The probate certifications real estate agents search for most are the Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist (CPRES) from MTI Education, the Residential Real Estate Probate Specialist Certification from the Residential Real Estate Council (the CRS organization), the Certified Probate Expert (CPE) from Probate Mastery, and the Probate & Trust Specialist certificate from the California Association of REALTORS. Each is a private, voluntary credential from a company or an association, not a state license. This guide compares them, and a few smaller programs, on format, price, exam and renewal, using what each issuer listed on its own website on October 15, 2026.
Probate certifications at a glance
Prices and details as each issuer listed them on October 15, 2026.
| Certification | Issuer | Format | Listed price | Exam | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPRES | MTI Education | Online video, self-paced, about 5 hours | $597 | 25 questions, 75% to pass | None; lifetime designation |
| Residential Real Estate Probate Specialist Certification | Residential Real Estate Council (CRS) | Classroom or virtual class with an instructor | Varies by location | Two exams, 70% to pass each | Not stated |
| Certified Probate Expert (CPE) | Probate Mastery | Five Core courses plus one elective, about 15.5 to 17.5 hours | $997 bundle | Course quizzes | Not stated |
| Probate & Trust Specialist | California Association of REALTORS | Online, 3 hours | $129 members, $258 non-members | 60 questions, 70% to pass | Expires after 2 years |
| Probate Property Specialist | American Real Estate University | Live class, in person or on Zoom, 6 hours | $175 | Not stated | Not stated |
| REWW Probate Specialist Certification | Real Estate Worldwide | Online, self-paced, 7 hours | $1,495 early, $1,995 regular | 7 quizzes and a final exam | Not stated |
| SRES (not a probate course) | National Association of REALTORS | Self-paced, 12 hours | $310 members, $620 non-members | Not stated | $99 a year after the first year |
CPRES (Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist)
MTI Education, based in Lakewood, California, issues the CPRES. The course is a self-paced online video program of about 5 hours. The exam is online: 25 multiple-choice questions, with 75 percent (19 correct) needed to pass, and retakes are allowed.
MTI's course page lists the course at $597. Some of MTI's older promotional pages still show lower prices, so confirm the price at checkout. The designation is lifetime, with no renewal fees.
Two points from MTI's FAQ matter when you plan. The course carries no continuing education credit, because meeting CE rules in every state is not feasible for a nationwide course. And CPRES is a private certification, not affiliated with the National Association of REALTORS, which MTI says only acknowledges certifications it administers.
MTI also offers optional add-ons: a support membership, free for 60 days and then $47 a month, and a bundle with ProbateData, which MTI calls its lead partner, free for 60 days and then $50 a month in select counties.
Residential Real Estate Probate Specialist Certification
The Residential Real Estate Council (RRC), the organization behind the CRS designation, issues this certification. Its page describes in-person or virtual classroom learning with an instructor. You earn it by completing the course and scoring 70 percent or better on both exams, and it counts for 8 credit hours toward the CRS designation, which matters if you are already working toward CRS.
RRC lists the price as varying by location. Topics include legal and procedural probate knowledge, handling difficult situations, staying neutral and preventing disputes, and supporting grieving clients.
A separate site, certifiedprobatespecialist.org, run by Buddy West Seminars, offers a certification with the same name, which it calls the CPS Certification, and lists live classes in person and on Zoom. Neither site explains how the two relate, so ask before you enroll.
Certified Probate Expert (CPE)
Probate Mastery's CPE is a curriculum rather than a single course. You complete all five Core courses and at least one of four electives, plus the course quizzes, then email Probate Mastery to request the designation. There is no separate designation fee.
Pricing follows the courses. The first Core course, How Probate Works, is free; the other four are $147 each, or $497 for the Core bundle (about 10.5 hours). Electives are $697 each (about 5 to 7 hours). The CPE bundle, Core plus one elective, is $997 (about 15.5 to 17.5 hours), and all nine courses are $2,497 (about 34.5 hours).
Probate Mastery's FAQ says the CPE is not a National Association of REALTORS designation. The company also sells a Mastery Academy membership at $97 a month and skip-traced probate records from $2.50 per record, depending on the county. Both are separate from the designation.
