Yes. Illinois allows approved real estate education to be delivered through qualifying online formats.
For most first-time Illinois Broker applicants, the standard education requirement is 75 hours:
60 hours of Broker Pre-License Topics
plus
15 hours of Applied Real Estate Principles
Depending on the approved provider and course, students may be able to complete qualifying education through online distance education, live interactive webinars, or other permitted formats.
The important question is not simply whether a course says "online." Before enrolling, verify the provider, course approval, delivery method, attendance requirements, and exactly which portion of the Illinois licensing education the course satisfies.
| Question | Current Illinois Framework |
|---|---|
| Can Broker pre-license education be taken online? | Yes, through approved formats |
| Standard Broker education | 75 hours |
| Broker Pre-License Topics | 60 hours |
| Applied Real Estate Principles | 15 hours |
| Can the 15-hour Applied course be online? | Yes, through approved online distance education or interactive webinar |
| Can the 15-hour Applied course be correspondence/home study? | No |
| Is attendance verified for online distance education? | Yes |
| Is attendance verified for interactive webinars? | Yes |
| Education validity | 2 years after satisfactory completion |
| Education provider | Must satisfy IDFPR requirements |
| Licensing authority | IDFPR Division of Real Estate |
Online education can provide flexibility, but the course still must satisfy Illinois licensing rules.
The phrase:
Online real estate class
can describe more than one type of education.
Illinois rules distinguish among formats such as:
Interactive online learning that is not necessarily happening live.
Live instruction with real-time communication between instructor and students.
Non-interactive self-study that operates under separate requirements.
These categories are not interchangeable.
Before buying a course, find out which official delivery method the provider is offering.
Illinois defines online distance education as interactive education that is:
Interaction may occur through:
This format can be attractive for students who want more scheduling flexibility than a live class provides.
An interactive webinar is different from self-paced online distance education.
It involves:
Live instruction
with two-way communication between the:
and
Participants can interact through technology such as:
The student usually needs to attend at scheduled times.
| Online Distance Education | Interactive Webinar |
|---|---|
| Not necessarily live | Live |
| Student can often study on a more flexible schedule | Student attends scheduled sessions |
| Uses online learning system | Uses live instructor-led technology |
| Participation is verified | Attendance and participation are verified |
| Useful for independent learners | Useful for students who prefer instructor interaction |
| No commute | No commute |
Neither format is automatically better.
Choose the one that fits how you learn.
Illinois also recognizes:
Correspondence or home-study education
as a separate format.
These courses are generally non-interactive self-study rather than online interactive instruction.
They can involve materials such as:
This format follows different examination and participation rules.
Do not assume:
Home Study = Online Distance Education
They are separate regulatory categories.
This is an important distinction for prospective Brokers.
The required:
15-hour Broker Pre-License Applied Real Estate Principles course
may be presented through:
However, Illinois rules do not allow that Applied course to be taught as:
The practical portion must use one of the permitted interactive formats.
The Applied Real Estate Principles course focuses on practical use of real estate concepts.
Students may work through situations involving:
The course is designed to involve more than passive reading.
Taking the course online does not reduce the required education.
A standard first-time Broker applicant still completes:
Broker Pre-License Topics
plus
Applied Real Estate Principles
for a total of:
\[
60 + 15 = 75 \text{ hours}
\]
"Online" describes the delivery method.
It does not reduce the number of required education hours.
The main Broker Pre-License Topics course covers major real estate subjects.
Students can expect areas such as:
The course creates the academic foundation for later examination preparation.
The Applied Real Estate Principles course focuses on using concepts in realistic situations.
Examples can involve:
Students move from:
Knowing a rule
to
Applying a rule
Potentially, yes, when the approved courses are delivered through qualifying online formats.
For example, a provider may offer:
and
The exact structure varies by provider.
Before enrolling, verify that the package actually includes all education you need and that every component is currently approved.
