Real property or real estate is land and everything that is permanently attached or affixed to the land—buildings, fences, and those things attached to the buildings, such as light fixtures and plumbing and heating fixtures.

Real property includes the legal rights of ownership—such as the rights to possess, sell, use, lease, and enjoy the land. The terms real property and real estate are generally synonymous.

Land is generally defined as the earth’s surface, extending downward to the center of the earth and upward to infinity—including everything that is permanently attached by nature, such as trees and water. Land includes minerals below the earth’s surface and airspace above the land.

Real property is often classified and referenced according to its use as residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or special purpose property. Real property is generally contrasted with personal property, which includes all movable, tangible things that are not real property.

In Michigan, real property, also known as real estate, encompasses land and any structures or fixtures permanently attached to it, such as buildings, fences, and built-in appliances. The legal rights associated with real property include the ability to possess, sell, lease, use, and enjoy the property. Michigan law recognizes the various classifications of real property based on its use, including residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and special purpose properties. The definition of land in Michigan extends to the space above and below the earth's surface, which means that land ownership can include rights to natural resources like minerals, as well as airspace. Real property is distinct from personal property, which is movable and not attached to the land. State statutes and common law govern the nuances of real property law in Michigan, and these laws address issues such as property transactions, zoning, land use, and property taxes.