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Real EstateReal estate is an asset class that includes land or any buildings, whether residential, commercial, or public. A significant portion of the median American household’s net worth is often tied up in real estate. Roughly 66% of US households own real estate, and for the typical American homeowner, real estate makes up roughly half of their household’s net worth.
Most of these homeowners (about 74%, as of 2024) use a mortgage to finance their homes rather than paying for them in cash. The real estate industry encompasses a wide range of professionals, from house flippers to real estate agents. Real estate investment firms handle complex, large-scale projects such as commercial developments, and also partner with large corporate developers and investors.
The US housing market alone was worth a hefty sum of $55T as of September 2025. For context, the entire US stock market is worth roughly $62.2T.Explore Real Estate
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Domains were like real estate in the dot-com eraIn the early days of the World Wide Web, users needed to type URLs directly in the search bar to navigate to webpages (as opposed to the more general keyword search that browsers use now). This made simple, short, and intuitive domain names a hot commodity. So having a domain name, like Pets.com or Rent.com, that was easy to find and understand was like owning prime real estate on the WWW. (Some users may experience a paywall.) The AtlanticRed Lobster lost $11M on endless shrimp promotions—but its real estate holdings were what dragged it to bankruptcyGolden Gate Capital, a PE firm, bought Red Lobster in 2014 for $2.1B. Golden Gate then sold Red Lobster's real estate, more than 500 storefronts, which generated $1.5B in revenue and helped finance the PE firm's acquisition of the company. Analysts say increased debt, high rent costs, and low equity put Red Lobster in an impossible position, leading to its 2024 bankruptcy filing—although the shrimp bill probably didn't help. NBC NewsIn real estate, a larger down payment can reduce your loan amountHowever, the trade-off is liquidity: Tying up too much cash in a home can reduce emergency savings and delay your purchase. Redfin | Real Estate Tips for Home Buying, Selling & MoreMore than $2.6B has been laundered through US real estate in the past 20 yearsAll cash real estate transactions don't require extensive background and identity checks, creating a loophole for criminals who would otherwise be flagged for suspicious behavior to clean large amounts of money with one purchase. Real estate prices are easily manipulated and can be used to generate more income by renting the space, making it an attractive and common tool for money laundering. International Consortium of Investigative JournalistsAnheuser-Busch sold half of its real estate holdings to survive ProhibitionThe Budweiser parent company also created and sold out more than 25 different nonalcoholic products during this time, including but not limited to infant formula, frozen eggs, and specialized coffees and teas. HISTORYThe band Real Estate was almost called Law SchoolWhen Real Estate frontman Martin Courtney was deciding what to call his band, he debated naming it “Law School,” given that the musical endeavor was what he and his bandmates had decided to pursue after college. He also happened to be studying for his real estate license at the time. InstagramOne theory suggests real estate markets follow a predictable 18-year patternThe theory dictates that real estate markets tend to experience about 14 years of growth, including a mid-cycle dip, then experience four years of decline. Real estate experts in London discuss the theory in an article. The TimesLocation is the most important factor for profitability in real estate investing“Location, location, location” is a saying for a reason. From the neighborhood’s status to its proximity to its tax implications, location is among the most important factors for real estate investors to consider in transactions. InvestopediaReal estate investment trusts help give portfolios more exposure to real estateAlso known as a REIT, a real estate investment trust is a type of company that invests in a portfolio of real estate, such as apartment buildings or malls. Investors can buy shares of the REIT to participate in its portfolio’s gains and losses. Charles SchwabHousing 'starts'— new constructions—signal the health and future of real estateThe Federal Reserve Economic Data, or FRED, tracks monthly “housing starts,” the number of new residential construction projects being built. Some argue this data can serve as an economic barometer. Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisReal estate investment firms handle enormous, complex real estate transactionsIn the large-scale projects real estate investment firms handle (such as huge commercial developments), the parties involved in a sale are more likely to be large corporate real estate developers and investors than individuals. Wall Street PrepMonaco was the world’s most expensive real estate market as of December 2024New York City was the world’s second-most expensive real estate market, and Hong Kong was the third. A visual ranks the top 20 most expensive real estate markets in the world at the time. Visual CapitalistReal estate is grouped into broad categories: residential, commercial and industrialOther categories of real estate include raw land and “special use” real estate, which includes cemeteries. Technically speaking, real estate is considered an alternative investment. InvestopediaAdam Neumann started another real estate company after WeWorkFormer WeWork CEO Adam Neumann has attempted to purchase WeWork before, although, thus far, he hasn’t been successful. Since leaving the company, he has founded a residential real estate firm, among other projects. South China Morning PostSee Silicon Valley's real estate, employment, population, and innovation statisticsAs a leader in the global economy, Silicon Valley's growth