Florida Real Estate Institute

What Florida Real Estate Institute does

Florida Real Estate Institute (FREI) is a privately held, founder-owned real estate education school founded in 1977 by Dr. Ronald O. Boatright and headquartered at 590 Wells Road, Suite #1, Orange Park, Florida. The company provides pre-licensing, post-licensing, and continuing education courses for individuals pursuing Florida licensure as real estate sales associates, brokers, and mortgage loan originators. More than 100,000 students have completed FREI courses since inception, and the school has held premier status in Northeast Florida since its early years.

The core product portfolio includes a 63-hour Sales Associate pre-licensing course, a 72-hour Broker pre-licensing course, 45-hour and 30-hour post-licensing modules, a 14-hour continuing education course, a 28-hour reactivation course, state exam prep, and math tutorials, plus ARELLO-certified development education courses on taxation, property management, environmental issues, and commercial real estate. Courses are delivered through three channels: in-person classroom instruction at four Northeast Florida locations (Orange Park, Jacksonville, Gainesville, St. Augustine), self-paced online courses via the Thinkific platform, and mail-based correspondence courses. Mortgage loan originator courses are delivered through a partnership with OnCourse Learning under NMLS-approved SAFE Act frameworks.

FREI operates on a one-time-tuition revenue model with course prices ranging from $24.95 (CE correspondence) to $625 (classroom broker pre-licensing). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the myfrei.com website, phone enrollment, and channel partnerships with local Realtor board associations and hotel venues. The customer base is predominantly individual consumers seeking entry or advancement in the Florida real estate profession, with no named enterprise accounts. The company is family-controlled, with Dr. Ronald O. Boatright as CEO and Neal Boatright as Chief Administrator, and shows no external investment, M&A activity, or institutional ownership.

Name

Florida Real Estate Institute

Legal name

Florida Real Estate Institute, Inc.

Website

https://myfrei.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Florida Real Estate Institute is a privately held Florida real estate school founded in 1977 that delivers pre-licensing, post-licensing, and continuing education for aspiring and licensed real estate sales associates, brokers, and mortgage loan originators across Northeast Florida via classroom, online, and correspondence formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Education & Professional Licensing

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate, Appraisal & Mortgage (Agent/Broker CE, Appraiser CE) (EDAAALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real Estate & Construction Management Schools (within Business Schools) (EDAHAHAM)

Keywords

• Real estate education
• Pre-licensing courses
• Continuing education
• Professional licensure training
• Post-licensing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Orange Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Classroom Pre-Licensing Courses: One-time tuition fees for in-person classroom instruction including all course materials and books. Students pay upfront to reserve seats in scheduled classes.
2. Online/Distance Learning Courses: Self-paced online courses delivered through Thinkific platform. Students purchase individual courses with immediate access upon enrollment.
3. Correspondence Courses: Mail-based continuing education courses with booklet materials and 30-question final examination. One-time purchase price for course materials and grading services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Florida Real Estate Institute is a Florida-approved real estate school that delivers pre-licensing, post-licensing, and continuing education courses for Real Estate Sales Associate, Real Estate Broker, and Mortgage Broker licensure. Courses are offered in three formats — in-person classroom at four Northeast Florida sites, self-paced online via Thinkific, and traditional mail-based correspondence — and are priced as one-time per-course tuition fees ranging from $24.95 to $625.

