Pinnacle Real Estate Academy

What Pinnacle Real Estate Academy does

Pinnacle Real Estate Academy, founded in 2012 and incorporated in South Carolina as an LLC, is a state-licensed real estate education provider headquartered in Myrtle Beach. The company delivers pre-licensing, broker, property management, and continuing education courses required by real estate commissions in South Carolina, North Carolina (via partner The CE Shop), and Tennessee (home study). Instructor quality is positioned as the primary value driver, with a named full-time faculty of roughly 10 instructors certified under REEA Gold Standard and CDEI programs. The team has grown to 15 people and the company has been awarded "Best Real Estate School" in both Grand Strand and South Carolina (2025), supported by 327 Google reviews at a 5.0 rating.

The business runs primarily on a tuition-based, one-time licensing revenue model with course pricing between $45 (continuing education modules and Broker-in-Charge Update) and $425 (South Carolina 60-hour Pre-Licensing course). Delivery is tri-modal: in-person classes across 11+ South Carolina cities, live synchronous Zoom sessions, and a self-paced online learning platform at pinnaclerealestateacademyonline.com. Supporting offerings include state exam prep, free class auditing for up to a year, personal advising consultations scheduled through Calendly, an affiliate program, and a referral company that allows graduates to hang their license and earn referrals.

The go-to-market is sales-led with strong organic and content-driven components: SEO-optimized city-specific landing pages, a regularly updated blog on local market dynamics, email/text marketing, organic social media, and a 5.0 Google reputation serving as the primary funnel-conversion mechanism. The company is founder-owned (Jennifer Nicely), has no external investment or parent company, and is regulated by the South Carolina Real Estate Commission, which is the central licensing asset of the business.

Name

Pinnacle Real Estate Academy

Legal name

Pinnacle Real Estate Academy, LLC

Website

https://pinnaclerealestateacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pinnacle Real Estate Academy is a female-owned, South Carolina-based real estate education provider delivering state-mandated pre-licensing, broker, property management, and continuing education courses in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee via in-person, live Zoom, and self-paced online formats for aspiring and licensed real estate professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAI

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

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYEDANAIAH

Real Estate Licensure Exam Prep (Salesperson/Broker, Appraiser)

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Professional Certification & Licensure Exam Prep

Keywords

• Real estate licensing education
• Pre-licensing courses
• Continuing education
• Broker licensing
• Property management training

Headquarters

HQ city

Myrtle Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition - Pre-Licensing: Students pay tuition for South Carolina Pre-Licensing ($425), Advanced Licensing ($299), Broker courses ($299 each), Property Management courses ($299), and Continuing Education courses ($45 each). Tennessee courses offered as home study with custom workbook.
2. Course Tuition - Broker & Property Management: Revenue from Broker A ($299), Broker B ($299), Broker-in-Charge Update ($45), and Property Manager courses ($299)
3. Continuing Education: Core and elective CE courses at $45 each for licensed real estate professionals
4. Referral Services: Company offers a referral program where students can hang their license and earn referrals after completing licensing

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pinnacle Real Estate Academy is a multi-state real estate education provider that delivers pre-licensing, advanced licensing, broker, property management, and continuing education courses for aspiring and licensed real estate professionals across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Courses are offered in three delivery formats—in-person at 11+ South Carolina locations, live via Zoom, and self-paced online—with tuition ranging from $45 per continuing education course to $425 for the 60-hour SC pre-licensing course.

Product overview

Pinnacle Real Estate Academy operates as a multi-state real estate education provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of licensing, advanced, and continuing education courses. The core offering includes South Carolina Pre-Licensing (60 hours) and Advanced Licensing (30 hours) courses that together prepare students for the state exam. The platform delivers specialized tracks including Broker License (Broker A and Broker B courses), Property Management License (30 hours), and Property Manager-In-Charge (7 hours). Education is delivered through three modalities: in-person classes at South Carolina locations, live synchronous Zoom sessions, and an online self-paced platform (pinnaclerealestateacademyonline.com). The company extends services to North Carolina (post-licensing and continuing education via The CE Shop partnership) and Tennessee (home study broker and affiliate broker courses). Supporting offerings include state exam prep, personal advising consultations, an affiliate referral program, and a free VLOG resource library.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pinnacle Real Estate Academy Online: Online self-paced course platform offering real estate licensing courses

