If your calendars haven’t already told you, it’s license renewal time with the Missouri Real Estate Commission. And for most REALTORS® that means fulfilling continuing education (“CE”) requirements as well. CE courses are beneficial, but finding the time to complete them can be challenging.
When choosing CE courses, the biggest decision to make is whether to take them in a classroom or online. There are pros and cons to each format, and it’s important to take them into consideration before registering for a course. Here are a few factors to consider to help you make the best decision.
Online
Online Pros:
- Inexpensive. Online courses are extremely cost effective. Oftentimes you can take all 12 hours for under $100.
- Convenient. Online courses work great with a busy schedule. You can work on the course whenever you have time, whether it be before bed or on the weekends.
- Casual. One word: pajamas. There is nothing better than checking things off of your to do list while still wearing slippers!
Online Cons:
- Don’t get the opportunity to network and ask questions. Without face to face interactions, it’s hard to build relationships with your teacher and classmates. Online classes take networking out of the equation.
- Requires self-discipline and motivation. If you tend to procrastinate or struggle to prioritize among other tasks, online classes may not be the right route for you.
- Can be difficult to understand new, complex material. Without an in class teacher or peers to help explain new material, it can be difficult to learn content you are not already familiar with.
- Can be boring. Staring at a computer screen for hours at a time can get tiresome, and if the content doesn’t hold your attention you may have a hard time paying attention.
Classroom
Classroom Pros:
- Network. A great part of classroom CE courses is that you can network with people you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to. It can be great for your business to make these new connections and it offers the possibility to get new referrals.
- Ask questions. If you are having a hard time understanding something, you can raise your hand and get a personally tailored answer from your instructor. This is usually more helpful than in online courses, where everything is done over the computer.
- Learn from others in the class. We all have different experiences, and classroom CE courses give us the ability to learn from what our fellow REALTORS® have gone through. Learning from other’s mistakes or implementing their tips and tricks can help grow your business.
- More exciting. Being around other people can make the course more exciting, and having your teacher in the room with you can hold your attention better than a computer can.
Classroom Cons:
- More expensive. Classroom CE courses are not as cost effective as online courses.
- Inflexible. Classroom CE courses are not flexible like online courses are. You cannot complete them on your own time, which can be a drawback for people with extremely busy or sporadic schedules.
Choosing whether to take CE courses in a classroom or online really depends on your learning style. Join the discussion to share how you prefer to take CE courses, and read about other Missouri REALTORS® thoughts and experiences on the topic. Regardless of how you decide to earn your CE credit, be sure to get it taken care of before renewal deadlines.