The most important step when choosing an online course is confirming that it satisfies Illinois requirements.
A professional-looking website alone does not establish approval.
Before enrollment, verify:
Use current resources from the:
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — Division of Real Estate
Search results can include:
Only the appropriate approved education satisfies the applicable Illinois licensing requirement.
Look specifically for the course type you need.
These are different products.
Fulfills the required education component of the licensing process.
Helps you prepare for the PSI licensing examination.
An online exam-prep package cannot automatically replace the required 75-hour education.
Likewise, finishing the 75 hours does not guarantee that you are ready for the licensing examination.
Illinois Brokers encounter different types of education throughout their careers.
| Education | When It Applies |
|---|---|
| 75-Hour Pre-License | Before standard initial Broker examination/licensing |
| 45-Hour Post-License | During applicable first Broker license term |
| Continuing Education | During later applicable renewal cycles |
Online formats can be available at more than one education stage.
Be sure you are purchasing the correct course category.
Qualifying new Illinois Brokers generally complete:
45 hours of post-license education
The program consists of three 15-hour courses:
Current Illinois rules allow these courses to be presented through:
Each course also has its own required final examination.
After the applicable first-term post-license stage, Brokers generally move into continuing education requirements for later renewals.
CE course structure and approved delivery methods can differ from pre-license education.
Do not purchase a course labeled:
Continuing Education
when what you actually need is:
Pre-License Education
or:
Post-License Education
Illinois requires licensed education providers to verify attendance for courses presented through:
That means an approved online course should have a method for verifying student participation.
A student generally cannot simply:
without satisfying the provider's participation requirements.
The exact method can vary by provider and course platform.
A Learning Management System may use tools such as:
Interactive webinars may use:
Follow the provider's instructions rather than assuming that being logged in automatically equals attendance credit.
Illinois applies a specific examination rule to:
Correspondence or home-study pre-license courses
Current rules require a:
Mandatory proctored final examination
The examination must contain at least:
25 questions for every 15 credit hours
and the minimum passing score is:
75%
These requirements apply to the home-study/correspondence category.
A provider's course examination and the Illinois licensing examination are different.
Used where required to complete the education program.
Part of the professional licensing process after qualifying education.
Passing a provider examination does not automatically mean:
You passed the Illinois Broker licensing exam.
The state licensing examination is a separate step.
Online education can be especially useful if you are balancing:
Self-paced formats can allow more control over when you study.
Live webinars can eliminate commuting while preserving real-time instructor access.
The greatest advantage of online study can also become its greatest weakness.
Without a classroom schedule, it can be easy to say:
"I'll study tomorrow."
Then tomorrow becomes next week.
A successful online student usually creates:
Flexibility works best when it has structure.
Even when the platform gives you scheduling flexibility, your licensing process still involves timelines.
Current Illinois rules provide that qualifying pre-license education remains valid for:
2 years after satisfactory completion
You also have later examination and application timelines to manage.
Treat the online course as a professional project with a planned completion date.
Instead of saying:
"I will study whenever I have time,"
choose specific study periods.
For example:
60–90 minutes
60–90 minutes
60 minutes
2–3 hours
Your exact schedule can differ.
The important point is to put course time on your calendar.
A working student might organize the week like this:
New course material
Review notes
New course material
Practice questions
Real estate calculations
Longer course session
Cumulative review
This combines required course progress with actual learning.
A common online-learning problem is:
Lesson Playing ≠ Lesson Learned
Avoid:
Instead:
Provider materials can be useful, but your own notes help you process information.
Create separate sections for:
Keep those notes after the course.
They can become your first exam-review resource.
Some students study with:
This can work well.
However, avoid turning your study session into:
Online education already places you in a distraction-heavy environment.
Keep unnecessary tabs closed while studying.
Real estate calculations should not become something you only recognize when a formula appears on a webpage.
Use:
and practice calculations involving:
Writing the steps yourself improves retention.
