What type of property allows for ownership through the purchase of stock shares in a corporation?

The correct choice is the cooperative, as this form of property ownership involves buying shares in a corporation that owns the real estate rather than owning the property directly. In a cooperative, the residents are shareholders in the corporation, which gives them the right to occupy a specific apartment or unit within the building. This means that the ownership is not tied to a specific piece of property but rather to the shares held in the cooperative corporation, which collectively owns the property.

In contrast, condominiums and townhouses involve direct ownership of a specific unit along with an undivided interest in the common areas of the property, while freehold property refers to owning land and structures outright, with both the land and any improvements on it. These other forms of property ownership do not involve the unique share-based ownership structure characteristic of cooperatives. Therefore, the distinction lies in the method of ownership, which is what makes cooperatives unique.