diff --git a/xarray/namedarray/_array_api.py b/xarray/namedarray/_array_api.py
index 9cd064b110e..3f962b3f5a0 100644
--- a/xarray/namedarray/_array_api.py
+++ b/xarray/namedarray/_array_api.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def astype(
         xp = x._data.__array_namespace__()
         return x._new(data=xp.astype(x._data, dtype, copy=copy))
 
-    # np.astype doesn't exist yet:
+    # TODO: np.astype only exists in np 2:
     return x._new(data=x._data.astype(dtype, copy=copy))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 
 
@@ -106,9 +106,12 @@ def imag(
     <xarray.NamedArray (x: 2)> Size: 16B
     array([2., 4.])
     """
-    xp = _get_data_namespace(x)
-    out = x._new(data=xp.imag(x._data))
-    return out
+    if isinstance(x._data, _arrayapi):
+        xp = x._data.__array_namespace__()
+        return x._new(data=xp.imag(x._data))
+
+    # TODO: np.imag only exists in np 2:
+    return x._new(data=x._data.imag)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 
 
 def real(
@@ -139,9 +142,12 @@ def real(
     <xarray.NamedArray (x: 2)> Size: 16B
     array([1., 2.])
     """
-    xp = _get_data_namespace(x)
-    out = x._new(data=xp.real(x._data))
-    return out
+    if isinstance(x._data, _arrayapi):
+        xp = x._data.__array_namespace__()
+        return x._new(data=xp.real(x._data))
+
+    # TODO: np.real only exists in np 2:
+    return x._new(data=x._data.real)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 
 
 # %% Manipulation functions
diff --git a/xarray/namedarray/_typing.py b/xarray/namedarray/_typing.py
index 95e7d7adfc3..0231fcf74e5 100644
--- a/xarray/namedarray/_typing.py
+++ b/xarray/namedarray/_typing.py
@@ -185,12 +185,6 @@ def __array_function__(
         kwargs: Mapping[str, Any],
     ) -> Any: ...
 
-    @property
-    def imag(self) -> _arrayfunction[_ShapeType_co, Any]: ...
-
-    @property
-    def real(self) -> _arrayfunction[_ShapeType_co, Any]: ...
-
 
 @runtime_checkable
 class _arrayapi(_array[_ShapeType_co, _DType_co], Protocol[_ShapeType_co, _DType_co]):
diff --git a/xarray/namedarray/core.py b/xarray/namedarray/core.py
index cdf9eab5c8d..564dffdef91 100644
--- a/xarray/namedarray/core.py
+++ b/xarray/namedarray/core.py
@@ -565,12 +565,9 @@ def imag(
         --------
         numpy.ndarray.imag
         """
-        if isinstance(self._data, _arrayapi):
-            from xarray.namedarray._array_api import imag
+        from xarray.namedarray._array_api import imag
 
-            return imag(self)
-
-        return self._new(data=self._data.imag)
+        return imag(self)
 
     @property
     def real(
@@ -583,11 +580,9 @@ def real(
         --------
         numpy.ndarray.real
         """
-        if isinstance(self._data, _arrayapi):
-            from xarray.namedarray._array_api import real
+        from xarray.namedarray._array_api import real
 
-            return real(self)
-        return self._new(data=self._data.real)
+        return real(self)
 
     def __dask_tokenize__(self) -> object:
         # Use v.data, instead of v._data, in order to cope with the wrappers