Suppose a property sells for:
$400,000
and the loan amount is:
$320,000
Loan-to-value is:
\[
\frac{\$320,000}{\$400,000}\times100
=
80\%
\]
Answer:
80% LTV
Do not simply read the solution.
Close it and solve the problem again yourself.
A quiz is not only something to pass.
When you miss a question:
Agency? Contracts? Financing?
Did you forget the rule?
Did you misread the question?
Did you guess?
Use your own words.
This creates an error log that becomes useful later during exam preparation.
Illinois agency rules can be unfamiliar to first-time students.
Pay special attention to:
Do not memorize agency terms without working through scenarios.
National real estate principles are important.
But the Illinois State portion of the licensing exam tests Illinois-specific law.
Maintain separate notes covering:
Fair housing is a professional and examination topic regardless of how your course is delivered.
Study:
One weakness of poorly structured self-study can be memorizing facts without learning to apply them.
After each major topic, ask:
What would happen in a real transaction?
For example:
A seller tells the Broker not to disclose a hidden material physical defect. What should the Broker do?
Now you have to connect:
Applied questions deepen understanding.
A live interactive webinar depends on real-time communication.
Before class, check:
Technical problems can interfere with attendance and participation.
Do not wait until the first class begins to test your equipment.
Even a self-paced online course may require:
Check provider technical requirements before purchasing.
A course you cannot reliably access is not flexible.
Some course systems may work on mobile devices.
However, completing an entire professional licensing course on a small phone screen can make it harder to:
If possible, a laptop or desktop computer can provide a more practical primary study environment.
Check the provider's device requirements.
Before buying an online class, ask:
A low course price can become less attractive if you later need to purchase an access extension.
Online does not have to mean:
Study completely alone.
Ask whether the provider offers:
The right level of support depends on your learning style.
If you prefer self-paced online education but still want support, ask:
This can be especially important for difficult areas such as:
May prefer online distance education.
May prefer interactive webinar.
May benefit from scheduled sessions.
May value flexible self-paced scheduling.
May benefit from live deadlines and instructor interaction.
Choose based on how you actually learn—not only what sounds convenient.
Ask yourself:
If yes, live webinar may help.
Self-paced online distance education may be easier.
Live instructor interaction may be valuable.
Self-paced learning may fit well.
A scheduled class may provide useful structure.
The best format is the one you are likely to complete seriously.
An inexpensive online course can still be a poor value if it has:
A more expensive package is not automatically better either.
Compare the full package.
When comparing classes, check:
| Feature | Course A | Course B |
|---|---|---|
| IDFPR-approved provider | ___ | ___ |
| Full 75-hour package | ___ | ___ |
| 60-hour course included | ___ | ___ |
| 15-hour Applied course included | ___ | ___ |
| Online distance or webinar | ___ | ___ |
| Instructor access | ___ | ___ |
| Course materials included | ___ | ___ |
| Exam prep included | ___ | ___ |
| Access period | ___ | ___ |
| Technical support | ___ | ___ |
| Total price | ___ | ___ |
| Additional fees | ___ | ___ |
A side-by-side comparison can make the differences clearer.
Before enrolling, ask:
A legitimate provider should be able to explain the course structure clearly.
Investigate further if a website:
Do not let urgency-based marketing replace verification.
Illinois licensing requirements have changed over time.
Older websites may still mention:
For current standard Broker education, the requirement is:
75 hours
Use current IDFPR and Illinois Administrative Code information when requirements conflict.
Not every applicant follows the same education pathway.
Generally follows the:
75-hour pre-license route
May use the current:
30-hour Pre-License Endorsement Course
Has a separate licensing pathway under current rules.
Determine your route before buying a course.
Illinois replaced new reciprocity applications with:
Licensure by Endorsement
beginning in 2026.
A qualifying Broker already actively licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction may need the:
30-hour Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course
instead of the standard 75-hour program.
