How long does it take to complete a McKissock course?
It honestly depends on how fast you read. The courses are designed to take a certain number of hours—like a 3-hour course should take about three hours. But if you speed-read, you can finish faster. The platform tracks your time, and you have to spend a minimum amount of time in the course before you can take the final exam. So don't expect to breeze through a 3-hour course in 45 minutes. Your system knows.
Will McKissock automatically record my credits to my state?
Yes, in most cases they do. After you pass the final exam, McKissock electronically submits your completion data to your state's real estate commission. This usually happens within 24 to 48 hours. However, you should still look up your status on your state's licensing portal after a few days to make sure everything went through. If there's a discrepancy, contact McKissock's support team right away.
Can I take McKissock courses if I'm a new real estate agent?
Yes, absolutely. McKissock offers pre-licensing courses and post-licensing courses, depending on your state's requirements. If you're a brand new agent, you might need to take additional hours beyond just continuing ed. McKissock's website has a section specifically for new agents. Just make sure you select the correct state and the correct license type when you're browsing, otherwise you might end up buying the wrong thing.
So, is McKissock worth it? Honestly, yes. It’s not flashy, and it’s not going to change your life, but it’s reliable, user-friendly, and gets the job done. And at the end of the day, that’s exactly what you need from your continuing education. Now go get those credits done—you’ll feel a whole lot better once they’re behind you.
McKissock Real Estate Continuing Ed: Is It Worth Your Time and Money?
Let’s be honest: nobody wakes up on a Tuesday morning thrilled about the idea of sitting through another real real estate course. You’ve got listings to stage, buyers to chase, and closings to manage. A last thing you want to do is spend a weekend staring at a screen, listening to someone drone on about agency law or fair housing. But here’s the thing—your license renewal date doesn't care about your schedule. It’s coming, whether you're ready or not.
If you've been searching for options, you've probably seen the name McKissock pop up more than a few times. They're one of the big players in the real real estate education game, offering continuing ed for agents in dozens of states. But is it actually good? Or is it just another cookie-cutter course mill designed to take your money and hand you a certificate? I’ve looked into this pretty deeply, and I’ve got some thoughts.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with a straightforward process, agents still make errors. Let’s talk about the biggest ones so you don’t repeat them.
Waiting until the last minute. I get it. Procrastination is a real thing. But if you wait until the week before your license expires, you're setting yourself up for a panic attack. What if the internet goes down? What if you fail the exam and need to retake it? Give yourself at least a month of buffer time. Your stress levels will thank you.
Buying the wrong package. McKissock offers courses for salespersons, brokers, and appraisers. They also offer packages for new licensees versus renewing licensees. Make sure you’re buying the right one. A broker package won’t satisfy a salesperson requirement, and vice versa. Read the fine print before you hit "checkout."
Ignoring the state-specific content. Some agents skim through the state-specific sections given that they think they already know the local laws. That’s a mistake. Your state portion is often where the exam questions are the trickiest. Pay attention to it, even if it seems boring.
Not verifying your credits after you completion. Even though McKissock reports your hours electronically, sometimes there’s a delay. A few weeks following that you finish, log into your state’s license portal and confirm that your credits are showing up. If they’re not, reach out to McKissock support immediately. Don’t assume it’s fine just because you got a certificate.
Step-by-Step: How to Get Your Credits Done
Alright, so you’ve decided to give McKissock a shot. Here’s exactly how the process works, from start to finish. It’s pretty straightforward, but there are a few little details that can trip you up if you’re not paying attention.
Check Your State Requirements First. This is the most important step, and so many agents skip it. Every state has different rules. Some require 12 hours, some require 21, some require a specific number of hours in certain subjects like ethics or fair housing. Go to your state’s real estate commission website and look up the exact requirements. Don’t trust your buddy who says, "Oh, you just need 12 hours, that's it." Verify it yourself. McKissock’s website actually has a state-by-state breakdown, but you should still cross-reference it with the official government source.
Create an Account and Browse Courses. Once you know what you need, head over to the McKissock site and create a free account. You don’t have to buy anything right away. Take some time to browse their course catalog. They have individual courses and they have full packages that bundle everything you need for renewal. If you’re trying to save a few bucks, the bundles usually give you a better per-hour rate.
Select Your Courses and Double-check for Approval. This is where people get into trouble. Just because McKissock offers a course doesn’t mean it’s approved by your specific state. Ensure the course you pick shows your state’s approval badge. If you’re in a state like Pennsylvania or Ohio, pay close attention to the course number. The system will usually flag it if it’s not approved, but don’t rely solely on that. A quick double-check here can save you from a massive headache later.
