Massachusetts Real Estate Pre-Licensing Courses Compared (2026)
Compare 40-hour Massachusetts salesperson courses by checkout price, format, and support.
Massachusetts salesperson applicants complete 40 classroom hours before the exam. MGL c. 112, §87SS and the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons both state that hour requirement. The comparison table is the live price source. The CE Shop 40-hour course lists at $285. Confirm the current CE Shop code at checkout. Other verified course prices on this page run from $208.45 to $365. Confirm the provider cart before you pay. Official exam steps: Apply for a real estate license by examination.
| # | School & fit | Format · Access | List price▾ | Code / workflow | After workflow▾ | Go to school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The CE ShopBest Value | Self-Paced Online 12-month access 1 package | $285.00 List price | ANYWHERE40 Confirm the current CE Shop code at checkout. | $171.00 save $114.00−40% | Go to The CE Shop |
| 2 | Self-Paced / Livestream 6-month access 1 package | $379.00 List price | CERTLAUNCH Enter CERTLAUNCH at checkout for 45% off tuition. | $208.45 save $170.55−45% | Go to Colibri Real Estate | |
| 3 | Freedom Trail Realty School | Livestream / Self-Paced Online 4 Months access 1 package | $229.00 Starting at | No discount code available | $229.00 no discount | Go to Freedom Trail Realty School |
| 4 | American Real Estate Academy (AREA) | Online / In-Person Waltham, MA 90-day online access 1 package | $245.00 Starting at | No discount code available | $245.00 no discount | Go to American Real Estate Academy (AREA) |
| 5 | Kaplan Real Estate | Online / Live Online 6-month access 1 package | $319.00 List price | AFFCERTLAUNCH ✓ Auto-applies at checkout | $287.10 save $31.90−10% | Get Kaplan 10% discount |
| 6 | Accelerated Real Estate School | Live via Zoom Livestream Course access during class period access 1 package | $299.00 Starting at | No discount code available | $299.00 no discount | Go to Accelerated Real Estate School |
| 7 | Massachusetts Academy of Real Estate | In-Person / Online Re-sit within 1 year at no charge access 1 package | $365.00 Starting at | No discount code available | $365.00 no discount | Go to Massachusetts Academy of Real Estate |
How to get a Massachusetts real estate license
A Massachusetts real estate salesperson license starts with education, a school certificate, three endorsements, and the PSI exam. The Board how-to page says you must be at least 18, complete 40 hours of real estate education, provide a Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Educational Certificate from a Board-approved school, get three candidate endorsements, and pass the licensing exam.
The PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (updated June 12, 2025) repeats those salesperson rules and adds an application fee of $31. It also says you must apply for and pass the exam within two years of the date you complete the required education. Classmates from only the real estate course may not sign the endorsements. Endorsers do not have to live in Massachusetts, and they must be unrelated to you.
Sequence the Board and PSI describe
- Finish 40 hours at a Board-approved real estate school. Section 87SS calls this 40 classroom hours.
- Get the completed Educational Certificate from that school.
- Collect three candidate endorsements from people who are not relatives and not course classmates.
- Apply and schedule the salesperson exam with PSI. The bulletin lists a $31 application fee and a $54 salesperson examination fee.
- Pass both portions. The bulletin says a digital license is available in the eLIPSE profile after you pay the licensing fee. PSI does not print the license on site.
This page compares course prices for that 40-hour path. It does not replace the Board checklist. Broker licensure is a later path: another 40 hours, three years of salesperson experience, and a separate exam. Those broker rules are not priced here.