Do not buy the standard course until you know which licensing route applies.
Completing a course online does not change the other standard Broker requirements.
Applicants still need to satisfy applicable requirements involving:
Current Illinois rules state that qualifying Broker pre-license education is valid for:
2 years after satisfactory completion
This means you should plan the next stages after finishing.
Do not complete the course and then ignore the licensing process indefinitely.
Record your:
Course Completion Date
and keep the documentation.
Keep digital copies of:
Create a licensing folder on:
Do not depend entirely on long-term access to the education provider's student portal.
For a standard applicant, the next stages generally look like:
Complete Online Pre-License Education
↓
Save Course Documentation
↓
Review PSI Exam Outline
↓
Prepare for Broker Exam
↓
Establish PSI Eligibility
↓
Schedule Examination
↓
Pass National and Illinois Portions
↓
Arrange Sponsorship
↓
Apply for Illinois Broker License
An online course can satisfy the education requirement.
But after completing it, ask:
If not, use additional review before scheduling your examination.
A useful progression is:
Course Lessons
↓
Your Notes
↓
Condensed Topic Review
↓
Practice Questions
↓
Error Log
↓
Timed Practice Test
↓
Licensing Exam
Your approved course follows the Illinois education curriculum.
The PSI outline explains the subjects tested on the licensing examination.
After course completion:
Do not spend the entire course repeatedly taking full practice tests.
During the course, focus on:
Near the end, add:
Your first online course may not be your last.
A Broker career can later involve approved online education for:
Build study habits that you can reuse throughout your career.
Online learning can offer:
Study without traveling to a physical classroom.
Especially useful in qualifying asynchronous formats.
Students can compare approved programs without limiting themselves to the nearest classroom.
Notes, lessons, and progress can be kept together.
Course sessions can often be planned around employment and family responsibilities.
The value depends on choosing the correct approved course and actually completing it seriously.
Online education is not automatically easier.
Potential difficulties include:
Flexible schedules make delaying study easy.
Internet access can compete with the course.
Connection or platform issues can interrupt learning.
Self-paced students may need to actively seek instructor help.
Long study periods can become tiring.
Recognizing these challenges makes them easier to manage.
Try these habits:
Create a dedicated learning environment.
Treat them like appointments.
Do not rely only on the course screen.
Especially calculations and scenarios.
Do not let earlier material disappear.
Use instructor support when a concept is unclear.
Know how much of the course remains.
| Course Area | Completed | Review Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Real Property | ___ | ___ |
| Agency | ___ | ___ |
| Seller Relationships | ___ | ___ |
| Buyer Relationships | ___ | ___ |
| Illinois Law | ___ | ___ |
| Financing | ___ | ___ |
| Calculations | ___ | ___ |
| Contracts | ___ | ___ |
| Title | ___ | ___ |
| Leasing | ___ | ___ |
| Applied Principles | ___ | ___ |
Completing a lesson and understanding a lesson are not always the same thing.
The standard journey looks like:
Check Eligibility
↓
Choose Approved Education
↓
Complete 60-Hour Broker Topics
↓
Complete 15-Hour Applied Principles
↓
Prepare for PSI Exam
↓
Pass Broker Examination
↓
Choose Sponsoring Broker
↓
Apply to IDFPR
↓
Receive Illinois Broker License
↓
Complete Applicable 45-Hour Post-License Education
Taking the education online changes the classroom experience.
It does not remove the other licensing stages.
Convenience matters.
But your online class should also be:
Illinois Broker Academy provides educational resources to help prospective Brokers understand the Illinois licensing path before making education and exam decisions.
For the complete 75-hour course overview:
Illinois Real Estate Pre-License Course
For detailed education requirements:
Illinois Broker Education Requirements
For the curriculum:
For a study system:
Illinois Real Estate Course Study Guide
For exam preparation:
Illinois Broker Exam Study Guide
For a 40-question Illinois practice test:
Illinois Real Estate Practice Test
For post-license education:
Yes. Illinois permits approved real estate education through qualifying online formats, including online distance education and interactive webinars.
