Free CE Classes for Real Estate in Kansas

Introduction to Free CE Classes for Real Estate in Kansas

Overview of Kansas Real Estate CE Requirements

In Kansas, real estate agents (both salespersons and brokers) are required to complete continuing education to keep their licenses active. The Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC) mandates 12 hours of approved continuing education every two years for license renewal. This two-year renewal cycle ends on the last day of the licensee’s birth month in the renewal year (even-numbered years for salespersons, odd-numbered years for brokers unless otherwise adjusted). Within these 12 hours, at least 3 hours must be a mandatory core course designated by KREC, typically covering topics such as Kansas real estate law, ethics, or agency updates.

For newly licensed salespersons in Kansas, there’s no additional post-license course requirement beyond the initial pre-licensing education, unlike some states. However, all agents must begin accruing their 12 CE hours immediately upon licensure for their first renewal cycle. The renewal requirement applies uniformly to both salespersons and brokers, with the distinguishing factor being the renewal year (even for salespersons, odd for brokers).

Failing to complete the required CE in time can have serious consequences. Your license could lapse if you miss your renewal deadline. Kansas allows renewals to be submitted online up to 90 days before expiration, with a 30-day grace period after the deadline if accompanied by a late fee. If your license lapses beyond this period, you must reinstate it by completing all required CE and paying additional fees. Staying on top of your continuing education is vital for a hassle-free license renewal.

Why Pursue Free CE Classes Online?

Continuing education courses are offered by many schools and providers, often for a fee. However, free CE classes for real estate in Kansas can be a lifesaver for agents looking to minimize expenses. Online free CE classes allow you to complete required credits from the comfort of your home or office, on your own schedule. As long as the course is approved by the Kansas Real Estate Commission, it will count toward your license renewal just like any paid course would. Free courses are a great way to stay compliant without spending extra money, and they can be especially helpful for agents on a tight budget or those who just need a few additional hours to meet the requirement.

Online options also provide flexibility. You can often start a course, pause, and resume later – an advantage for busy real estate professionals. Additionally, many free online CE classes come from reputable organizations or industry associations that want to provide value to agents. Below, we’ll explore some of the best providers that offer free CE classes in Kansas.

Top Providers of Free CE Classes in Kansas

There are several providers and organizations that offer free continuing education opportunities for Kansas real estate agents. Here are some of the best sources for free CE classes for real estate in Kansas (online):

• InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) – InterNACHI offers real estate agents in Kansas free online CE courses approved by KREC. For example, agents can take courses such as “Home Energy Efficiency for Real Estate Professionals” (4 CE credits) or “Introduction to Home Inspections for Real Estate Professionals” (9 CE credits) at no cost. These courses are completely free and available online to anyone who creates a free account. InterNACHI’s real estate courses are geared toward helping agents understand topics like home inspections and energy efficiency, which can be valuable knowledge for serving clients.
• Local REALTOR® Associations – Many local and state REALTOR® associations provide free CE classes to their members as a benefit of membership. For instance, the Kansas Association of REALTORS® (KAR) may offer free webinars or in-person seminars covering various industry topics throughout the year. While not always advertised as a full 12-hour package, these sessions can include free 3-hour courses that count toward your CE requirement. If you are a member of your local board or KAR, check their education calendars or member portals for offerings. These are essentially no-cost if you’re already a dues-paying member.
• OnlineEd – OnlineEd is an online real estate school that offers a mix of paid and free CE courses. Notably, OnlineEd provides a free Fair Housing continuing education course for Kansas licensees, approved for 3 credit hours. This course covers compliance with federal and state fair housing laws – a key topic for all agents. Agents can sign up on OnlineEd’s platform, enroll in the free Fair Housing course, and complete it to earn 3 CE credits at no charge. OnlineEd’s other Kansas CE courses are available at a low cost, often around $7 for a 3-hour course, making it an affordable supplement if needed.
• Brokerage and Industry-Sponsored Classes – Sometimes, large brokerages, real estate schools, or industry partners (like mortgage companies or title companies) sponsor free CE classes for real estate agents in Kansas. These might be one-time webinar events or lunch-and-learn style classes where an affiliate covers the cost as a marketing opportunity. Keep an eye on industry event calendars or inquire within your brokerage – you might find occasional free CE seminars offered locally. Ensure any class you take is approved by KREC for CE credit before committing your time.
• Empire Learning – While most of Empire Learning’s continuing education courses are paid, we’re highlighting this provider because of its exceptional reputation and value. Empire Learning is a KREC-approved school known for making CE easy and affordable. They offer a free sample course on their website so you can experience their online learning platform firsthand. Agents who use Empire Learning often praise its user-friendly course design – courses are broken into short sections with helpful summaries, quizzes, and video reviews, making the material easy to absorb. Empire Learning’s customers give it outstanding reviews (averaging 4.9 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot) for both quality and customer service. Although you might pay a modest fee for most courses, Empire’s course packages are frequently cited as a “best value” option, thanks to reasonable pricing and frequent discounts throughout the year. If you decide to mix free courses with paid ones, Empire Learning is an excellent choice to round out your Kansas CE requirements.