Purchase and Start Learning. Once you've you’ve made your selection and paid, you’ll get instant access to the course material. The courses are broken into modules. You can do one module in the morning and another at night. The system saves your progress automatically, so you don’t have to worry about losing your place. Just log in and go.
Take the Quizzes and Final Exam. Most modules have a short quiz at the end. These are usually pretty simple—just checking that you stayed awake. This final exam is a bit more serious. You need a passing score, typically 70% or 75%, depending on your state. Here’s a tip: don’t rush through the reading and then try to wing the final. The questions are based on the material, but they’re not always common sense. Some of them are specific to the laws in your state.
Submit Your Completion to Your State. Here’s the beauty of McKissock—they handle the reporting for you. Once you pass the final exam, they electronically report your completion to your state’s real estate commission. You don’t have to mail in a certificate or fax anything. That said, always, always keep a copy of your certificate for your own records. You could download a PDF after you finish. Save it to your computer and also print a physical copy. You never know when you might need proof of completion.
That’s it. That’s the whole process. It takes maybe a few days if you spread it out, or you can knock it out in a single marathon session if you’re under the gun. I’d recommend spreading it out, but I’m also not your mom, so you do you.
Pro Tips for Getting the Most Out of It
You don’t just want to pass the course—you want to actually get something out of it. Here’s some insider advice on how to do that.
Use the "downloadable materials" feature. Most of McKissock’s courses come with PDF handouts and reference guides. Download these before you start the course. They’re great for quick review before the final exam, and you can keep them on your phone for future reference. Trust me, six months from now, you won’t remember the fine points of escrow accounting. Having that PDF handy can be a lifesaver.
Do the course on a laptop, not your phone. The platform works on mobile, but it’s clunky. If you’re trying to read charts or look at legal documents, a bigger screen makes a huge difference. Plus, it’s easier to multitask with your notes on a laptop.
Take notes like you’re in college. I know, I know, nobody wants to take notes. But the act of writing things down helps you remember them. Even if you never look at your notes again, the physical act of writing cements the information in your brain. Just jot down the key points for each section.
Break it up over several days. Cramming is terrible for retention. If you have 15 hours of coursework, don’t try to do it all in one weekend. Do two hours a day for a week. You’ll retain more, and you won’t hate your life.
Take advantage of their support team. If you’re confused about which course to take or you have a technical issue, call them. Their support team is actually pretty responsive. I’ve heard horror stories about other companies' support lines, but McKissock generally picks up the phone within a few minutes. Use that to your advantage.
Comparing McKissock to Other Options
If you’re shopping around, you might be wondering how McKissock stacks up against the competition. Here’s a quick comparison table to give you a sense of where they fit in the market.
Provider
Average Cost (Full Renewal)
Format
State Approval
Customer Support
McKissock
$150–$250
Self-paced online
Yes (most states)
Excellent (phone, chat, email)
Real Estate Express
$100–$200
Self-paced online
Yes (limited states)
Good, but slower response times
The CE Shop
$120–$220
Self-paced online
Yes (most states)
Good, with live chat
Local Association Courses
$200–$400
In-person or live zoom
Yes
Varies by location
As you can see, McKissock isn’t the cheapest, but they’re also not the most expensive. Your quality of their content and the reliability of their reporting make them a solid choice, especially if you want to set it and forget it.
What You Need to Know About McKissock
First, a little background. McKissock has been around since the early 1990s. They started out focusing on appraisal education and eventually expanded into real estate salesperson and broker continuing education. Over the years, they've built a reputation for being reliable and thorough. They’re not the cheapest option out there, and they’re not the most expensive either. They sit right in that sweet spot where you're paying for quality without feeling like you're getting robbed.
The platform is fully online, which is a massive plus for busy agents. You can work at your own pace, pause a lecture to take a call from a client, and pick up right where you left off. That flexibility is honestly a lifesaver. I remember doing my own continuing ed years ago at a physical classroom in a stuffy hotel conference room. We had to sit there for eight hours straight, eating stale bagels and pretending to take notes. McKissock is the exact opposite of that experience.
One thing that stands out is the way they structure their courses. Instead of just throwing a wall of text at you, they use interactive elements, case studies, and real-world scenarios. It’s not exactly Hollywood entertainment, but it’s a heck of a lot more engaging than reading state statutes line by line. They also update their content regularly to reflect changes in laws and regulations, which is key. If you take a course that’s outdated, you’re not just wasting time—you’re potentially learning things that could get you into trouble.