is closely watched around the world. In 2025, companies in the region posted $92B in venture capital deals and created 23,000 new patents. The average wage in the region is $189K, which is much higher than the national average, but the median home price sits around $2.25M—which calls the sustainability of the region's living standards into question. Joint Venture Silicon ValleyInside Warren Buffett's real estate portfolio, which includes more than just his primary Omaha residenceThe Oracle of Omaha is known for living in the same house since 1958—but what exactly does that house look like? This article takes a look inside that house, plus a few other properties in Buffett's real estate portfolio. Explore Warren Buffett's homes here. Architectural DigestAs of 2024, Macy’s wanted to monetize its store closures through real estate dealsIn a 2024 earnings call, Macy’s noted that while it’s remodeling and investing in some of its brick-and-mortar locations, it seeks to shutter other stores in lower-performing locations. It’s estimated that Macy's will close 150 locations through 2026. Fast CompanyRemote work offers a way for companies to save money on office spaceBefore the pandemic, real estate costs were between 3% to 9% of the typical S&P 500 company's budget (with the exception of companies in the energy industry). Eliminating some or all of a company's expensive office leases is one way that companies can save money by adopting work-from-home models. (Some users may experience a paywall.) FortuneWashington DC's streetcar network built the modern American suburbWashington's first electric streetcar line launched in 1888, and real estate developers quickly built lines to open new neighborhoods. A 35-minute ride from Chevy Chase, Maryland, to downtown Washington transformed farmland into a suburb. Smithsonian MagazineEvery organ in a mother's body changes during pregnancyThere's limited real estate inside a mother's body, so as the uterus grows both up and out it shifts other organs to make space. A pregnant woman's body produces hormones to loosen muscles to allow for this expansion. Pregnancy also triggers other changes, including faster breathing to compensate for decreased diaphragm range. TED-EdRoughly 10% of US apartments were owned by private equity firms as of 2025Almost half of those apartments were purchased after 2021. However, local community groups across the country are experimenting with ways to put residential and commercial real estate in the hands of community members. The HustleDirect lending is the most common form of private creditOther types include opportunistic credit, special-situations credit, mezzanine finance, venture debt, infrastructure debt, real estate debt, and more. All of these sources of capital technically create private transactions, so they can all call themselves private credit. The Wall Street SkinnyData center companies are worsening housing undersupply in some regional marketsWith large capital to spend, technology giants have disrupted the real estate market, driving up prices by outbidding commercial and residential developers and intensifying competition for available land. A property purchased over several years for $50M in Prince William County, Virginia, was sold to Amazon for $700M in 2025. CRE DailyAt one point, the land underneath the Imperial Palace in Japan was reportedly worth more than CaliforniaBefore Japan's economy crashed and sent the country into two decades of deep deflation, the real estate market was experiencing euphoric highs. The Imperial Palace never actually went on the market, so it's difficult to actually compare the value to California. ColdFusionChina had an inflation rate of -0.4% in August 2025As opposed to other G20 countries that are largely struggling with high inflation rates, China is facing deflation. Sluggish growth in the country's once booming real estate market is just one glimpse into the consumer slowdown triggering deflation. Visual CapitalistA private equity firm led the leveraged buyout of Toys 'R' Us before the company's bankruptcyAfter being acquired by two private equity firms and a real estate company for more than $6B in 2005, Toys 'R' Us filed for bankruptcy in 2017. Many point to the $400M a year the company had to pay to service its debt, as well as increased competition from online retailers like Amazon, for draining its profits and ultimately dragging it under. In These TimesA guide to the homebuying processFrom searching for the home itself to writing an offer letter to closing on the home, there are specific steps involved in becoming a homeowner. This checklist from a Tennessee real estate broker provides a visual outlining the basic steps of the process. Wendy MondayThere’s a group of people hunting down remaining Sears and Roebuck homesThis podcast episode dives into the history of Sears and Roebuck houses, including the people searching for these real estate relics today. Many of them were destroyed or renovated beyond recognition, so they’re not easy to find or identify. Business InsiderDishonest brokers called ‘curbstoners’ once competed by placing signs on propertiesIn the 1910s, yards would be littered with dozens of signs representing competing and potentially dishonest salesmen. The concept of the “open house” developed during this period, as real estate agents would occupy a single home all day for what they called “open inspections.” CurbedIndoor rock climbing gyms have doubled in a decade in the USThe business saw a jump in growth amid low real estate costs after the 2008 Great Recession. The sport's culture has shifted from serving misfit loners to more family-friendly spots. HustleTrusts are estate planning toolsThey’re used as a way to designate assets to beneficiaries while skirting certain taxes and maintaining one’s privacy. They can hold a wide range of assets, including cash, real estate, stocks, businesses, and more. InvestopediaFamily offices have been increasing their allocations to private creditPrivate firms that manage family fortunes have been investing more in