Real Estate Program

Real Estate Courses Now Offered in Both For Credit and Noncredit Forms

Both forms of classes are accepted by the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) as counting towards the educational requirements necessary to qualify for the Real Estate Salesperson exam and the Real Estate Broker exam.

Whether you take the classes in the credit or noncredit form, the content and assignments are 100% identical.

What’s the difference?

Noncredit Real Estate	FREE tuition!! You only pay for the cost of the textbook. NOT transferable to the CSU system Not eligible for certain financial aid programs such as Veterans benefits Cannot be used for any West Valley College Degree or Certificate
For Credit Real Estate	Fully transferable to the CSU system as general electives Class tuition and textbooks are eligible for certain financial aid programs such as Veterans benefits Cost is the same as all other classes offered at the community college system for credit ($138 per class, not including textbooks)

Which one you should take depends on what your goals are in taking the classes. If all you need is to qualify for the DRE exams, you should take the Noncredit option.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, please reach out to the instructor who is teaching your class or to the Real Estate Department Chair, Lance Shoemaker, at lance.shoemakerFREEWEST_VALLEY or at

Meet Online with a Professional Studies Counselor via Starfish

Couple shaking hands after deal with unidentified man

General Information

The Department of Business Administration and Real Estate at West Valley College offers all of the courses you need to obtain a California Real Estate Salesperson or Broker license.

Program Benefits

We cover all the topics you need to know to pass the state licensing exams for both the Salesperson and Broker licenses
Our courses will give you a realistic sense of what career options there are in real estate
Our teachers have years of diverse experience
We provide practical advice for anyone who wants to invest in real estate
Our classes are offered in the evenings and online to accommodate those with full time jobs
Each class is very affordable because we charge community college tuition

See Class Schedule

I was fortunate to take every class in the Real Estate Program at West Valley, and I had exceptional and experienced teachers at every step along the way. Each and every class was excellent; the content was relevant and practical in nature. (I passed the state exam on the first try!) All the resources were very helpful, and of course, the faculty are the best resource. They were professional, knowledgeable and organized. I found their easy way of articulating their vast knowledge of the field, interlaced with experience, and seasoned humor to be very effective, very much appreciated and well received. I am very grateful for the solid foundation they gave me in real estate! I am proud that I took my real estate courses at West Valley!
Former Real Estate Student

WVC Real Estate in the Media

Read the latest interviews with Real Estate Instructor Lance Shoemaker.

From the CCCC Office