Qualifying Broker pre-license education can be offered through approved online formats. Verify the provider, course, and delivery method before enrolling.
A standard first-time Broker applicant generally completes 75 hours of approved pre-license education.
The standard education consists of 60 hours of Broker Pre-License Topics and 15 hours of Applied Real Estate Principles.
Yes. Current Illinois rules allow the 15-hour Applied Real Estate Principles course to be presented through classroom, interactive webinar, or online distance education.
No. Current Illinois rules specifically exclude the 15-hour Broker Pre-License Applied Real Estate Principles course from correspondence or home-study delivery.
Illinois defines online distance education as interactive education that is not in real time, where students independently learn online and their participation and comprehension are verified through interaction with an Illinois licensed instructor or Learning Management System.
An interactive webinar is live instruction using technology that allows real-time two-way communication between the licensed instructor and student.
No. A webinar is live and scheduled. Online distance education can allow the student to work independently rather than attending live at a fixed time.
No. Illinois treats correspondence or home study as a non-interactive self-study category, while online distance education is interactive and includes verification of participation and comprehension.
Current Illinois rules require licensed education providers to verify attendance for courses presented through online distance education and interactive webinars.
The answer depends on the course's regulatory delivery category and provider requirements. Illinois specifically requires mandatory proctored final examinations for correspondence or home-study pre-license courses. Verify the requirements of your particular approved online course before enrolling.
Current Illinois rules require a mandatory proctored final examination containing at least 25 questions for every 15 credit hours, with a minimum passing score of 75%.
No. A course examination is part of education where required. The PSI Broker examination is the separate state licensing examination.
Use current IDFPR Division of Real Estate resources to verify approved education providers and qualifying courses before paying for the class.
IDFPR approves or licenses qualifying education providers and courses but students should independently compare provider format, support, price, technology, and course features.
Price can be one factor, but also compare approval status, course coverage, delivery method, support, access period, included materials, technology, and additional fees.
For the standard Broker route, confirm that the package covers both the 60-hour Broker Pre-License Topics course and the required 15-hour Applied Real Estate Principles course.
The standard education requirement is 75 hours. The 60-hour Topics course alone does not satisfy the complete standard Broker pre-license education requirement.
No. Education is only one licensing stage. Standard applicants must also meet examination, application, sponsorship, and other applicable requirements.
Current Illinois rules provide that qualifying Broker pre-license education is valid for 2 years after satisfactory completion.
Yes. Many students choose online education because it can be easier to fit around employment. The best format depends on whether you prefer scheduled live instruction or more flexible independent study.
Not necessarily. It can be more flexible, but it also requires self-discipline, time management, active study, and consistent review.
That depends on the education provider's platform and technical requirements. A larger computer screen can be more practical for contracts, calculations, tables, and long lessons, so verify device compatibility before enrollment.
Requirements vary by provider but can include a reliable internet connection, supported browser or computer, email, audio or video capability, and access to the provider's Learning Management System.
Yes. Current Illinois rules permit the required 45-hour Broker post-license courses to be presented through classroom, interactive webinar, or online distance education.
Check the current Illinois licensure-by-endorsement route before buying the standard 75-hour course. A qualifying out-of-state Broker may instead need the separate 30-hour Pre-License Endorsement Course.
Illinois provides a separate qualification route for attorneys currently admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Verify the current requirements before enrolling in the standard program.
Save your completion records, review the current PSI content outline, identify weak topics, complete focused exam preparation, establish examination eligibility, and schedule the Broker examination when ready.
Use current IDFPR Division of Real Estate guidance and the current Illinois Administrative Code, particularly the rules governing Broker education providers, pre-license courses, online distance education, and correspondence or home-study courses.