On average, a Chicago real estate license holder can expect to make between $42,000 and $54,000 working full time in the real estate field. This number can quickly climb, however, with drive and experience, and it’s not rare for a hard-working real estate professional to make over $100,000 in a single year after spending a couple of years working in the field. For this reason, the career path of becoming a professional in real estate is one that is particularly attractive to working adults in Chicago looking to get out of a dead-end job and into a career with plenty of opportunity for growth.
Best Online Real Estate Schools For 2022
Online Chicago real estate license courses offer a feasible and simple option for these working professionals. With online courses, there is no need to juggle a full-time job with a night-school schedule or to wonder what you’re going to do with the kids while you need to be in class during the day. These online programs allow you to carry out your education on your time and on your terms, so you can work towards a brighter future without causing further stress to an already busy schedule.
Online Chicago real estate license courses aren’t only for working professionals, they also provide a great option for young people and parents looking to get back into the workforce. For young people aged 21 years of age or older, online Chicago real estate license courses provide something different from the traditional 4-year college degree path but still end with a career that holds plenty of potentials. Parents with young children who are looking to join back into the workforce once their children begin school can start their education path while spending time with the children at home, and be ready to start a successful new career as soon as their children enroll in school.
Requirements For Chicago Real Estate Professionals
Before getting into the top 3 online Chicago real estate license courses, we should make sure to look at the base requirements for enrolling in these courses and working towards your examination and eventual licensure. Each state observes their own license requirements, and Illinois is no exception. The requirements you’ll need to meet before becoming a real estate professional in Chicago are:
Basic age requirement – Chicago observes a basic age requirement of 21 for anyone looking to obtain their real estate license. While most states observe an age of 18 or older, Illinois requires prospective agents to be just a few years older.
Prerequisite education – Illinois also requires prospective real estate professionals to obtain a high school diploma or GED equivalent before enrolling in their chosen online Chicago real estate license courses.
Taking your course – In the state of Illinois, 75 hours of education can be taken in your chosen online course, but 15 hours must be taken in-person in order to meet your full 90 course credit hour requirement. This interactive study will be taken in a classroom type environment or through an interactive webinar, but these hours will be taken separately from your online course.
Pass the exam – After completing your course, you’ll then be ready to take the exam. The best online Chicago real estate license courses will offer exam prep to get you ready and confident for exam day, and the exam will be taken in person within an approved testing center in the Chicago area.
Outlining The Top 3 Online Chicago Real Estate License Courses
Now that we’ve got the requirements out of the way, it’s time to look at the best online Chicago real estate license courses. Naturally, you’ll want to opt for the best courses in order to give you your best chance at success working in the field. The top 3 online Chicago real estate license courses are:
1. Colibri Real Estate – Colibri Real Estate really offers it all in terms of online Chicago real estate license courses. For your pre-licensure courses, you can take all 75 hours using their course programs, which they have all laid out for you in simple packages. These packages ensure that you’re completing all of the courses you need to complete, and you may do so on your own time. When these courses are finished and it’s time to prepare for the exam, they also offer exam prep courses that include mock tests and easy to review information so you can walk into your testing appointment with confidence. After you’ve passed your exam, you can also use the program to complete your continuing education courses.
2. Career Web School – Career Web School offers the same types of course offerings as Colibri Real Estate, as well as an easy to follow and up to date outline of all of the Illinois real estate requirements. Requirements for obtaining and retaining your real estate license for Chicago will change occasionally throughout the years, and staying up to date with these changes is important to make sure you’re able to work professionally in your field. Career Web School also offers the unique ability to choose your courses in an a-la-carte fashion, so you can pick and choose which courses you’d like to take at any given time. For elective courses and continued education, this a-la-carte feature can really help you to specialize your expertise and develop specialty fields to best suit your community.
3. Brightwood Real Estate Education – Brightwood Real Estate Education also offers both pre-licensure programs as well as license renewal courses. While perhaps not quite as user-friendly as the simpler Colibri Real Estate or Career Web School, Brightwood also allows you to use the same program from your pre-licensure stage, to your exam prep, to your license renewal continued education hours like both of the aforementioned options. One aspect that Brightwood lacks when compared to Career Web School and Colibri Real Estate is a simple to access and simple to read outline of all updated Chicago real estate license requirements that you’ll need to meet to obtain or retain your licensure.