Cost breakdown, 6 min read
Humber Real Estate Course 1-5 Cost Breakdown (2026)
The Humber pre-registration tuition is normally listed as a single bundled number, which hides what each course actually costs and the fees most candidates only learn about when they fail an exam or miss a simulation date. Here is the line-by-line breakdown for 2026, including the rewrite fees nobody warns you about.
The headline number: roughly $4,500 to $5,500
Humber publishes pre-registration program pricing as a tuition bundle that covers the five courses, both simulations, and the first attempt at every exam. As of 2026, the bundle lands in the $4,500 to $5,500 range depending on payment plan and whether you pay course-by-course or pay for the full program upfront (paying upfront sometimes earns a small discount).
That number does not include the REAT (about $50 to $100, paid before you can register for Course 1), exam rewrite fees if you fail an exam, fees if you miss a simulation date and have to reschedule, or any of the post-registration costs.
Course-by-course breakdown
Humber's posted prices vary by year and payment option, but the relative weights are stable. The following are 2026 ranges; check humber.ca for the exact current price.
| Course | What it includes | Approx 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|
| Course 1 | Real Estate Essentials — textbook, online lessons, first exam attempt | $1,000 — $1,200 |
| Course 2 | Residential Transactions — textbook, online lessons, first exam attempt | $900 — $1,100 |
| Course 3 | Additional Residential — textbook, lessons, first exam attempt | $800 — $1,000 |
| Simulation 1 | Live applied residential session — registration + first attempt | $300 — $450 |
| Course 4 | Commercial Transactions — textbook, lessons, first exam attempt | $900 — $1,100 |
| Simulation 2 | Live applied commercial session — registration + first attempt | $300 — $450 |
| Course 5 | Getting Started — orientation course + final exam | $200 — $400 |
| Bundle total | Five courses + two simulations, first attempt at every exam | $4,500 — $5,500 |
The fees most candidates forget
REAT (Real Estate Admission Test) — $50 to $100
Paid before you can register for Course 1. Roughly $50 for an online proctored attempt, more if you choose an in-person testing centre. If you fail, you pay again to rewrite. Most candidates pass first time.
Exam rewrite fees — $50 to $200 per failed exam
If you fail a course exam, you pay a rewrite fee to sit it again. The exact amount varies by course and proctoring choice. The rewrite usually unlocks a new exam date roughly two weeks out — you can't keep retaking on the same day. If you fail and re-pass, you have only paid the rewrite fee, not re-bought the course.
Simulation reschedule fees — typically $100 to $200
Simulations are live, scheduled, and capacity-limited. If you miss your booked session or fail and need to redo it, you pay a reschedule fee. There is also a window during which sessions are available — if you fall outside it, you may have to wait for the next intake.
Course extension fees
Humber gives you 12 months from registration of each individual course to complete it. If you go over, you pay an extension fee (typically $100 to $200) to keep your registration active. The full pre-registration program has a 24-month deadline overall.
Materials replacement
Most learning materials are digital and accessible through the Humber Real Estate learner portal. If a textbook PDF gets locked out or you need a printed version, there are minor fees. This rarely matters in practice.
What about post-registration?
After you pass Course 5 and find a brokerage to register with RECO, the costs continue but in different categories.
- Articling tuition: Three additional courses chosen from a list. Total cost typically $1,500 to $2,000 across all three. Provider matters here — Humber, Algonquin, Fleming, or CCG. See our provider comparison.
- RECO registration: About $590 every two years, plus a one-time application fee on first registration.
- RECO insurance: Errors and omissions insurance is mandatory and renewed annually. Roughly $400 to $500 per year.
- Brokerage and board fees: Vary widely. Most new agents pay $100 to $300 per month to their brokerage in desk fees, plus $300 to $1,000 per year to their local real estate board for MLS access.
For the full all-in cost from pre-registration through your first year practising, see Real Estate License Cost in Ontario.
Ways to keep costs down
- Pass on first attempt. Each rewrite is $50 to $200. Two rewrites equals roughly half of a full course.
- Don't miss simulations. A reschedule fee plus the wait for the next intake is the most expensive avoidable cost.
- Use the full 24-month window. If you are studying part-time around a job, you do not save money by trying to finish in 6 months. You save money by avoiding extension fees.
- Pick the right articling courses for your trade type. If you plan to do residential only, taking commercial-elective articling courses is wasted money.
The honest take
Compared to other licensed-professional pathways, the Humber program is cheap. A nursing diploma runs $20,000 to $40,000. Law school runs six figures. Real estate gets you to a licensed selling career for under $10,000 all in. The cost story is not "is this affordable" — it is "where do candidates leak money unnecessarily." The answer is rewrites and simulation reschedules. Both are entirely preventable with reasonable preparation.