Kaplan Professional Acquires the Real Estate School, a Provider of Real Estate Education in Houston, Texas

Chicago – May 3, 2005 – Kaplan Professional, a division of Kaplan, Inc., announced today that it has acquired Houston-based The Real Estate School, a provider of real estate licensing and continuing education.  The company will become part of Kaplan’s Leonard-Hawes Real Estate School, which offers real estate, appraisal, mortgage, insurance, securities, and home inspection licensing and continuing education throughout Texas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“This investment brings Kaplan’s deep resources to a successful company with strong ties in the Houston real estate community,” said Josh Levenson, President of Kaplan Professional Schools.  “The Real Estate School’s locations and experienced instructors will enable us to provide more licensing and continuing education classes throughout the Houston market.”

Ralph Tamper, President of The Real Estate School, will become Managing Director – Houston for Leonard-Hawes Real Estate Schools.

“This is a great opportunity for real estate professionals in the Houston area.  Students will have access to additional locations and courses that can help them better prepare for the real estate licensing exam,” said Tamper.

Houston has become one of the fastest growing cities in the country, reaching a population of 2,009,834 in 2002.  According to the Texas Real Estate Commission, the number of real estate licensees in the Houston area has increased to 34,400 in 2004.  In addition, a recent study by the Reliance Relocation Service ranks Houston as the eighth most popular place in the nation where homebuyers are moving.

The Real Estate School is accredited by the Texas Real Estate Commission.  Since its founding in 1982, The Real Estate School has prepared thousands of individuals to obtain real estate licenses.

About Kaplan Professional

Kaplan Professional, based in Chicago, provides licensing and continuing education training, certification, professional development courses, and compliance tracking for financial services, legal, IT, and real estate professionals and corporations.  Offering an array of educational tools, from on-site training and classroom instruction to over 600 online courses, Kaplan Professional serves individuals who must maintain licenses and comply with regulatory mandates.  Kaplan Professional is a unit of Kaplan, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).  For more information, please visit www.kaplanprofessional.com.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Paige Hunting
Office: 212-974-6233
paige_hunting@kaplan.com