C.A.R. Probate & Trust Specialist (California)
The California Association of REALTORS awards a Probate & Trust Specialist certificate for its online course, The Probate Process from A-Z for Real Estate Professionals: 3 hours, with up to a year to finish. The final exam has 60 multiple-choice questions, 70 percent to pass, with retakes allowed.
It costs $129 for C.A.R. members and $258 for non-members, and C.A.R.'s store listed it as sold out on October 15, 2026, so check availability. It carries no CE credit, and the certificate expires 2 years after it is awarded. The instructor, Paul Horn, is a probate attorney and State Bar Certified Specialist, and the course is built on California probate law, so it fits California agents best.
Other probate courses
Probate Property Specialist (American Real Estate University). A six-hour certification course taught live, in person and on Zoom, for $175. The next class listed is November 4, 2026, hosted by the Fayette County Board of REALTORS in Georgia.
REWW Probate Specialist Certification (Real Estate Worldwide). Online and self-paced, with 7 hours of content, 7 quizzes and a final exam, at $1,495 (early price) or $1,995 (regular). It is aimed mainly at investors, wholesalers and landlords, and also at Realtors, so listing agents should read the syllabus first.
SRES (National Association of REALTORS). The Seniors Real Estate Specialist is NAR's designation for working with clients aged 50 and over, not a probate course. The self-paced course runs 12 hours and costs $310 for members or $620 for non-members; the designation requires NAR membership and costs $99 a year after the first year.
Do you need a certification to list a probate property?
The issuers present these as private, voluntary credentials. Listing a home for a fee runs on your real estate license, and the sale itself follows your state's probate rules.
California shows how that works. Probate Code 10150 lets the estate's personal representative contract with a licensed real estate broker to sell estate property. It names an ordinary broker license, not a probate credential.
Watch for one term. In probate law, a "license to sell" is the court's permission for the executor or administrator to sell, not something the agent earns. Vermont's statute is an example: the Probate Division of the Superior Court may grant the executor or administrator a license to sell (14 V.S.A. 1651).
Rules vary by state, so confirm yours with your broker or the estate's attorney before you take a probate listing.
What a certification will not do
A course teaches the process. It does not find the families; that part is prospecting. A court probate list starts from court filings, so homes held in living trusts never appear on it. Those homes pass to a successor trustee with no probate case, and when one sells, it is a trust sale.
USLeadList sells inheritance data, not training. Our monthly county files list inherited homes, built from death records and property records, including homes held in living trusts. Records typically reach subscribers about five weeks after the death. We do not sell probate lists or court records.
Probate lists leave out trust-held homes. Ours include them. See pricing and availability for your county.
How to choose a probate certification
Ask these questions before you pay:
- What is the total cost, including memberships, data bundles and renewal fees?
- Does it count for continuing education credit in your state?
- Does the designation expire?
- How much of it covers your state's probate law, and how much is general?
- Self-paced, live online or in person: which will you actually finish?
- Does the instructor practice probate law, or sell probate leads or coaching?
For the agent side of probate, including who can sign and how to make first contact, see our guide for agents.
Frequently asked questions
What is CPRES?
CPRES stands for Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist, a designation from MTI Education. It is earned through a self-paced online course of about 5 hours and a 25-question exam (75 percent to pass). MTI's course page lists it at $597, with no renewal fees and no CE credit.
Is CPRES a NAR designation?
No. MTI's FAQ says CPRES is a private certification, not affiliated with NAR, and Probate Mastery says the same of its CPE. SRES is the NAR designation in this guide, and it covers clients aged 50 and over, not probate.
Which probate certification is best?
It depends on what you want from it. The RRC certification counts 8 hours toward CRS. The C.A.R. certificate teaches California law from a probate attorney. CPRES is a self-paced course with a lifetime designation. The CPE is a longer curriculum with electives. Compare the total cost and the CE credit in your state first.
Do probate certifications count for continuing education?
Two issuers say theirs do not: MTI for CPRES and C.A.R. for its certificate. For the others, ask the provider and confirm with your state licensing agency, because each state sets its own CE rules.
How long does a probate certification take?
From 3 hours for the C.A.R. course to about 5 for CPRES, 6 for the Probate Property Specialist and 7 for REWW. The CPE takes about 15.5 to 17.5 hours for Core plus one elective. The RRC certification follows its scheduled class.
Once you are trained, you need families to talk to. Get a quote for your county, including the trust-held homes that court lists miss.