Massachusetts real estate license requirements
Salesperson requirements below are quoted from the Board how-to page and the PSI candidate bulletin. The hours chip on this page is 40 hours because both sources, and MGL c. 112, §87SS, require 40 hours of approved salesperson education.
| Requirement | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Be at least 18. | Board how-to |
| Education | Complete 40 hours at a Board-approved real estate school and obtain the Educational Certificate. | §87SS and PSI bulletin |
| Endorsements | Three complete endorsements from individuals unrelated to you. Course classmates may not sign. | PSI bulletin |
| Exam window | Apply for and pass the exam within two years of completing the 40-hour education. | PSI bulletin |
| Identity and taxes | Provide a Social Security number or tax identification number. Massachusetts tax returns and taxes required by MGL c. 62C, §49A must be filed and paid. | PSI bulletin |
A college degree is not on that salesperson list. An attorney licensed in Massachusetts is treated separately in §87SS. Confirm your own eligibility with the Board before you enroll.
Massachusetts real estate license cost
Course dollars below are the verified checkout prices for the primary 40-hour salesperson package at each school. The CE Shop 40-hour course lists at $285. Confirm the current CE Shop code at checkout. Other verified course prices run from $208.45 to $365 at Massachusetts Academy of Real Estate. Taxes and add-ons can still change a cart, so confirm the total before you pay.
| School | List | After | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| The CE Shop | $285.00 | Current code at checkout | Current CE Shop code |
| Colibri Real Estate | $379.00 | $208.45 | CERTLAUNCH, 45% off tuition |
| Freedom Trail Realty School | $229 | $229 | None |
| American Real Estate Academy (AREA) | $245 | $245 | None |
| Kaplan Real Estate | $319.00 | $287.10 | AFFCERTLAUNCH, auto-applies |
| Accelerated Real Estate School | $299 | $299 | None |
| Massachusetts Academy of Real Estate | $365 | $365 | None |
The CE Shop 40-hour course lists at $285. Confirm the current CE Shop code at checkout. Colibri The Basics is listed at $379; type CERTLAUNCH for 45% off tuition and confirm $208.45. Kaplan Massachusetts Real Estate Principles is listed at $319; AFFCERTLAUNCH auto-applies through the affiliate link and the verified after-price is $287.10. Freedom Trail ($229), AREA ($245), Accelerated ($299), and Massachusetts Academy of Real Estate ($365) have no code.
State fees that are separate from the course
The PSI candidate bulletin lists a salesperson application fee of $31 and a salesperson examination fee of $54. The retake fee listed for salesperson and broker candidates is $54. Those amounts are not part of the course prices above. The same bulletin says you pay a prorated licensing fee on the eLIPSE platform after you pass. It does not print a single licensing-fee dollar amount in that fee section, so confirm the current license fee with the Board before you pay it.
Massachusetts real estate exam
PSI administers the Massachusetts real estate exam for the Board. The candidate bulletin says the salesperson exam has two portions: General, 80 questions and 150 minutes, and State, 40 questions and 90 minutes. Taken together that is 120 questions and 240 minutes. You need a minimum of 70% to pass. If you pass one portion and fail the other, you retake only the failed portion, and that portion still has to be passed within two years of the completion date on the Educational Certificate.
The bulletin says you schedule at a test center or by remote proctor after the Board approves you, and it also says you must test in Massachusetts. Examination fees are not refundable. If you miss the appointment or cancel fewer than two days ahead, the fee is forfeited. An online calculator is provided; personal calculators are not. Score reports display on screen, and the bulletin says you need 70% to pass. Confirm the current outline, fee, and testing mode in the bulletin before you book: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin.
How long it takes to get a Massachusetts real estate license
The Board does not publish one calendar for every applicant. The 40-hour figure is instruction time, not a promise of days or weeks. Your calendar is the course access you buy plus the time PSI has open after the Board approves the exam application.
The hard deadline in the PSI bulletin is two years: you must apply for and pass the exam within two years of completing the 40-hour education. If the Educational Certificate expires, a partial pass expires with it. The bulletin also says candidates who pass and pay the licensing fee on eLIPSE receive a digital license 24 hours after passing. The first license term is prorated to your birthday and is valid for no less than two years and no more than three years. Continuing education of 12 hours is required before the first active renewal.