More than just credits: education you will enjoy!
Utilizing over 40 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, and online.
Our History
Family-owned and operated Larson Educational Services has had its doors open in Fort Myers since November 2008, but the beginnings of the business date back to the 1970s.
Rick Larson, Larson Educational Services co-founder, opened a real estate education company in 1979 in St. Paul, Minnesota, called PROSOURCE Educational Services. The business grew to include real estate, mortgage, appraisal, insurance, securities, contractor, home inspection and computer education.
In 2001, Rick, along with his partner, Joe Coyne, sold the business to Kaplan Professional Schools, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Washington Post.
He and his instructors have assisted more than 500,000 professionals to pass their exams and achieve their career goals in real estate, real estate appraisal, residential construction, insurance and mortgage loan origination.
Rick Larson, early 1990s
The LarsonEd Story
Quickly rewind in your mind to fall of 2008. Do these phrases ring a bell - and probably conjure unpleasant memories as well – Mortgage Crisis, Credit Crisis, Bank Collapse, Government Bailout? This was the environment in which brothers, Brad and David Larson, founded a real estate education company, Larson Educational Services, in Southwest Florida.
Brad, then 28 (b. 1980), and David, then 25 (b. 1983), set out to bring youth, energy and cutting-edge technology into an industry known for being out-of-date, tired and in the midst of the largest market downturn the area had seen in decades.
Brad and David offered their first real estate pre-licensing course to 9 students in November 2008. Over their first 12 months in business, they issued 744 certificates in mandated real estate, community association management (CAM) and mortgage loan origination courses. Since opening, they have issued over 50,000 classroom and online certificates in Florida and across the country.
Amanda (Brad’s wife) manages the day-to-day operations of the school as the General Manager. Larson also employs several customer experience team members and Career Counselors who have been informally adopted and are honorary “Larsons.”
The close-knit and passionate Larson team is built on a foundation of excellence. It starts with excellent instructors, rated by students as tops in knowledge, energy and enthusiasm. The bright, clean classrooms feature high definition visuals and comfortable chairs. Course materials are custom-designed and rated best in the business for accuracy, clarity and effectiveness. The customer service experience is personal, intimate and phone calls are answered by a real person.
It all adds up to youthful energy and old-school personalized business excellence recognized by students and the industry at large.
The LarsonEd Team
BRITTANY ALVARENGA
Career Counselor/Quality Assurance Manager
When did you join the LarsonEd team? May 2019
Where did you grow up? Tunnel Hill, GA
What are your hobbies and activities you enjoy? I love to craft and spend time playing soccer with my kids.
What is your favorite place in the world and why? I love Rock City in Lookout Mountain, Georgia it’s a beautiful place not only for the gorgeous views it has to offer of the mountains, but it also has a Fairyland Cavern that is full of Old School fairytale creatures and their tales illuminated by black lights.
KATHLEEN CLARKE
Career Counselor
When did you join the LarsonEd team? June 2022
Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small town on the Jersey Shore.
What are your hobbies and activities you enjoy? In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, reading and visiting our gorgeous SWFL beaches. I also love painting and refinishing old furniture to give it a new life!
What is your favorite place in the world and why? I lived in New York City for many years and loved every minute of it. There's so much to see and do, and its filled with interesting people from all over the world.
KEN COKER
Career Counselor
When did you join the LarsonEd team? May 2015-September 2017, and then again in January 2023
Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small town, Clarksdale, MS
What are your hobbies and activities you enjoy? My favorite thing to do in my free time is golf with my wife, Angelia, family, or friends. I have been playing a lot of Bocce Ball and will be learning Pickle Ball this spring. Being outside as much as I possibly can is my favorite thing.
What is one thing that most people would be surprised to learn about you? I think that people would be surprised that I am an avid reader. I only read hard-bound books and am particularly fond of novels by James Patterson, Steven King, Robert Ludlum, and Tom Clancy. My Library at home is my pride and joy. I love to fall into the page and go wherever the story takes me.
AMANDA LARSON
Career Counselor/General Manager
When did you join the LarsonEd team? January 2012
Where did you grow up? Mankato, MN
What are your hobbies and activities you enjoy? Spending time with my hubby and puppies, working out, and making sour dough baked goods
What is your best or most memorable experience at Larson Educational Services? Oh gosh! So many! I absolutely love when students call to let us know they passed the state exam and the team cheers for them! That is what I wake up for every morning!
