California School Of Real Estate

What California School Of Real Estate does

California School of Real Estate is a family-owned, DRE-approved (Sponsor #S0579) education company founded in 1941 in Castro Valley, California, specializing exclusively in California real estate license exam preparation. The company serves aspiring and currently licensed California real estate professionals, offering two integrated tracks: a three-course Sales Agent Qualification Program (Principles, Practice, plus one elective) and an eight-course Broker Qualification Program, each bundled with or paired against the proprietary PowerPrep Online exam preparation system.

The underlying technology is a self-paced learning management system delivered through two owned e-commerce storefronts (easy2pass.com and realestateschool.store) and student portals hosted at csre-exams.herokuapp.com and power-prep.herokuapp.com. Core delivery components include PDF and hardcopy textbooks, the 215-page Power Review Guide, 750+ auto-graded practice questions, an 80-minute Lightning Review audio, a roughly 12-hour Drive & Prep audio program, MasterPrep Flashcards, and direct telephone and email access to Head Instructor Don Schwartz. Course finals are open-book, online, and untracked, allowing completion at the student's own pace.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, one-time-license course sales at price points ranging from $79 to $320, with no subscription layer and no live classroom instruction. Three bundled packages (All-In-One Sales Agent, standalone Sales Agent PowerPrep, and Broker course bundles with included PowerPrep) represent the principal revenue streams, supported by a 200% money-back guarantee that functions as a trust mechanism rather than a revenue source. Marketing relies on organic SEO, a 300,000+ alumni base, 4.9-star Google Reviews, social media presence across major platforms, and explicit prompting of AI chatbots for referrals. The company serves only California (all 58 counties) through DRE-approved statutory courses, with continuing education renewals routed via a referral partnership to First Tuesday.

Name

California School Of Real Estate

Legal name

California School of Real Estate

Website

https://easy2pass.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California School of Real Estate is a family-owned, DRE-approved education company founded in 1941 that prepares aspiring and licensed California real estate professionals for state licensing exams through self-paced online qualification courses and the proprietary PowerPrep Online exam preparation system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate License Education

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDANAIAH

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

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

SECONDARYEDABALAW

Real Estate & Property Services

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Industry-Specific Professional Training (e.g., Healthcare, Manufacturing, Construction)

Keywords

• Real estate licensing education
• License exam preparation
• Real estate qualification courses
• Broker license training
• Pre-licensing courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Sales Agent Qualification Courses: Pre-requisite college-level real estate courses required for salesperson license eligibility. Sold individually or as an all-in-one package (3 courses). Phase 1 qualification program bundled with Phase 2 PowerPrep exam prep as a combined package.
2. PowerPrep Online Exam Prep: Standalone exam preparation program sold separately for students who have already completed qualification courses. Includes audio, guide, and practice questions. Sold as $79 standalone or $118 with hardcopy guide.
3. Broker Qualification Courses: Eight pre-requisite college-level courses for broker license eligibility, sold individually with volume pricing (1 course at $79, all 8 for $320). Includes shipping fees of $5 per course. Students ordering 5+ courses receive free PowerPrep Online enrollment.
4. Broker PowerPrep Online Exam Prep: Standalone broker exam preparation at $99 or $138 with Power Review Guide Booklet.
5. 200% Money-Back Guarantee Refund: Reverse revenue stream: school refunds double the program fee if a student fails the state exam, serving as a risk reversal guarantee rather than a revenue source.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

California School of Real Estate provides DRE-approved pre-licensing qualification courses and the PowerPrep Online exam-preparation program for individuals seeking a California Real Estate Salesperson or Broker license. The Sales Agent pathway bundles three required courses (Principles, Practice, and an elective) with the PowerPrep Online exam-prep system, while the Broker pathway offers eight required courses plus a separate broker exam-prep program. All materials are self-paced and delivered online with PDF/hardcopy textbooks, audio, and auto-graded practice questions.

Product overview

The California School of Real Estate operates as a focused, family-owned education company specializing exclusively in California real estate licensing exam preparation since 1941. The company offers two core programs: (1) Qualification Programs for Sales Agent and Broker licenses, which fulfill the DRE-required college-level coursework (3 courses for Sales Agent, 8 courses for Broker), and (2) PowerPrep Online exam preparation programs for both license types, featuring audio lectures, study guides, practice exams, flashcards, and personal tutor access to instructor Don Schwartz. Additional offerings include the Drive & Prep audio program for studying during commutes and a Lightning Review Audio for exam-day preparation. The portfolio includes nine DRE-approved statutory courses: Real Estate Principles, Practice, Legal Aspects, Finance, Economics, Appraisal, Mortgage Loan Brokering, Property Management, and Escrow. All programs are backed by a 200% moneyback guarantee and include optional hardcopy textbook materials alongside digital access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PowerPrep Online: The company's flagship exam preparation program for California real estate license exams, featuring audio presentations, practice questions, and the Lightning Review system. Updated for 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% first-time pass rate for students following the exact study procedure, compared to ~50% statewide first-time pass rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• First Tuesday (License Renewal Partner)minorOthersFirst Tuesday (firsttuesday.us) handles continuing education license renewal for licensed agents who have already passed the state exam. Students are redirected to the firsttuesday.us platform for continuing education login and renewal courses, creating a referral pathway for post-licensing education needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Allied Real Estate Schools: California-licensed online real estate school offering pre-licensure courses and exam prep. Most directly comparable peer in terms of California-focused, online, self-paced delivery.
• The CE Shop: Online real estate licensing and continuing education provider, owned by Colibri Group, offering pre-licensure courses in California and other states. Competes head-to-head with CSRE on online, self-paced salesperson prep.
• Real Estate Express: Online real estate pre-licensure school offering state-specific salesperson and broker courses across many U.S. states, now owned by Colibri Group. Direct competitor to California School of Real Estate in the online, self-paced pre-licensure category.
• Aceable: Mobile-first online education company originally focused on Texas real estate licensing that has expanded into California and other states. Competes on a more modern, app-led learning experience versus CSRE's PDF/audio stack.
• 360training: Large online regulatory and professional training platform that includes California real estate pre-licensure courses among its catalog. Competes on the same D2C, self-paced model for CA real estate licensing.
• Career WebSchool: Online real estate pre-licensure school offering courses in multiple U.S. states including California. Directly comparable to CSRE on the online, self-study salesperson and broker licensing model.
• firsttuesday: California-focused real estate education provider that is both a referral partner to CSRE (for continuing education) and a direct competitor for the post-licensure CE segment of California's real estate student population.

Broad incumbents

• Colibri Group: Parent company of Real Estate Express, The CE Shop, and other professional education brands. Operates as a broad incumbent consolidating the U.S. real estate education category and competing with CSRE through multiple owned sub-brands.
• Kaplan Real Estate Education: Long-established, nationally recognized real estate education provider owned by Kaplan, Inc. Offers online and live pre-licensure courses across many states including California, with broader brand recognition but less single-state specialization than CSRE.

Emerging players

• McKissock Learning: Provider focused primarily on real estate continuing education and professional development for licensed agents. Comparable as a complementary segment competitor rather than a primary pre-licensure peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PassLicenseExam
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzel47ImXwrWjME0kce4suw
• Facebookfacebook.com/californiaschoolofrealestate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-school-of-real-estate
• Instagraminstagram.com/caschoolofrealestate
• Pinterestpinterest.com/caschoolrealestate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 California School Of Real Estate