How to Sign Up for Free CE Classes

Enrolling in free CE classes for real estate in Kansas is usually a straightforward process. Here are step-by-step instructions to help you sign up and get started:

1. Choose a Provider or Course: First, decide which free CE class or provider you want to use. You might pick from the options above – for example, InterNACHI for a home-inspection-related course, your local REALTOR® association for a member-only class, or OnlineEd for the free Fair Housing course. Ensure that the provider and course are approved by the Kansas Real Estate Commission (most major providers will state their approval; all the ones listed above are KREC-approved). It’s important to stick with approved schools so your credits will count.
2. Visit the Provider’s Website: Go to the official website of the chosen provider or organization. Navigate to their continuing education or course catalog section for Kansas real estate. For instance, if you’re going with InterNACHI’s free courses, you would visit InterNACHI’s Kansas real estate education page. If using a local board, go to the association’s education calendar or members portal.
3. Create an Account: Most online education platforms will require you to create a user account (if you don’t have one already). Registration is typically free. You’ll likely need to provide your name, email, and real estate license number during signup. For example, accessing InterNACHI’s free CE courses requires a quick registration for a free account. This account lets the system track your progress and report your completion for credit. If you’re going through a REALTOR® association, you might just need to log in with your membership credentials or create a profile in their system.
4. Select and Enroll in the Course: Once your account is set up, find the specific free CE class you want to take. Add the course to your account or enroll in it. If the course is truly free, the checkout or enrollment process will show a $0 cost. (For example, OnlineEd’s platform will show the Fair Housing course as $0.00 in the cart since it’s free.) Click through to finalize the enrollment. In some cases, enrollment might involve simply clicking a “Start Course” button if no formal registration is needed beyond account creation.
5. Complete the Course Material: Work through the course content at your own pace. Free online CE classes usually consist of reading materials, video lessons, or interactive modules, followed by short quizzes or a final exam. Since these are self-paced, you can start and stop as needed. Make sure to pay attention and take notes, as you’ll need to pass the quiz/exam to earn your CE credit. The course interface will typically guide you section by section (Empire Learning, for instance, breaks courses into sections with reviews and quizzes for easy progress tracking).
6. Pass the Quiz or Exam: At the end of the course, you’ll face a final quiz or exam to test your knowledge. Kansas requires a mastery test for online CE courses to ensure you learned the material. Don’t worry – if you’ve gone through the material, these exams are usually manageable. Some providers allow multiple attempts, and many do not impose a time limit (Empire Learning’s exams, for example, are not timed, which reduces pressure on the student).
7. Receive Your Certificate and Credit: After successfully completing the course and passing any required exam, you should receive a certificate of completion. Save this for your records. Importantly, the education provider will often report your CE credits to the Kansas Real Estate Commission on your behalf. Approved schools in Kansas have systems to transmit your completed hours to the state’s licensing database. It’s a good idea to confirm with the provider that they will report the credit. Then, a few days after completion, log in to your KREC online account to verify that the course credit appears on your record. If the free course was through a local REALTOR® association event, ensure they have your correct license information so they can report your attendance.

By following these steps, you can easily sign up for and complete free CE classes to fulfill your Kansas real estate continuing education requirements. Always keep documentation of your completed courses until you see the credits officially recorded, just in case you need to provide proof of completion.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How many continuing education hours are required for real estate agents in Kansas, and how often?

A: Kansas requires 12 hours of continuing education for real estate licensees every 2 years. This two-year cycle ends on the last day of your birth month in the renewal year (even-numbered years for salespersons, odd-numbered years for brokers, unless adjusted by KREC). Within these 12 hours, you must include at least 3 hours of a mandatory core course designated by KREC, typically Kansas real estate law, ethics, or agency topics as specified for that cycle. These hours can be obtained through any approved courses (classroom or online) offered by a KREC-approved school.

Q: Do free CE classes for real estate in Kansas really count toward my license renewal? Are they accepted by the Kansas Real Estate Commission?

A: Yes, absolutely—free doesn’t mean subpar or unofficial when it comes to continuing education. As long as the class is offered by a provider approved by the Kansas Real Estate Commission, the credits will count toward your CE requirements the same as any paid course. Kansas approves many schools and organizations to offer CE, and that includes those that provide free courses. For example, InterNACHI’s free online courses are approved by KREC, so an agent completing a 3-hour or 9-hour InterNACHI course gets credit just as they would from a traditional real estate school. Always verify that the course is KREC-approved: look for a disclaimer or note on the provider’s website, or cross-check the provider name on the KREC’s list of approved schools. If that checks out, you can be confident the free CE class will count toward your 12-hour requirement.

