Best NY Real Estate Prep Courses: Honest 2026 Comparison

Comparing the major NY real estate exam prep options — what they cost, what’s included, who they’re best for. We include ourselves; we don’t claim to be best for everyone.

First: course vs prep tests — they are different products

An important distinction many candidates miss:

• 77-hour pre-licensing courses teach the legally required curriculum. You MUST complete one of these to sit for the State exam. Examples: RealEstateU, Colibri, Kaplan, NY Real Estate Institute, The CE Shop.
• Practice test prep products drill you on exam-style questions for the State exam itself. NY Real Estate Prep is one of these. Practice prep is optional, but most people who pass invest in it.

Many people buy both: a 77-hour course PLUS practice tests. Our product complements (doesn’t replace) the 77-hour course.

Full comparison table

RealEstateU — the cheapest 77-hour course

Best for: Budget-conscious self-directed learners.

RealEstateU is one of the cheapest 77-hour course options for NY (around $170-$220). The content is solid and covers the State curriculum, but the user experience is dated and there’s minimal hand-holding. If you self-direct well and want to spend the least to get the required credential, this is a reasonable choice.

Drawback: Doesn’t include much practice testing for the State exam itself. Plan to add a practice product (like ours) separately.

Colibri Real Estate — middle-of-the-road option

Best for: Self-directed learners who want a polished UX and some bundled extras.

Colibri (formerly Real Estate Express) offers tiered packages from ~$200 to ~$520. Higher tiers include exam prep, e-books, and live Q&A sessions. UX is significantly more polished than RealEstateU. Their question bank for practice is OK but not as NY-specific as you’d want.

Kaplan — the national brand

Best for: Learners who prefer a recognizable national brand and don’t mind paying more.

Kaplan offers NY-specific 77-hour courses with online and in-person options ($300-$700). Their material is well-organized but tends toward generic real estate content with NY add-ons rather than NY-specific content from the ground up. Practice prep is included in higher tiers but feels like a national bank with NY relabeling.

The CE Shop — strong on continuing ed too

Best for: Learners who want to bundle their 77-hour pre-licensing with future continuing education.

The CE Shop offers competitively priced NY 77-hour courses ($229-$549) and has a strong continuing-education arm. If you anticipate buying CE bundles every 2 years, building a relationship with The CE Shop has compounding value.

NY Real Estate Institute — NYC-focused in-person

Best for: NYC-based learners who want in-person classroom learning and local networking.

NYRES (NY Real Estate Institute) and REEDC (NY Real Estate Education Center) are both NYC-focused providers offering classroom instruction. Higher cost ($395-$595) but you get face-to-face instruction, networking with classmates, and instructors who actively work in NY real estate. For NYC learners who feel they need accountability, the in-person option can be worth the premium.

NY Real Estate Prep (us) — practice tests, not a course

Best for: Anyone preparing for the State exam who wants high-quality NY-specific practice tests without paying subscription fees.

We’re not a 77-hour course (you still need one to sit for the State exam). What we offer:

• 11 timed practice tests, 745 questions — all NY-specific
• 454 free flashcards, free exam simulator, free study guides
• One-time $17.99 — no subscription, no auto-renewal
• Multilingual support pages (Spanish, Korean, Russian, Chinese)
• 7-day money-back guarantee

How we fit: Pair us with any of the 77-hour course providers above. Use their material to learn the rules; use ours to drill until you pass.

How to choose what’s right for you

If you’ve already completed a 77-hour course: You just need practice tests. We’re the cheapest NY-specific option ($17.99 vs $50-$200 subscription elsewhere).

If you haven’t started yet: Pick a 77-hour course based on your budget and learning style:

• Tight budget, self-direct well → RealEstateU + our $17.99 prep
• Want polished UX → Colibri or The CE Shop + our prep
• NYC-based, want in-person → NYRES or REEDC + our prep
• Want bundled-everything → Kaplan top tier

Total budget across all options: $170-$700 depending on which 77-hour course you pick. The practice test add-on is small relative to course choice.