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Casa Academy has gotten a lot of attention lately as the newer, AI-powered prelicensing option for people getting their Florida real estate license. It is not the only option, and depending on how you learn and what your budget is, it might not even be the right one for you. I pulled together the six schools that actually matter for Florida candidates right now and compared them on the things that affect your wallet and your pass rate, not just marketing copy.
This kind of comparison matters to me beyond just real estate. On Ecommerce Paradise I spend most of my time teaching people how to evaluate any path to building their own income with real numbers instead of hype. That applies whether you are picking a high-ticket niche for a store or picking a licensing school. The same due diligence applies either way: look at the actual price, the actual format, and who each option is genuinely built for.
| School | Florida Price Range | Format | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Academy | $199 flat, no tiers | Self-study, AI tutor, adaptive questions | Disciplined self-study learners who want one simple price |
| AceableAgent | Entry package around $179 in Florida | Mobile-first app, self-paced | Learners who want a polished app and wider multi-state coverage |
| Gold Coast Real Estate School | $349 to $799 depending on format | Self-study, livestream, or in-person classroom | Candidates who want a choice of formats under one established Florida brand |
| Colibri | $248.34 list, often around $149 on promo | Self-study online courses | Budget shoppers who watch for sales and discount codes |
| The CE Shop | Mid-range, varies by package | Self-study online courses | Learners drawn in by marketed pass-rate claims (no published Florida-specific number) |
| Kaplan Real Estate Education | Starts around $459 for In-Person Class with Exam Prep | In-person and livestream classroom | Learners who need live instruction and brand recognition with brokerages |
The 6 Best Florida Real Estate Schools Compared
Every one of these six schools will get you through Florida’s 63-hour sales associate prelicensing requirement. The real differences show up in price per hour, how much live instruction you get, and what kind of support exists after you pass the state exam. Here is how each one actually stacks up.
1. Casa Academy: Best for App-First, AI-Powered Self-Study
Casa Academy is Florida-only and built entirely around self-study. It charges one flat price, $199, with no tiers, and that single price includes adaptive practice questions, unlimited Florida-specific exam practice, audio lessons you can listen to on the go, and a built-in ChatGPT-style AI tutor you can ask questions whenever you get stuck. There is no in-person option and only limited live instruction, so it is not for everyone.
If you are comfortable learning without a scheduled class and want a straightforward cost per hour of instruction in Florida with everything included at one price, Casa Academy is hard to beat. You can see current pricing on Casa Academy’s official site.
Our full Casa Academy review covers what the course actually includes. The separate Casa Academy pricing breakdown goes even deeper if you want more detail before buying.
2. AceableAgent: Best for a Polished App and Wider State Coverage
AceableAgent’s Florida entry package runs around $179, and like Casa Academy it is built mobile-first with a self-paced app experience. The difference is reach: AceableAgent operates in significantly more states than Casa Academy’s Florida-only footprint, which matters if you think you might relocate or get licensed somewhere else down the line.
AceableAgent leans heavily on a slick, well-reviewed mobile app rather than the AI-tutor angle Casa Academy pushes. You can check current Florida pricing through AceableAgent’s official site before deciding between the two.
Our dedicated Casa Academy versus AceableAgent comparison breaks down exactly where the two overlap and where they differ feature by feature.
3. Gold Coast Real Estate School: Best for a Choice of Formats
Gold Coast is one of Florida’s longest-running real estate schools, and its pricing reflects that range, from $349 up to $799 depending on whether you pick self-study, livestream, or full in-person classroom instruction. That spread means Gold Coast can work for very different kinds of learners under one brand, which is unusual among schools this established.
If you want the option to upgrade from self-study to live classroom instruction without switching providers entirely, Gold Coast’s format flexibility is the strongest argument for paying more than Casa Academy’s self-study-only model. Our Casa Academy versus Gold Coast comparison walks through the price-per-hour math across every Gold Coast tier.
4. Colibri: Best for Watching for Promo Pricing
Colibri lists its Florida prelicensing course at $248.34, but it runs promotions often enough that the real price most people pay is closer to $149. That promo price actually undercuts Casa Academy’s flat $199, though you are gambling on timing rather than locking in a published flat price the way Casa Academy’s $199 lets you do, and Colibri’s promo covers the base course only, not the AI tutor and unlimited exam practice that Casa Academy bundles into its price.
