don’t necessarily include at that price without paying extra.
The middle tier, The CE Shop, still skips the classroom but adds more polish and brand recognition, which is part of why it costs more than the cheapest options even though the end product (63 hours of approved content) is functionally the same requirement.
The top tier, Gold Coast and Kaplan, is where you are paying for actual humans: live instructors, in-person options, and in Gold Coast’s case, decades of local reputation in the Florida market. If career support after licensing matters a lot to you, these two schools tend to offer more of it, while newer, cheaper, tech-driven schools like Casa Academy are generally lighter on post-license career coaching since that is not where their cost structure is built around.
Hidden Costs Beyond the Course Itself
Whatever school you pick, the course fee is not the only money you will spend to get licensed in Florida. You still owe the state exam fee, a fingerprinting and background check fee, and the DBPR license application fee on top of your course cost. None of the six schools above include those in their advertised course price, so budget for them separately.
I would also budget for the possibility that you do not pass the state exam on your first attempt. Florida’s pass rates are not published per school in a way I can verify, so rather than quote a number, my advice is simpler: pick a course with solid built-in practice exams (Casa Academy’s unlimited practice questions and full timed practice exam, and Kaplan’s bundled exam prep, both specifically target this) so you are not paying for a retake out of pocket.
You can verify any provider’s current Florida approval status directly through the DBPR license search tool before you hand over a credit card, which takes about two minutes and removes any guesswork about whether a course actually counts.
Is the Cheapest Option Always the Right Call?
Not automatically, no. I tell people this constantly when they ask me about choosing suppliers for an online store too, the cheapest vendor is not always the right vendor, it is the one that gets you to your actual goal reliably. My guide to vetting suppliers walks through a similar process: check the track record, read what other customers actually experienced, and weigh price against what you are really getting.
For Florida prelicensing specifically, if you want the lowest raw sticker price and don’t mind chasing a promo window, AceableAgent at $179 or a promo-priced Colibri around $149 will get you there cheaper upfront. But if you are self-motivated, comfortable studying without a classroom, and want exam practice and tutoring bundled into the price instead of priced separately, Casa Academy’s flat $199 is the best value path to your 63 hours right now, even though it is not the single cheapest number on the list. If you want a side-by-side on how it stacks up feature for feature against pricier competitors, read my full Casa Academy review.
Or if you would rather see every option laid out at once, check my roundup of the best online real estate schools in Florida.
Not sure Casa Academy fits how you study? See how it compares against AceableAgent and the rest of the field. Compare AceableAgent pricing here →
How to Save Even More on Your Prelicensing Course
A few practical things I would do regardless of which school you choose. First, check for an active promo code before you check out. Colibri in particular swings its price by nearly $100 depending on whether a promo is running, so never pay full list price there without checking first.
Second, look at whether the package includes exam prep or whether that is sold separately. A course that looks cheaper upfront can end up costing more once you add exam prep as a separate purchase, so compare total cost, not just the advertised entry price. This is exactly where a flat, all-in price like Casa Academy’s $199 can end up cheaper in practice than a lower sticker price elsewhere.
Third, if you are between two options at a similar price, I would lean toward whichever one has features that match how you actually study. If you learn by doing practice questions over and over, Casa Academy’s unlimited practice question bank is built specifically for that. If you need to hear information explained out loud, their audio lessons solve that too. Picking based on learning style rather than brand name tends to save people from paying for a retake down the road.
What to Do After You’re Licensed
Once you pass the state exam and get your license activated, most new agents immediately face a second decision that has nothing to do with real estate directly: how to structure the business side of things. A lot of agents operate as independent contractors from day one, which means forming an LLC or S-corp matters for liability and tax reasons almost immediately. My complete guide to business formation walks through exactly how that process works.
If you want help setting it up without doing all the paperwork yourself, Northwest Registered Agent is who I point people toward for privacy-focused LLC formation, since they use their own address on all your public filings instead of your home address.
On the bookkeeping side, commission income is irregular by nature, so separating business and personal finances early matters more than it does in a steady paycheck job. Finaloop is worth a look if you want your books handled automatically instead of doing spreadsheets yourself every month.
Separately, and unrelated to the real estate licensing process itself: some people also look for a second income stream that doesn’t depend on any single career, real estate included, since no job or commission structure is entirely immune to slow stretches. That is the kind of thing Ecommerce Paradise covers, and if you are curious what that looks like as its own separate project, my high-ticket niches list is the starting point I give anyone who asks what to actually sell.
If that is interesting to you as a separate project, grab my free niches list here first. It costs nothing and there is zero obligation to do anything with it.
If you want to understand the full ecommerce model before committing to anything, my masterclass walks through how high-ticket dropshipping actually works step by step. Or start smaller with my free mini course if a full masterclass feels like a lot right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the absolute cheapest way to get a Florida real estate license?
On raw sticker price, AceableAgent’s $179 entry package and Colibri’s promo price around $149 are the lowest numbers on this list right now, though Colibri’s promo is not always running. Casa Academy charges a flat $199 with no tiers, which is not the lowest sticker price, but it bundles in unlimited Florida exam practice and an AI tutor that you would often pay extra for elsewhere, so it is worth comparing total cost, not just the entry number. Whichever you choose, remember the course fee does not include the state exam fee, fingerprinting, or the DBPR application fee, which apply no matter which school you choose.
Do cheaper online courses count the same as expensive in-person ones?
Yes, as long as the provider delivers FREC’s required 63 hour sales associate curriculum, the format does not change whether the hours count toward your license eligibility. You can confirm any provider’s current status through the Florida Real Estate Commission directly.
Is Colibri’s promo price always available?
No. Colibri’s Florida package lists around $248.34 and is frequently discounted toward $149, but promo pricing comes and goes, so check current pricing before assuming you will get the lower number.
Should I pick a school based on price alone?
I would not. Price is a good starting filter, but match the course format to how you actually study, and weigh what is bundled into the price against what is sold separately. A self-paced AI-driven course like Casa Academy suits independent learners who want exam prep included, while a classroom format from a school like Gold Coast or Kaplan suits people who need structure to finish.
What other costs should I budget for besides the course?
Plan for the state exam fee, a background check and fingerprinting fee, and the DBPR license application fee on top of whatever course you choose. None of the six schools in this comparison include those costs in their advertised course price.
Interested in starting an ecommerce business as a separate project, unrelated to real estate? See how a done-for-you high-ticket store works. Explore the turnkey store build →
If you want ongoing guidance instead of a done-for-you build, my coaching program is the other path a lot of people take for that separate interest. And if you just want to dip a toe in first, the Ecommerce Paradise Academy on Skool is free for your first 7 days, then a paid membership after that, with the full course library and direct access to me inside. You can check it out at https://www.skool.com/ecommerceparadise.
Trevor Fenner is an ecommerce entrepreneur and the founder of Ecommerce Paradise, a platform focused on helping entrepreneurs build and scale profitable high-ticket ecommerce and dropshipping businesses. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Trevor specializes in high-ticket dropshipping strategy, niche and product selection, supplier recruiting and onboarding, Google & Bing Shopping ads, ecommerce SEO, and systems-driven automation and scaling. Through Ecommerce Paradise, he provides free education via in-depth guides like How to Start High-Ticket Dropshipping, advanced training through the High-Ticket Dropshipping Masterclass, and fully done-for-you turnkey ecommerce services for entrepreneurs who want a faster, more hands-off path to growth. Trevor is known for emphasizing sustainable, real-world ecommerce models over hype-driven tactics, helping store owners build scalable, sellable, and location-independent brands.
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