Real estate refers to land and anything permanently built on it, like houses, apartment buildings, stores, or farms. When people talk about buying real estate, they mean purchasing property: the ground itself plus whatever structures sit on top of it.

A bicycle or a computer isn't real estate, but a house is. Even an empty lot with nothing built on it counts as real estate because you own that piece of land.

People who work in real estate help others buy, sell, or rent property. A real estate agent might show families different houses until they find one they love, or help someone sell their home when they need to move to a new city. Real estate can be a good investment because land and buildings can become more valuable over time, especially in growing cities where many people want to live.

The word property means almost the same thing but covers a broader range: you can own property like clothes or books, but real estate specifically means land and buildings. When someone says they own real estate in three different states, they're telling you they own land or buildings in three places.