chicagorealestateinstitute.com

What It Is

Chicago Real Estate Institute is a real estate licensing training provider based in Chicago, offering pre-licensing courses for the Illinois Real Estate Broker and Residential Leasing Agent license paths. According to the website, it has been operating for more than 35 years, has helped over 14,000 students, and is approved under IDFPR Education Provider #515.000040.

Core Courses and Learning Experience

The courses cover two main tracks: the 75-hour Broker pre-licensing course and the 15-hour Residential Leasing Agent pre-licensing course. The Broker course includes 60 hours of Broker Pre-License Topics and 15 hours of Applied Real Estate Principles; the Leasing Agent course covers real estate law, contracts, brokerage, leasing, fair housing, ethics, and related topics. The learning formats are relatively flexible, including in-person classes at the Chicago campus, live online classes via Zoom, hybrid options, and self-paced study. Live classes emphasize that they are not simply pre-recorded sessions, and recordings are available if students miss a class. The self-paced courses provide textbooks, pre-recorded videos or PDF materials, Google Classroom quizzes and review resources, and must be completed within 6 months.

Pricing and Additional Costs

Pricing is fairly transparent: the 6-week Broker hybrid course costs $625, while the Broker self-paced course costs $550; the Residential Leasing Agent hybrid course costs $295, and the self-paced option costs $195. State exam and license application fees are paid separately, such as $58 for the Broker state exam and $125 for the application; for Leasing, the state exam is $37 and the application fee is $75. The website also mentions installment payment options through Affirm and PayPal Pay Later. Note that parking fees, re-enrollment fees, extension fees, and other charges may create additional costs.

Pros and Cons

The main advantage is that the courses directly match Illinois licensing hour requirements, making them suitable for students with a clear goal of obtaining a license. The in-person, Zoom, hybrid, and self-paced options can accommodate different schedules. The school also highlights small class sizes, instructors with industry experience, and assistance with state exam registration. The drawbacks are that its applicability is highly localized, offering limited value to students outside Illinois; the refund policy is relatively strict, and self-paced courses are non-refundable. Self-paced courses also expire after 6 months, and extensions require a $100 fee.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is best suited for people planning to work in real estate sales, leasing, or brokerage in Illinois, especially in Chicago. It may also fit working professionals looking to switch careers and complete the required hours through weekend or self-paced study. The courses are taught in English. Access from mainland China is not specified in the available content, so it is considered unknown. Because the courses are strongly tied to the U.S. state licensing system, they have limited practical value for Chinese users who do not plan to work in Illinois.