Real Estate University

What Real Estate University does

Real Estate University (legal entity Real Estate School LLC, dba Real Estate University) is a Connecticut-based private real estate education provider founded in 2005 by Karena Piedmont. The firm delivers state-mandated pre-licensing and continuing education courses required to obtain and maintain Connecticut salesperson and broker real estate licenses. Its core product is the 60-hour Salesperson Principles & Practices course, offered via live-stream on Zoom or in-person at its Westport, CT headquarters, supplemented by a 120-hour broker pre-licensing program, continuing education, private tutoring, and exam preparation. The school reports having trained over 7,000 students cumulatively and is self-described as the highest-rated real estate school in Connecticut, with a differentiated bilingual (Spanish) offering reported as the only one of its kind in the state.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer tuition model with one-time course fees in the $375-$700 range (e.g., $530 live-stream or $555 in-person for the core 60-hour course). Distribution combines self-serve online enrollment (processed via Square), phone-based inside sales with extended 9am-9pm hours, in-person classes capped at 6 students per session, and a channel partnership with The CE Shop that broadens geographic reach into all 50 states for appraisal and mortgage (MLO) courses. Course content delivery uses Zoom for live-streaming and Recampus for on-demand exam prep and bookstore services, with PSI serving as the third-party exam provider. There is no evidence of external funding; the firm is founder-owned and operated with 1-10 employees and a 14-person instructor roster drawn from active brokers, attorneys, and real estate practitioners.

The customer base is entirely individual consumers (aspiring licensees, licensees pursuing broker status, professionals needing CE credits, and Spanish-speaking candidates) with no enterprise accounts or B2B contracts identified. Revenue is concentrated in the Connecticut direct pre-licensing offering, with the national footprint generated through the The CE Shop reseller relationship whose economics are not disclosed. Overall the business profile is that of a lean, founder-operated niche education provider with defensible local brand equity but limited operating leverage and no disclosed growth stage indicators beyond cumulative student counts.

Name

Real Estate University

Legal name

Real Estate School LLC

Website

https://realestateuniversity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Real Estate University is a Connecticut-based private real estate school founded in 2005 that delivers state-mandated pre-licensing, broker, continuing education, appraisal, and mortgage courses to individual aspiring and licensed real estate professionals via live-stream, in-person, and a nationwide partnership with The CE Shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pre-Licensing Course Tuition: One-time tuition fees for the 60-hour Salesperson Principles & Practices course. Live stream tuition is $530, in-person tuition is $555. Broker courses range from $375-$700 depending on course selection.
2. Course Materials (Books): Sale of textbooks and eBooks for courses. Physical books priced at $60-65, eBooks at $60. Shipping available for $20-25 additional.
3. Private Tutoring: One-on-one tutoring services for exam preparation at $100 per 2-hour session.
4. Broker Licensing Courses: Pre-licensing courses for broker candidates including Broker Principles & Practices ($375), Broker Legal Compliance ($375), bundled at $700, and elective courses like Broker Appraisal ($545).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Real Estate University delivers state-mandated pre-licensing and continuing education courses for real estate professionals. Its core offering is the 60-hour Connecticut Salesperson Principles & Practices course, delivered via live-stream Zoom or in-person at its Westport, CT headquarters. The school also offers a 120-hour Broker Licensing program, private tutoring, exam prep tools, and partners with The CE Shop to distribute appraisal, mortgage (MLO), and continuing education courses nationwide.