Colibri’s course format is self-study, similar in structure to Casa Academy, but without the adaptive AI tutor layered on top. Our Casa Academy versus Colibri comparison has the full pricing and feature breakdown if Colibri’s promo pricing has caught your eye.
5. The CE Shop: Best for Learners Drawn to Pass-Rate Marketing
The CE Shop markets itself heavily on “industry-leading pass rates,” but it does not publish a specific Florida pass-rate percentage to back that claim up, so treat it as a marketing line rather than a verified statistic until the company publishes real numbers. Its Florida pricing sits in the mid-range among self-study options, roughly comparable to Colibri’s list price before any promo.
The CE Shop’s course structure is straightforward self-study without the adaptive technology Casa Academy or Gold Coast’s premium tiers offer. Our Casa Academy versus The CE Shop comparison covers what you are actually getting for the price once you set the pass-rate marketing aside.
6. Kaplan Real Estate Education: Best for Live Instruction and Brand Recognition
Kaplan’s Florida offering centers on its In-Person Class with Exam Prep package, priced at $459. Kaplan does not clearly publish a cheaper, pure self-study Florida tier the way the other schools on this list do by default, which keeps its effective price per hour well above Casa Academy, AceableAgent, Colibri, and The CE Shop.
What you get for that premium is a live instructor, a fixed class schedule, and Kaplan’s decades of brand recognition with Florida brokerages, which can smooth your first conversations after you get licensed. Our full Casa Academy versus Kaplan breakdown runs the exact cost-per-hour math between these two if Kaplan’s structure appeals to you despite the price gap.
Price Per Hour: Running the Same Math Across All Six
Florida requires 63 hours of prelicensing education no matter which school you pick, so price per hour is the fairest apples-to-apples comparison. Casa Academy’s flat $199 price works out to roughly $3.16 per hour, and that already includes the AI tutor and unlimited exam practice, there is no higher tier to pay more for. AceableAgent’s $179 entry package lands around $2.84 per hour. Colibri at its $149 promo price comes in around $2.37 per hour, though that number jumps closer to $3.94 at full list price.
Gold Coast and The CE Shop sit in the middle of the pack depending on the tier you choose, typically landing somewhere between $5 and $9 per hour once you move past the cheapest self-study option. Kaplan’s $459 in-person package is the clear outlier at roughly $7.29 per hour, which is the real cost of paying for a live instructor rather than software.
Format Matters More Than Price When You Pick Wrong
The cheapest school on this list does you no good if the format does not match how you actually learn. Casa Academy, AceableAgent, and Colibri all bet on self-directed study, which rewards discipline and punishes procrastination. Gold Coast and Kaplan both offer a live classroom or livestream option precisely because plenty of candidates need external structure to actually finish 63 hours of coursework.
Be honest with yourself here before you look at price at all. If you have started and abandoned a self-paced online course before, paying more for Gold Coast or Kaplan’s live format is often cheaper in the long run than buying a discount self-study course twice because you never finished the first one.
Career Support: Where the Established Names Pull Ahead
Casa Academy, AceableAgent, Colibri, and The CE Shop are all primarily course providers, with limited structured career support once you pass your exam. Gold Coast and Kaplan, by contrast, have decades of relationships with Florida brokerages, which can translate into an easier time finding a sponsoring broker or getting your resume looked at seriously.
That advantage is real but it is not worth paying double per hour for on its own. If brokerage connections matter to you, factor it in as one input among several rather than the deciding factor, especially since plenty of new agents find a sponsoring broker through networking regardless of which school issued their prelicensing certificate.
What the Independent Research Actually Shows
Independent comparison research, including The Close’s breakdown of Gold Coast versus Casa Academy, consistently points to the same conclusion I landed on here: newer, software-driven schools like Casa Academy and AceableAgent compete on price and modern study tools, while established names like Gold Coast and Kaplan compete on format flexibility and brand trust. Neither approach is objectively better, they are built for different kinds of candidates.
