Residential real estate involves the sale and rental of land and residences (housing) to individuals and families for daily living, generally either a single-family residence, a semi-detached house or a residential lot. Although they serve as housing (residences), multi-dwelling residential properties, such as apartment complexes or other multifamily housing property larger than a fourplex, are commonly considered commercial property.
Residential real estate comprises site-built and prefabricated single-family detached homes, semi-detached houses and multi-dwelling units. The terms for the different types of residential real estate are regional and vary throughout the English-speaking world.