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Foreign Home Purchases Shift Across Türkiye: Sales Fall in Major Cities

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Foreign buyers’ real estate activity across Türkiye recorded a noticeable shift this year. While overall home sales in the country climbed sharply from January to October, purchases by foreign nationals declined, particularly in major coastal provinces such as İstanbul, Antalya, Mersin, Bursa, Yalova, Aydın, and Sakarya.

Only Ankara and Muğla saw an increase, signaling a geographic reorientation in foreign demand.

According to data compiled from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), Türkiye sold 1,293,033 homes in the first ten months of 2025—up 16.2% from the 1,112,374 units sold during the same period last year. Despite this overall market expansion, foreign purchases fell to 17,050 units, down 11.3% from the previous year’s 19,212.

Foreign Sales Decline Sharply in Key Real Estate Hubs

The most pronounced drop occurred in provinces traditionally favored by international investors, especially coastal tourism centers.

In Antalya, a longstanding hotspot for foreign buyers, sales fell from 6,740 units to 5,666 units, marking a 15.9% decline.
İstanbul, Türkiye’s most significant metropolitan market and another top destination for foreign real estate investment, also experienced a dip. Foreign nationals purchased 6,703 homes in the first ten months of last year, compared with 6,266 this year—a 6.5% decrease.

The decline was even more pronounced in Mersin, where foreign sales dropped 20.1%, from 1,692 last year to 1,352 units this year. Similar downward trends emerged in:

  • Bursa: down 30.1%

  • Yalova: down 16%

  • Aydın: down 14.8%

  • Sakarya: down 4.1%

These provinces—particularly Antalya, İstanbul, and Mersin—have been at the forefront of foreign real estate demand for years. Their simultaneous decline suggests that broader economic, regulatory, and geopolitical factors may be reshaping investor behavior.

Ankara and Muğla Buck the Trend

While many coastal and metropolitan regions saw a decline in foreign buyers, Ankara and Muğla experienced the opposite trend.

Foreign purchases in Ankara, Türkiye’s capital, surged 24.9%, rising from 497 last year to 621 units in the January–October period.
Muğla, home to globally recognized resort towns such as Bodrum, Fethiye, and Marmaris, recorded an 8% rise, reaching 323 units sold to foreign nationals.

The increase in these regions points to two developing patterns:

  1. Ankara’s rising appeal among foreign diplomatic, commercial, and long-term residents seeking centrally located, stable housing markets

  2. Muğla’s continued luxury tourism draw, which remains resilient despite broader market recalibration

Why Are Foreign Sales Shifting?

Market analysts note several key drivers behind the evolving pattern of foreign real estate purchases:

  • Regulatory adjustments affecting foreign ownership and citizenship-by-investment pathways

  • Currency volatility is prompting more cautious purchasing behaviors

  • Tighter global liquidity is influencing investment flows into emerging markets

  • Shifts in residency demand, with investors increasingly seeking long-term, low-density living options

  • Regional competition, as nearby nations adjust incentives or streamline foreign buying processes

The decline in high-volume provinces—especially Antalya and İstanbul—suggests foreign buyers may be exploring alternative regions, reassessing investment priorities, or delaying purchases amid global economic uncertainties.

Domestic Demand Remains Strong

Despite the slowdown in the foreign market, Türkiye’s overall housing market remains robust, supported by domestic demand, population growth, and ongoing urban transformation projects. The 16.2% year-on-year increase in nationwide sales highlights a strong internal market, even as international buyers scale back.

What Comes Next?

Economists predict that foreign real estate activity may stabilize or diversify further depending on shifts in interest rates, new policy frameworks, and global mobility trends.

Meanwhile, Ankara’s rising numbers and Muğla’s stable growth suggest that foreign demand is not disappearing, but rather redistributing in new patterns across Türkiye’s evolving housing landscape.

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