What is a section in real estate?

A section in real estate refers to a unit of land measuring one square mile or 640 acres. Sections are commonly used to divide larger pieces of land into smaller, more manageable parcels that can be bought and sold separately.

Sections are often used as a basis for legal descriptions of land in the United States, particularly in the western part of the country, where land is often surveyed into a grid pattern. The grid is composed of lines running north-south and east-west, with each intersection forming a corner or "section corner" where a monument or marker is placed to define the boundaries of each section.

In addition to being used to describe land, sections are also sometimes used to determine the price of real estate. For example, if land is divided into sections and one section is valued at $10,000, then an adjacent section of similar size and location may also be priced at $10,000.

Overall, sections play an important role in the real estate industry, particularly in rural areas where larger plots of land are common.