Whichever school you pick has to satisfy the same underlying requirement set by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Florida Real Estate Commission it oversees. The actual statute behind that requirement lives in Chapter 475 of the Florida Statutes, and the curriculum hours it sets are fixed no matter which school you pick. Everything else about your experience is a product decision each school made differently.
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Is a Florida Real Estate License Even the Right Move?
I am not going to pretend every reader here should become a real estate agent. Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, real estate sales agent income is largely commission-based and uneven in the first year or two, which is a real tradeoff against the stability some people want. If that gives you pause, it is worth comparing it honestly against other paths to control your own income.
Our free high-ticket niches list is a solid starting point if a product-based business sounds more appealing than a commission-based license. If you want the deeper playbook on choosing suppliers once you are in that world, our guide to finding reliable suppliers covers the same vetting instincts applied to a different kind of business.
And if you decide a store is the better fit but do not want to build it yourself, our done-for-you store build service handles the setup for you.
If you would rather learn the basics first, our free mini course walks through the fundamentals in under an hour. Our full guide to what high-ticket dropshipping actually is covers the business model from the ground up if you want the complete picture.
Once you have picked a direction, our business formation guide covers the legal setup a surprising number of new business owners skip entirely, whether you end up licensed or running a store.
Total Cost Goes Beyond the Tuition Sticker Price
Every school on this list charges for prelicensing education, but none of that number includes the state application fee, fingerprinting, or the state exam fee itself, which Florida charges separately through Pearson VUE on top of your course cost. Budget an extra $100 to $150 beyond whichever course price you see advertised, regardless of which of these six schools you choose.
It is also worth asking how many attempts at the practice exam or retake support are included before you buy, since a failed state exam on your first try usually means paying a retake fee out of pocket. Casa Academy’s adaptive questions and Gold Coast’s live review sessions are both aimed at reducing that risk, just through very different methods.
How to Actually Decide Between These Six
Start with format, not price. If you know you will not finish a self-study course without a deadline, cross Casa Academy, AceableAgent, Colibri, and The CE Shop off your list and compare Gold Coast against Kaplan instead. If you are confident in your own discipline, compare Casa Academy’s AI tutor and adaptive questions against AceableAgent’s app experience and Colibri’s promo pricing.
Once format narrows your list to two or three realistic options, run the price-per-hour math yourself using whatever current pricing each school publishes, since promo pricing especially at Colibri changes over time. For a full state-by-state ranking that goes beyond just these six, our best online real estate school in Florida guide ranks every approved option by DBPR status first, then by evidence, then by price.
If Casa Academy’s newness is the thing holding you back specifically, our piece on whether Casa Academy is legit addresses that question directly rather than leaving you to guess.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Florida real estate school is the cheapest overall?
At full list price, AceableAgent’s roughly $179 entry package is the lowest sticker price, with Casa Academy’s flat $199 close behind. On a promo, Colibri can drop to around $149, which undercuts both. But Casa Academy’s $199 tends to be the better value once you factor in that it already includes unlimited Florida exam practice and an AI tutor built into that single price rather than charged as an upsell.
Is AceableAgent better than Casa Academy?
It depends on what you need. AceableAgent covers far more states and has a more established mobile app, while Casa Academy’s AI tutor and adaptive questions are more purpose-built for Florida’s specific exam. Our Casa Academy versus AceableAgent comparison breaks this down feature by feature.
Do any of these schools guarantee I will pass the Florida exam?
No legitimate prelicensing school can guarantee a pass, and claims like The CE Shop’s “industry-leading pass rates” are marketing language without a published Florida-specific number behind them. Treat pass-rate claims skeptically across every school on this list.
Is it worth paying more for Gold Coast or Kaplan’s live instruction?
Only if you genuinely need the structure. If you have a track record of finishing self-paced courses, the extra money these schools charge over Casa Academy or Colibri is not buying you a better outcome, just a different delivery method.
Can I switch schools partway through if I pick wrong?
Generally yes, since Florida only cares that you complete 63 approved hours and pass the state exam, not which single provider you used. You may lose money on an unused course, which is exactly why matching format to how you actually learn before you buy matters more than chasing the lowest price.
If an ecommerce business interests you as a separate project from real estate, join the Ecommerce Paradise Academy on Skool, free for 7 days, then paid, for the full course library and community.
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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