Q: Where can I find these free CE classes for real estate in Kansas? Who offers them?

A: Several sources offer free CE classes. Here’s a recap of the best places to look:

• Industry organizations: InterNACHI offers free online CE courses (e.g., on home energy efficiency, home inspection topics) that are approved in Kansas.
• Realtor associations: Your local or state REALTOR® association, like the Kansas Association of REALTORS®, might host free CE classes for members. These could be webinars or in-person seminars included with membership dues.
• Online schools/platforms: OnlineEd offers a free Kansas CE course (their 3-hour Fair Housing course is free). Occasionally, other online education providers might run promotions or free trials—so it’s worth keeping an eye out for special offers. Empire Learning provides a free sample course for agents to try out.
• Brokerage or affiliate-sponsored events: Sometimes brokerages or affiliated companies (like mortgage lenders or home inspectors) sponsor free CE seminars as a way to connect with agents. These might be advertised through real estate offices or local industry networks.

Q: How do I know if an online CE provider is approved by Kansas’s Real Estate Commission?

A: The Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC) maintains an official list of approved schools and providers. You can find this list on the KREC website under the education section or via their licensing portal. For a quick check, look up the provider’s name on KREC’s published list. Many providers also mention their Kansas approval number or status on their own websites (often in the footer or the “About” section). If you’re unsure, you can call or email KREC to verify a school’s status. Taking courses only from approved providers is important because if a course isn’t approved, you won’t get credit for those hours.

Q: Can I complete all of my required CE hours online, or do I need to take in-person classes in Kansas?

A: You can complete all 12 hours of required CE online if you wish. Kansas does not mandate any in-person CE; the requirement is simply that you complete the hours through approved courses. There are plenty of KREC-approved online CE providers (such as Empire Learning, The CE Shop, McKissock, OnlineEd, etc.) offering a full range of courses. Online classes are a convenient way to fulfill your education requirements remotely. Whether you do all 12 hours online, in a classroom, or a mix of both is up to your personal learning preference – the Real Estate Commission treats them equally as long as they’re from approved sources.

Q: Is Empire Learning really the best choice for Kansas CE, even though they aren’t free?

A: Empire Learning has built a strong reputation for quality in many states, including Kansas. While their courses typically have a fee (aside from the free sample course they offer), many Kansas agents find the cost well worth it. Here’s why Empire Learning stands out:

• User-Friendly Experience: Courses are structured in digestible sections, with summaries and quizzes that help reinforce learning. The platform is easy to navigate, even on a phone or tablet, so you can study on the go.
• High Student Satisfaction: Empire Learning boasts a 4.9 out of 5-star average rating from student reviews on Trustpilot. That reflects excellent customer support and course quality. Students often praise how engaging and relevant the course material is, as well as the prompt assistance from the support team if any issues arise.
• Affordable Packages: Even though not free, Empire’s CE packages are priced very competitively. Purchasing a 12-hour package is often much cheaper than buying courses individually. Empire’s bundles are frequently noted as a “best value” purchase, and the company runs seasonal sales and discounts throughout the year, which can bring costs down further.

Q: What is the process to renew my Kansas real estate license once I’ve completed my CE?

A: Renewing your Kansas real estate license is done through the Kansas Real Estate Commission’s online system. Here’s a quick overview:

• Make sure all required CE credits (12 hours, including the mandatory 3-hour core course) are completed and have been reported to KREC. You can verify your credits by logging into your KREC online account to view your education transcript.
• Renewal can be done up to 90 days before your license expiration date (the last day of your birth month in the renewal year). It’s a good idea to renew early if you have completed your hours, just to avoid any last-minute issues.
• Go to the KREC online renewal portal and log in with your license details. The system will prompt you through the renewal application.
• Pay the renewal fee (typically around $125-$200 for a two-year period, depending on license type – check KREC’s site for the current fee). You can pay online via credit card.
• Submit the renewal. If everything is in order (CE hours fulfilled and fee paid), your license will be renewed for the next two-year cycle. You should receive confirmation of renewal. Always double-check that your license status is updated to “active” for the new period.

By understanding your continuing education requirements and taking advantage of the convenient free CE classes for real estate in Kansas available online, you can keep your license in good standing with minimal stress and cost. Whether you choose to complete all your hours through free resources or combine them with highly-rated providers like Empire Learning for a seamless experience, Kansas offers plenty of options to meet your CE needs. Stay proactive with your education, plan your courses well before your renewal deadline, and you’ll find the license renewal process to be smooth sailing.