Real Estate Program

Real Estate Courses – now offered in both and noncredit

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
Zero Cost blocks with hand above holding money bundle
  • 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
Group of four students walking with text fully transferable
  • 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.

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
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

What former students had to say...

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

Career Paths
  • Residential real estate sales
  • Property management
  • Title insurance and/or the escrow industries
  • Managing a real estate sales office as a broker
  • Commercial real estate
  • Lending and mortgage brokering
  • Investing in real estate as a landlord
  • Staging
  • Real estate office administration
Real Estate Program Approval

Department of Real Estate
1651 Exposition Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95815
Telephone: 1-877-373-4542

Submit complaints at: Department of Real Estate

Real Estate Program Overview

From the CCCC Office

Last Updated 11/15/23