In 2023, Vanke, a property development company based in Shenzhen, China, had a brand value of over 13 billion U.S. dollars and was the most valuable real estate brand globally. Eight of the top ten most valuable real estate companies worldwide were based in China.

The term “real estate” is first recorded in the 1660s, so we find its etymological origins in Early Modern English. The word “real” is derived from Latin, meaning existing, actual, or genuine. The word “estate” is an English translation of the Old French word “estat,” meaning status.

The term “real estate” or “real property” means the land plus anything growing on it, attached to it or erected on it, including man-made objects, such as buildings, structures, roads, sewers, and fences, but excluding anything that may be removed from the land without injury to the land.

Real estate is a form of real property, meaning that it is something you own that is attached to a piece of land. It can be used for residential, commercial or industrial purposes, and typically includes any resources on the land such as water or minerals.