Products and services

• South Carolina Pre-Licensing Course 60-hour pre-licensing course required before taking the South Carolina real estate state exam, covering property law, real estate finance, math, and ownership estates. Targeted at aspiring South Carolina real estate agents.
• South Carolina Advanced Licensing Course 30-hour advanced licensing course covering agency, disclosure, measurements, valuation, contracts, ethics, and fair housing, required to complete the 90 hours needed before the SC state exam. Targeted at aspiring South Carolina real estate agents.
• SC Broker License Program (Broker A and Broker B) Two 30-hour courses ($299 each) that advance active real estate salespersons to broker status; students must complete both Broker A and Broker B and pass the state exam with 70% or higher. Targeted at licensed SC salespersons pursuing broker credentials.
• South Carolina Property Management License Course 30-hour course required by the SC Real Estate Commission to practice property management for others for compensation, covering terminology, accounting, maintenance, and federal/state laws. Targeted at aspiring SC property managers.
• South Carolina Property Manager-In-Charge License Course Seven-hour course covering trust fund handling, bookkeeping requirements, general ledgers, owner ledgers, and tenant ledgers for property management leadership roles. Targeted at SC property management supervisors.
• South Carolina Continuing Education Courses Continuing education core and elective courses for existing SC licensees at $45 each, including mandatory 4-hour core courses, Fair Housing (2 hours every 3 years starting 2025), Ethics (2.5 hours every 3 years), and Broker-in-Charge Update courses. Targeted at currently licensed SC real estate professionals.
• Private Firm CE Continuing education courses specifically designed for real estate firms and their agents to fulfill CE requirements at the brokerage level. Targeted at real estate brokerages and their sales force.
• North Carolina Post-Licensing Courses Post-licensing education courses for North Carolina real estate agents, offered via The CE Shop partnership. Targeted at newly licensed NC real estate professionals completing mandatory post-licensing education.
• North Carolina Continuing Education Continuing education courses for North Carolina real estate licensees to maintain their NC real estate license. Targeted at currently licensed NC real estate professionals.
• Tennessee Affiliate Broker License Course Home study course with custom workbook for obtaining a Tennessee affiliate broker license. Targeted at aspiring Tennessee real estate affiliate brokers.
• Tennessee Broker License Course Home study course for Tennessee broker/office management licensing. Targeted at licensed TN real estate professionals pursuing broker-in-charge credentials.
• Online Self-Paced Learning Platform Web-based learning management system offering self-paced courses for South Carolina real estate license, broker licenses, and property management licenses, delivered via pinnaclerealestateacademyonline.com. Targeted at self-directed learners across the academy's three-state footprint.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.0 star rating with 327 Google Reviews demonstrating high student satisfaction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Carolina Real Estate CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial certification and regulatory oversight by SC Real Estate Commission for all course offerings including Pre-Licensing, Advanced Licensing, Broker, Property Management, and Continuing Education programs. Commission address: 110 Centerview Dr # 201, Columbia, SC 29210.
• Zoom Video CommunicationscoreTechnology or IntegrationLive virtual class instruction platform for synchronous distance learning courses. Students must have functional camera visible throughout entire course session to receive credit for hours attended.
• The CE ShopminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party platform for North Carolina pre-licensing courses accessible via pinnaclerealestateacademy.theceshop.com

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• AceableAgent: Mobile-first online real estate pre-licensing and CE provider active in multiple states. Comparable as an emerging digital-first competitor targeting the same aspiring-agent segment with a more modern UX and aggressive pricing.

Direct peers

• Kaplan Real Estate Education: One of the largest national real estate licensing and CE providers, offering online and live courses in dozens of states. Directly comparable due to overlapping product portfolio (pre-licensing, broker, CE) and multi-state coverage that competes for the same adult learner demographic.
• McKissock Learning: Provider of real estate continuing education, appraisal, and professional development courses. Comparable due to overlapping CE product offering and shared customer base of licensed agents fulfilling renewal requirements.
• Allied Real Estate Schools: Online real estate licensing and CE provider with multi-state approvals. Comparable because it offers an overlapping product portfolio (pre-licensing, broker, CE) in states adjacent to Pinnacle's footprint.
• Real Estate Express: Long-running online real estate pre-licensing school offering courses in most states with school approval. Directly comparable as a national online alternative targeting the same aspiring-agent learner with self-paced delivery.
• The CE Shop: National online provider of real estate pre-licensing, post-licensing, and continuing education courses across multiple states. Directly comparable because it is already a Pinnacle partner/reseller for North Carolina pre-licensing and competes for the same aspiring-agent segment in SC.
• Career WebSchool: Online real estate licensing school approved in multiple states. Directly comparable as a state-approved online pre-licensing alternative competing for the same self-paced adult learners.
• 360 Training (Colibri): National online real estate school offering pre-licensing, exam prep, and CE in most states. Directly comparable as a primarily self-paced, price-competitive alternative to Pinnacle's in-person and Zoom formats.

Broad incumbents

• Colibri Real Estate: Parent of multiple real estate education brands (including 360 Training) and a major incumbent in online pre-licensing and CE. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping real estate licensing products across many states with greater scale and marketing reach.
• OnCourse Learning Real Estate: Diversified compliance and licensing education provider with a real estate pre-licensing and CE vertical. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping products with greater regulatory breadth across states.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pinnacle-real-estate-academy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Pinnacle Real Estate Academy