alternatives like venture capital and real estate, impacting the wider financial world. CNBCExplore a guide to investing in alternativesInvestors often use alternative investments, from collectibles to real estate, as a way to diversify their portfolios in case of market volatility. Getting started investing in these alternatives differs depending on the investment. KiplingerAlternative investments can be sorted into seven major categories, according to some expertsThese categories include real estate, private equity, private debt, hedge funds, collectibles, and more. Business Insights BlogThere’s a group of people hunting down the remaining Sears and Roebuck homesA podcast episode dives into the history of Sears and Roebuck houses, including the people still searching for these real estate relics today. Many of them were destroyed or renovated beyond recognition, so they’re not easy to find or identify. Business Insider Citadel founder Ken Griffin has a $1.5B property portfolioTake a look inside Griffin's real estate portfolio, from a $1B home in Palm Beach to his New York City penthouse on Billionaire's Row. Robb ReportConstruction of small, affordable starter homes has decreased 75% since the 1970sRising costs aren’t the only thing stopping first-time homebuyers from buying real estate—only 9% of recent new construction is for starter homes. The majority of new housing construction focuses on higher-end buyers due to the increased cost of land, labor, and resources. CNBCGetting prequalified or preapproved for a loan is typically step one in securing a home loanWhile prequalification and preapprovals give buyers an idea of the type of loan offer they might expect, the prequalification process is much more straightforward than getting preapproved. However, some real estate agents require buyers to get preapproved, and some sellers may take a buyer's offer more seriously. ZillowThe bathroom upgrade that might increase a home's resale valueWhen deciding what to improve during a home renovation, people often think about their home's future resale value. Now, real estate experts are claiming that adding a luxury shower might provide the most bang for your buck in the renovation department. Learn more in this article. Real SimpleSamsung makes much more than smartphonesSamsung is best known for its highly popular smartphones and related consumer electronics. But the business, first created in 1938, is a conglomerate invested in container shipping, tank building, and even real estate construction like the Burj Khalifa. Its annual $200B in revenue comprises 20% of South Korea's gross domestic product. Watch this video for more on this diverse, enormous company. Company ManWarren Buffett’s investing advice includes never paying too high a price for any investmentBuffett is perhaps the greatest investor of all time, and his investing philosophies are highly regarded and practiced around the world. His advice also includes investing in productive assets (like stocks, bonds, and real estate) and imagining what could go wrong before thinking about how much money you could make. BankrateWhy Kansas is giving away cheap landIn Lincoln, Kansas, a housing renaissance is underway, driven by affordable real estate prices and a lower cost of living, in stark contrast to high-priced urban centers.
Bradley Roberts, who previously lived in San Francisco, moved to Lincoln and... The HustleCaroline Calloway: The influencer who botched two six-figure book dealsThe daughter of a real estate mogul, Caroline Calloway was an Instagram influencer who leveraged her "Cambridge captions"—young adult novel-esque descriptions of college parties—into a six-figure book deal in 2014. After having failed to produce... PODGLOMERATEHow a 19th-century aristocrat scammed the rich to buy fake Caribbean landNearly 200 years ago, Gregor MacGregor pulled off one of the most brazen real estate scams in history. A disgraced military leader, MacGregor sold plots of land in what is today Honduras, touting the country of Poyais as a new major region in South America. But no building was taking place, and instead of investing the proceeds of bond sales in construction, MacGregor was lining his pockets. Read the unbelievable story of MacGregor's exploits here. The HustleAmerica's most expensive ZIP codesReal estate brokerage Clever evaluated home prices using Zillow and listed the top 10 priciest ZIP codes. Eight of the top 10 regions are located in California. Check out the full list here. The HillThe cost of new home construction in each US stateWhen the real estate market is competitive, homeowners may look to new construction to save money. Today's Homeowner conducted a survey to determine how much it costs in each state to build a new, 2,100-square-foot home. They found the national average is just over $332K. Go here for your state's data. LifehackerStates with the highest (and lowest) tax ratesWalletHub researchers evaluated not just income taxes but real estate, sales, and other levies in order to rank every state by its total effective local and state tax rate (not including federal). Alaska scored the lowest total tax rate and Illinois... WalletHubInvestors are buying up land in the MetaverseReal-estate transactions in the metaverse are reaching record highs. Digital real estate investors share how and why they're spending millions on virtual property. YouTubeEthereum Founder Vitalik Buterin was surprised by the emergence of NFTsScams have pervaded the NFT space and made critics question their legitimacy, but proponents believe their use cases could one day extend to real estate and credit scores. FreakonomicsThe industries ripe for disruption by blockchain and cryptocurrenciesBlockchain—what is it good for? Lots of things, it would seem. Peruse this guide from The Motley Fool site and learn about different applications and use cases for blockchain technology. Financial exchanges, real estate, insurance, voting, an gambling are just a few of the 15 applications discussed here. The Motley Fool
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