noun

real estate

REE-uhl es-TAYT

Real estate (noun) means Land together with any buildings, fixtures and natural resources attached to it, treated as property that can be owned, bought and sold. Example: “Most of the family's wealth is tied up in real estate.”

noun

Land together with any buildings, fixtures and natural resources attached to it, treated as property that can be owned, bought and sold.

"Most of the family's wealth is tied up in real estate."

"Commercial real estate values fell for a third quarter."

The industry of buying, selling, letting and developing such property.

"She left banking and went into real estate."

"He got his real estate licence at twenty-three."

figurative Available space or surface area, especially on a screen, page or product.

"The banner ad eats half the screen real estate on mobile."

"Prime shelf real estate goes to whoever pays for it."

How to Use Real estate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLand and the buildings on it, bought and sold as property.

When to use it

Standard in American English; the figurative sense is informal but very common in tech and marketing.

Memory tip

Uncountable: say "a lot of real estate", not "a real estate".

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

realty → estate agent personal property

Common pairings

commercial real estate real estate agent real estate market screen real estate

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Test yourself on “real estate” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Most of the family's wealth is tied up in _____.

Etymology

'Real' here is the legal sense from Latin realis, relating to things (Latin res) rather than to persons — property in a thing, as opposed to personal property.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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property realty real property land

Antonyms

personal property chattels

Related Words

down house having country land building ground property

Rhymes for real estate

ate date rate mate fate abate slate plate state grate create update

See all rhymes for real estate →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between real estate and real property?

Real estate is the physical land and everything permanently attached to it. Real property is real estate plus the legal rights that come with owning it — the rights to use, lease, sell and exclude others. In everyday speech the two are used interchangeably.

What is the British term for real estate?

British English generally says "property", and an American real estate agent is an estate agent. "Real estate" is understood in the UK but sounds American outside finance and investment contexts.

What does "screen real estate" mean?

It means the usable display space on a device. Designers speak of it as scarce and valuable, exactly like land, so an element that takes too much room is said to be expensive in screen real estate.

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