Product overview

Real Estate University is a Connecticut-based real estate education school offering a portfolio of licensing and continuing education courses. The core offering is the 60-hour Salesperson Pre-Licensing Course (Principles & Practices) available via live-stream Zoom or in-person classes, supplemented by Broker Licensing Courses (120 hours), Private Tutoring, and Exam Prep. The school also partners with TheCEShop to deliver Appraisal Education, Mortgage/MLO courses, and Continuing Education across multiple states. Bilingual (Spanish) course delivery is offered quarterly. Course delivery uses Zoom for live-streaming and Recampus for online exam prep and bookstore services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Salesperson Pre-Licensing Course (Principles & Practices) A 60-hour instructor-led pre-licensing course required to qualify for the Connecticut real estate salesperson licensing exam. Delivered via live-stream Zoom or in-person at the Westport, CT headquarters, with flexible morning and evening schedules. Targets aspiring Connecticut real estate salespersons.
• Broker Licensing Courses A 120-hour broker pre-licensing program including 60 hours of Principles & Practices, two 15-hour mandatory courses (Broker Principles & Practices and Broker Legal Compliance), and 30 hours of electives. Requires 2 years of salesperson experience and a passing score of 75% or higher on the broker exam. Targets experienced Connecticut salespersons advancing to broker status.
• Private Tutoring One-on-one private tutoring sessions with Real Estate University professionals to assist with PSI licensing exam preparation, priced at $100 per 2-hour session. Targets individual students preparing for the Connecticut real estate salesperson or broker exam.
• Continuing Education Mandatory and elective real estate continuing education courses that help Connecticut licensees fulfill their state renewal requirements. Delivered online via The CE Shop platform. Targets currently licensed Connecticut real estate salespersons and brokers.
• Appraisal Education Pre-licensing and continuing education courses for real estate appraisers, available online in most US states through the The CE Shop platform. Targets individuals pursuing or maintaining real estate appraiser licensure nationwide.
• Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) Course On-demand online classes for beginning or enhancing a career as a licensed mortgage loan originator, available nationwide via The CE Shop. Targets individuals pursuing mortgage loan originator licensure across all 50 states.
• Bilingual/Spanish Pre-Licensing Course Bilingual real estate salesperson course offered quarterly in module format, with classes taught in English and Spanish-language materials. Positioned as the only bilingual real estate school in Connecticut. Targets Spanish-speaking individuals in Connecticut seeking to obtain a real estate salesperson license.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000+ students trained to achieve or maintain CT real estate licenses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The CE ShopcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe CE Shop hosts Real Estate University's appraisal and mortgage licensing courses, making them available nationwide across all 50 states. Also provides Connecticut continuing education course hosting. The CE Shop manages the online education platform at realestateuniversity.theceshop.com.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The CE Shop: The CE Shop is the most directly comparable peer: a national online real estate, appraisal, and mortgage licensing school. It is simultaneously REU's distribution channel partner (hosting REU's appraisal and MLO courses nationwide) and a competitor, since it also sells first-party pre-licensing and CE content in CT and across all 50 states.
• Allied Real Estate Schools: Allied Real Estate Schools (part of 360training) is an online real estate pre-licensing and CE provider active in multiple states. It competes for the same licensure-track customers as REU and is comparable in being a focused, single-industry school.

Broad incumbents

• Kaplan Real Estate Education: Kaplan is a large national incumbent offering online and live real estate pre-licensing, broker, appraisal, and CE courses across the U.S. It competes with REU for the same licensure-track students but at much greater scale, with institutional brand recognition and broader geographic reach.
• Colibri Real Estate (formerly McKissock Learning): Colibri Real Estate (formerly McKissock) is a major national provider of online real estate licensing, CE, and professional development, acquired by Colibri Group. It competes broadly with REU's appraiser, broker, and CE offerings with a heavy online, self-paced catalog.
• Real Estate Express: Real Estate Express is a long-running national online real estate school offering pre-licensing courses in most states. It targets the same aspiring salesperson segment as REU, but purely online, with no live or bilingual emphasis.
• Hondros Learning Network: Hondros is an established multi-state real estate and insurance licensing school with both online and in-person campuses. Comparable to REU because it combines state-approval credentials with live instruction, though it operates at significantly larger scale.
• 360training Real Estate: 360training is a large online compliance and licensing training marketplace that includes real estate pre-licensing and CE. Comparable to REU on product (real estate licensing courses) but broader in scope across many other regulated verticals and predominantly self-paced online.

Emerging players

• Institute of Real Estate Education (IREE): IREE is an online real estate licensing provider serving several U.S. states. It is comparable as a smaller, single-category licensing school that competes with REU for online licensure-track students in overlapping states.
• Real Estate Training Institute (RETI): RETI is an online CE and designation provider for real estate professionals. It is a partial-overlap peer, comparable in targeting licensed practitioners for continuing education, but oriented to designations and post-license specialty training rather than pre-licensing.

Regional players

• Connie Maxon Institute of Real Estate: Connie Maxon Institute is a Connecticut-based real estate licensing school, comparable as a direct in-state competitor for the same CT salesperson and broker cohorts that REU's direct (non-CE-Shop) business serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/realestateuct
• Facebookfacebook.com/RealEstateUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/real-estate-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Real Estate University