Define an easement in real estate terms.

An easement in real estate refers to a permanent legal right that allows an individual or entity to use another person’s land for a specific purpose. This definition encompasses the essence of what an easement is, which typically allows someone access to or use of a portion of another's property, often for utilities, rights of way, or access to a landlocked property.

Easements are established through a legal agreement or can be created by necessity or implication. They are recognized in property law and remain with the land, meaning that even if the property changes ownership, the easement continues to exist as a burden on the servient estate (the property subject to the easement) and a benefit to the dominant estate (the property that benefits from the easement).

This understanding is crucial in real estate as it determines how land can be utilized and what rights individuals maintain over land not owned by them. The permanence of the legal right clarifies that it is not simply a temporary measure or a casual agreement, but an important and binding aspect of property law.