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 Virginia, real property, also known as real estate, encompasses land and any structures or fixtures permanently attached to it, such as buildings and fences. This definition extends to components that are integral to these structures, like light fixtures and plumbing systems. Ownership rights of real property include the ability to possess, sell, lease, use, and enjoy the property. The concept of land in Virginia covers the physical surface, the subsurface down to the center of the earth, and the airspace above, including naturally attached resources like trees and water, as well as subsurface minerals. Real property is categorized based on its use, with common classifications being residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and special purpose. This categorization is important for zoning, taxation, and regulatory purposes. Real property is distinct from personal property, which refers to movable items that are not permanently affixed to land. Virginia law, including state statutes and regulations, governs the various aspects of real property ownership, rights, and transactions.