BRAD LARSON
Co-Founder/Co-CEO
When did you join the LarsonEd team? Since day #1, in February 2008.
Where did you grow up? Elk River, MN
What are your hobbies and activities you enjoy? Water skiing (when we visit Minnesota), downhill skiing (when we visit Montana), watching the Minnesota Twins, hiking, camping, cooking, making home brewed kombucha, travelling with my wife, Amanda, and our dogs. In the last couple of years I’ve gotten into wooden furniture making and wood carving. I’m not very good just yet, but I really enjoy it.
What is your best or most memorable experience at Larson Educational Services? It was Saturday, September 27, 2008 when Rick (aka Dad), Dave and I were all together working from our residential condo because our office location had not opened just yet. We had launched our website LarsonEd.com, exactly one month earlier, and we had yet to have anyone register for classes, which were starting in November. At 10:26am, I received an email and to my surprise, it was a class registration and the first dollars we had earned as business owners. We wanted a way to celebrate the occasion when we realized that we had some left-over beer in a cooler from a game night we had the night before. There were exactly three Miller Lites remaining. We each took one, yelled “CHEERS!” and then proceeded to gulp down the room temperature beer. All three of us broke into tears of joy as this meant we were officially in business after almost 12 months of business planning and preparation. That was such an awesome feeling!
DAVID LARSON
Co-Founder/Co-CEO
When did you join the LarsonEd team? Since day #1, in February 2008.
Where did you grow up? Elk River, MN
What are your hobbies and/or activities you enjoy? Golfing, watching the Minnesota Vikings, going to Spring Training baseball games, stretching, poker, and teaching students at LarsonEd.
What is one thing that most people would be surprised to learn about you? I have a background in professional dance – Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Ballet and Contemporary. I spent 4 years in LA doing all sorts of different shows and events and was briefly a contestant on Season 2 of "So You Think You Can Dance." I’ve also played in 3 different World Series of Poker events in Las Vegas, Nevada and 1 World Series of Poker Circuit event in Tampa, Florida. I ended up ‘cashing’ in 2/4 of those tournaments, which is pretty neat as they have some of the best poker players in the world. I was also on the "Price Is Right" with Bob Barker in 2003. I won a treadmill, a riding lawn mower, a shower radio and a grandfather clock playing the 'Make Your Move' game. You can WATCH THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO for proof.
RICK LARSON
Co-Founder/Director of Curriculum
When did you join the LarsonEd team? Since day #1, in February 2008.
Where did you grow up? Elk River, MN
What are your hobbies and/or activities you enjoy? Reading, golfing, fishing, skiing, baseball, hiking, biking, coaching, writing.
What is your best or most memorable experience at Larson Educational Services? That time in our very early days when I had lost my voice and there was nobody else to teach Course I real estate license law. The show had to go on so I whispered the content to Dave who relayed my words to the class. Only time that happened in my 40+ years of speaking.
CARLY SARLO
Career Counselor/Assistant General Manager
When did you join the LarsonEd team? May 2017
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Crystal River, FL.
What are your hobbies and activities you enjoy? My favorite hobbies are really doing anything by the water with my family, and trying to keep up with my two daughters. Experiencing life through a child's viewpoint again is so fun.
What is your favorite place in the world and why? Captiva Island, FL would have to be my favorite place. I got engaged and married there, we spend every Thanksgiving there, and really go any chance we can to get away. As soon as you make it over the Sanibel bridge it always feels like you’re leaving the real world behind you.
SHANNON WYLAM
Career Counselor/Student Success Manager
When did you join the LarsonEd team? January 2021
Where did you grow up? I grew up in NE Ohio, in a tiny town on a lake.
What are your hobbies and activities you enjoy? I love yoga, reading, gardening, cooking, and spending time with my family. Looking forward to traveling again!
What is your favorite place in the world and why? My favorite place is in nature, near water. I grew up on a lake, most recently lived on the shores of Lake Erie, and now next to the canals and Gulf of Mexico. Regardless of climate, water creates a calm and sense of peace for me.
Classroom Locations
Fort Myers
(Corporate Office & Classroom)
Pinebrook Park
12995 S Cleveland Ave Ste 135
Fort Myers FL 33907
