A Sincere Warning for All Foreigners Who Would Like to Purchase Houses in Turkey!

August 2023

To All Foreigners Who Would Like to Purchase Houses in Turkey,

Lately, we have been getting many emails and calls from clients and prospective clients that they have purchased houses from some projects in Turkey but they cannot get the title deed (tapu), they cannot reach the seller/builder, they were promised a finalization date but the project has not been finalized yet etc.

These are problems that you can face in any other part of the world and also in Turkey if you act with too much confidence in a foreign country. Just like in any other country, also in Turkey, there are people with good intentions and great hearts and also there are people with bad intentions and bad plans.

If you want to purchase a house, an office, or land from Turkey, here is the list of the things you should do in order to be safe:

Find a lawyer (actively registered) from Turkey. The builder may say they have a lawyer but this is their lawyer, you need your own lawyer, who is going to make sure you are safe in every terms. (Turkey has great lawyers who can speak English very well, take your time to find people you can trust.)
Make an agreement with your lawyer, this contract should include all your expectations and your lawyer's expectations.
Make an agreement with the builder, real estate agent, or seller according to your buying plan and the project. (Big companies always have agreement templates, do not sign any document if there are articles that you are not okay with.)
Never pay in cash. Always pay with a bank transfer and add specific explanations. (If you are paying in cash, consult your lawyer to take the necessary precautions.)
Never act without consulting your lawyer.
Google the names of the people or the company that you are dealing with, there may be comments from other buyers.
Ask for more information if you want more information.

These are some of the things you should make sure to follow if you are planning to purchase a house in any other part of the world, as well.

We are working with many clients with different expectations from all over the world, I am telling these to all my clients who are buying from Turkey or Italy, or the United States.

Please see this as a sincere blog post, take your time when you are investing. It may take time to find the right project, but this will save you from not buying from the wrong project.

There are great builders, real estate, and consultancy companies in Turkey. I am sure you will find what you are looking for, just act cautious in order to be safe.

You should be careful because you are investing, Turkish people also should be careful when they are investing. Below you can see a newspaper cutting, it is about a real estate project in Esenyurt which started 11 years ago and still did not finish and these are Turkish people…

All in all, be careful.
I hope all your experiences in the real estate world will be safe and sound and fun and good!
Best wishes,
Att. Nazlı Hilal Kaya