Etymology

real; from royale, from Latin regalis, royal, regal, from combining form reg- (nominative rex), king, + adjective suffix -alis

estate; from Latin status, condition, state

In spite of the name, real estate has no connection with the concept of reality. It derives instead from the feudal principle that in a monarchy, all land was considered the property of the king. Thus originally the term real estate was equivalent to "royal estate", real originating from the French royale, as it was the French-speaking Normans who introduced feudalism to England in the 11th century and thus the English language; cognate to Spanish real.

Noun

1. Property that cannot easily be moved, usually buildings and the ground they are built on.
2. Available space.
   • 2007, Preston Gralla, Big Book of Windows Hacks

     Virtual desktops allow you to stretch your screen real estate well beyond its normal size.