Product overview

Florida Real Estate Institute offers a comprehensive real estate education platform with multiple delivery formats (classroom, online, correspondence) across three core tracks: Sales Associate licensing (63-hour pre-licensing course), Broker licensing (72-hour pre-licensing course), and Mortgage Broker courses (via OnCourse Learning partnership). The product portfolio includes pre-licensing courses (classroom at $545/$625, online at $275/$445), post-licensing education (45-hour SAL, 30-hour Brokerage Management, Residential Construction, Real Estate Investment), and continuing education (14-hour classroom at $110, correspondence/online at $24.95). Supporting products include exam prep courses ($75) and math tutorials ($29.95), development education courses, and reactivation courses. The institution operates classroom sites across Northeast Florida (Orange Park, Jacksonville, Gainesville, St. Augustine) and utilizes Thinkific for online course delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Real Estate Sales Associate Pre-Licensing Course Pre-licensing course covering real estate principles, practices, and Florida Real Estate License Law required for Florida Real Estate Sales Associate licensure and state exam preparation; available in classroom ($545, includes books) and online ($275, with timed exam) formats.
• Real Estate Broker Pre-Licensing Course 72-hour pre-licensing course covering appraising, finance, investment analysis, valuation, listing, selling, and brokerage management required for Florida broker licensure; available in classroom ($625, includes books) and online ($445) formats.
• Online Sales Associate Pre-Licensing Course Self-paced 63-hour online version of the sales associate pre-licensing course with timed final exam, covering principles, practices, and Florida license law, priced at $275.
• Online Broker Pre-Licensing Course Self-paced 72-hour online broker pre-licensing course covering valuation, listing, selling, and real estate specialties for state exam preparation, priced at $445.
• 45-Hour Post-Licensing Education for Sales Associates 45-hour practical post-licensing course covering agency law, appraisals, market analysis, listings, financing, and closing transactions for newly licensed Florida sales associates, priced at $245 classroom / $175 online.
• Brokerage Management Post-Licensing Course 30-hour broker post-licensing course (MGT 30) covering brokerage management, planning, opening, and staffing a real estate office, leadership, recruiting, training, and financial systems, priced at $250.
• Florida Essentials of Real Estate Investment Post-Licensing Course 30-hour post-licensing course providing practical understanding of the real estate investment process, including model property development exercises.
• Residential Construction Post-Licensing Course 30-hour post-licensing course (CON 30) on basic residential construction, including house types, materials, and mechanical systems, priced at $250.
• 14-Hour Continuing Education Course Bi-annual 14-hour continuing education course covering 3-hour Core Law, 3-hour Ethics and Business Practices, and 8-hour specialty education, required to maintain active Florida real estate license status; available in classroom ($110, no final exam), correspondence ($24.95, with 30-question exam), and online formats.
• 28-Hour Reactivation Education Course 28-hour course for Florida brokers and sales associates whose license has been involuntarily inactive for 12-24 months, designed to reactivate licensure, priced at $95.
• SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Pre-Licensing Course 20-hour online SAFE Comprehensive Mortgage Loan Originator pre-licensing course covering federal lending legislation, ethics, nontraditional mortgage products, and electives, delivered in partnership with OnCourse Learning, priced at $329.
• 8-Hour SAFE Comprehensive Continuing Education Annual NMLS-approved 8-hour SAFE Comprehensive Continuing Education course for mortgage loan originators covering nontraditional lending, ethics, and federal law (Dodd-Frank, TILA, RESPA), offered through OnCourse Learning partnership.
• On-Demand State Exam Prep On-demand video state exam preparation course for Sales Associate or Broker candidates, including review material, multiple-choice review questions, state exam tips, and PDF study guide; 3-month access from purchase date, priced at $75 (free for classroom students).
• On-Demand Math Tutorial On-demand math tutorial video presented by Roy Brewer covering math concepts for Sales Associate and Broker pre-licensing courses, with PDF tutorial materials included, priced at $29.95.
• ARELLO Certified Development Education Courses Suite of ARELLO certified development education courses covering Red Flags Property Inspection, Environmental Issues in Real Estate Practice, Introduction to Commercial Real Estate Sales, Property Management and Managing Risk, and Real Estate & Taxes (authored by Vernon Hoven, CPA).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 students have successfully completed courses since 1977
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OnCourse LearningcoreTechnology or IntegrationFREI has partnered with OnCourse Learning to offer SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator online pre-licensing, NMLS-approved continuing education, and SAFE MLO exam preparation courses. OnCourse Learning handles the NMLS banking fees for students enrolled in these mortgage broker courses.
• ThinkificcoreTechnology or IntegrationFREI uses Thinkific as its online course delivery platform for on-demand video courses, enrollment management, and course access. Students register through Thinkific for Sales Associate and Broker exam prep and math tutorial courses.
• Courtyard By Marriott (Orange Park)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClassroom venue partnership at 610 Wells Road location. FREI conducts regular scheduled courses at this hotel conference facility.
• Four Points by Sheraton (Jacksonville)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJacksonville classroom venue at 8520 Baymeadows Rd. FREI conducts regularly scheduled sales associate and broker pre-licensing courses at this hotel location.
• Gainesville - Alachua County Association of RealtorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGainesville classroom location at 1750 N.W. 80th Blvd. FREI conducts scheduled courses at this Realtor association headquarters.
• St. Johns County Board of RealtorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSt. Augustine classroom location at 1789 Lakeside Ave. FREI conducts scheduled courses at this Realtor board facility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The CE Shop: One of the largest online real estate pre-licensing and CE providers in the U.S., approved in Florida. Direct competitor for the same buyer (aspiring sales associates, brokers) with a self-paced online model that undercuts FREI's online pricing.
• McKissock Learning: Online CE and professional education provider for real estate, appraisal, and home inspection licensees. Direct competitor for the high-margin 14-hour CE and post-licensing SKUs that drive FREI's recurring revenue.
• Gold Coast Schools: Long-standing Florida real estate school (founded 1967) with classroom and online delivery across multiple Florida metros. Closest peer in business model, longevity, and Florida regulatory positioning, directly competing for the same Northeast Florida and broader state market.
• Aceable (AceableAgent): Mobile-first online real estate licensure and CE platform approved in Florida. Competes head-to-head with FREI for digitally native learners with a more modern UX and aggressive direct-to-consumer marketing.
• 360training (Lorman Education): Large online regulatory and professional education provider offering Florida real estate pre-licensing and CE alongside mortgage, insurance, and safety training. Competes on price, course catalog breadth, and employer-sponsored compliance bundles.
• CompuCram (OnCourse Learning): OnCourse Learning is FREI's own mortgage/SAFE MLO content partner and a broader national real estate edtech provider. Comparable on regulated real estate and mortgage CE, and a potential direct competitor in adjacent Florida segments.

Broad incumbents

• Kaplan Real Estate Education: National education brand offering Florida-approved real estate pre-licensing, exam prep, and CE online. Competes via brand recognition, content depth, and a national footprint that outscales FREI's regional classroom base.
• Hondros College of Business / Colibri Group: Ohio-based Colibri/Hondros is a multi-state real estate and appraisal education incumbent with owned curriculum, instructor networks, and online platforms. Comparable breadth of pre-licensing, post-licensing, and CE in a single portfolio.

Regional players

• Real Estate Institute of America: Regional real estate school serving parts of the U.S. with classroom and online delivery. Comparable scope to FREI as a mid-sized, instructor-led school with multi-format offerings, though not a direct Florida competitor.
• The Closing Room / Florida Real Estate School (FloridaRealEstateSchool.com): Florida-focused real estate pre-licensing school offering online and classroom programs in select Florida markets. Regional competitor with a similar product set targeting the same Florida Real Estate Commission-approved curriculum.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Florida Real Estate Institute