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AceableAgent vs Colibri Real Estate
Determine whether Aceable Agent or Colibri (formerly Real Estate Express) is the right online real estate school for you
When it comes to getting your real estate license, step one is completing the necessary pre-licensing hours that your state requires. Unfortunately, it can be hard to choose among the dozens of pre-licensing courses available on the market. In this article, we compare and contrast two popular online real estate schools (Aceable Agent and Colibri) so you can decide which one is the better fit for your budget and learning style.
Given that this is a lengthy, detailed comparison, we’ve included jump-to links above for your convenience.
Video: Which Pre-Licensing Course Is Better?
In the video above, team member John breaks down our thoughts on how the real estate courses from AceableAgent and Colibri compare. Please keep reading for more information.
In order to keep this comparison narrowly focused and actually helpful for you, we are going to focus on the major differences between these two companies and where we see each of them winning over the other. With that in mind, let’s start with AceableAgent – our team has them winning in four key areas.
Slightly More Affordable
AceableAgent gets the win when it comes to cost. Now, to be clear, pricing between the two companies is extremely close, and it does vary by state, but for the most part, AceableAgent seems to be the more the affordable option (in line with The CE Shop).
It’s worth noting here that it’s important to compare the net cost between both companies. In other words, don’t compare MSRP, because both companies regularly offers sales and special promotions.
AceableAgent typically offers three packages per state
For example, to get your real estate license in Pennsylvania, the Deluxe package from AceableAgent, which is their most popular option, costs around $250 after discounts, whereas the comparable package from Colibri after discounts is around $315. Some story in Georgia – the Deluxe course from AceableAgent costs around $220 post discounts, whereas Colibri’s is closer to $290.
Like we mentioned earlier, it does vary quite a bit (Aceable isn’t always the cheaper option), but generally speaking, you’ll likely save around $50 to $100 by going with AceableAgent over Colibri Real Estate.
More Engaging Content
The next win for AceableAgent is that their content is more engaging. The company does a great job varying the delivery methods to keep you awake and interested (similar to the courses from The CE Shop).
Unlike Colibri, which primarily delivers their educational content via text (i.e. you reading a ton), AceableAgent instead uses text with audio narration, videos, and interactive quizzes. You really don’t need to read at all. AceableAgent does the work for you.
AceableAgent utilizes video as a means of communication
Plus, the company does a great job of mixing all three formats into each lesson or chapter. One minute, the narrator will be reading a slide to you, the next minute you’ll be watching a video, and then you’ll be prompted to complete a couple quiz questions.
You never know what’s around the corner, which in my opinion, is for the best. It really keeps the learning process exciting and enjoyable.
Podcast Style Lessons
Somewhat related to our last point, our team thinks AceableAgent is the superior choice for auditory learners. As we mentioned in the last section, rather than making you read, the AceableAgent lessons feature a narrator (and we must say the narrator does a great job).
We were expecting some boring, monotone AI generated narration, but that’s definitely not the case. The narrator changes tones, and uses inflection and pauses to get his messages across. It’s almost as if you are listening to a podcast.
Each lesson features audio narration
Plus, since you don’t have to read, you can complete a good portion of the lessons while you’re accomplishing other tasks (e.g. walking on the treadmill, doing laundry, or watching your kids play at the park). It’s just nice that you don’t have to be glued to your computer at all times during lessons.
Mobile App
Speaking of not being glued to your computer, the final win for AceableAgent is that they offer a mobile app. This is noteworthy because Colibri does not (and even the mobile experience for Colibri on your phone or tablet isn’t that great).
A look at the mobile app from AceableAgent
Whereas AceableAgent’s mobile app, on the other hand, is awesome. It’s modern, intuitive, and super easy-to-use.
Needless to say, if you’re a busy person, and you just don’t have time to sit down at your computer for hours at a time, and you instead want to be able to knock out lessons and study for your state exam during your lunch break, or while you’re out and about, then AceableAgent is likely the more ideal option for you.
Now that you have a good idea of the areas in which AceableAgent excels, let’s switch gears and discuss the major advantages of using Colibri (formerly known as Real Estate Express) to help you get your real estate license.
State Availability
The first win for Colibri is pretty simple. The company offers more pre-licensing courses than AceableAgent.
In other words, Colibri Real Estate covers more states. For comparison purposes, AceableAgent offers pre-licensing courses for 14 states, whereas Colibri almost covers the entire map with over 40 states (similar to the Kaplan Real Estate School).
Colibri offers courses for over 40 states
Therefore, before you go any further in your real estate licensing process, you may want to double check and make sure AceableAgent actually offers pre-licensing courses for your specific state.
Live Class Options
The next win for Colibri is the fact they offer live classes, which is something AceableAgent does not offer.
Now to be clear, the live class options are not available for every state, but for the majority of them, they are. Plus, the nice thing is that livestream packages from Colibri really aren’t that much more expensive. You’re only looking at about an extra $100 compared to the company’s self-paced courses.
Colibri offers stellar live classes
Not to mention, the live classes from Colibri are flat out awesome. The instructors are all local experts, and they do a much better job of making the content and learning experience more exciting compared to the company’s self-paced courses.
Bottom line, if you’re the type of person who either needs a set live class schedule to keep yourself disciplined and on-track, or you just prefer learning in a live class settings so you can interact with your instructor and peers, then Colibri is likely the better fit for your learning style.
This may be a minor point, but our team likes that within the Colibri learning platform, there is a feature where you can easily take notes (similar to the feature offered by Kaplan).
Plus, the neat thing is that Colibri tracks the exact chapter and page where you took the notes, and then displays it on the main dashboard so you can quickly review them at anytime if you need a quick refresher.
Colibri makes it easy to take notes
Whereas AceableAgent does not provide any sort tool like this. Instead, you’re sort of on your own to take notes in a separate word document or notebook, which can be kind of a pain, especially later when you’re reviewing your notes and trying to match up the exact lesson or chapter you need to revisit.
Better Pass Guarantee
Although both companies offer a pass or money back guarantee, the one from Colibri Real Estate is better. How it works is that if you don’t pass the state exam on your first attempt after completing Colibri’s pre-licensing course, the company will refund your money.
Whereas the guarantee from AceableAgent requires that you fail your state exam three times before you are able to get a refund. Yes, it’s a small difference, but still, if you’re looking for a nice insurance policy, technically Colibri’s guarantee is superior.
Time for the big reveal – should you go with Aceable Agent or Colibri to help you get your real estate license?
Well, after testing the pre-licensing courses and exam prep materials from both companies, we give the win to AceableAgent, although it does depend on your budget and what time of learner you are.
For example, if you’re not a self-starter (you usually don’t do well with self-paced courses), and you need or want live instruction, then Colibri is the answer.
However, if money is tight, AceableAgent is likely the way to go since their courses are usually a little cheaper after discounts and coupon codes.
Likewise, if you’re more of a visual or auditory learner, and you’re not a big reader, AceableAgent is once again the clear choice with their videos and podcast style lessons.
What is the difference between AceableAgent and Colibri?
Learning format is the biggest difference between AceableAgent and Colibri Real Estate. AceableAgent delivers their content through audio narration and video, whereas Colibri’s content is primarily text-based.
Is AceableAgent better than Colibri Real Estate?
It depends. If you are on a budget or you are a visual/auditory learner, then AceableAgent is likely the better choice. However, if you want live classes, Colibri Real Estate is the better option.
Is AceableAgent cheaper than Colibri Real Estate?
Yes, on average the pre-licensing courses from AceableAgent are more affordable than those from Colibri Real Estate. However, keep in mind that pricing does vary by state.
