Foreign nationals bought 1,949 homes in Turkey in August, according to figures released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on September 17. They also bought 88 commercial properties during the month.
Overall, around 127,400 homes changed hands in August: 44,378 were new-build sales and 83,032 were resales.
Who is buying
Russian citizens remained the largest group of foreign buyers, purchasing 343 homes. They were followed by buyers from Ukraine (147), Iran (140) and Iraq (138).
Further down the list were Palestine (45 homes), Egypt (36), Saudi Arabia (36) and Algeria (28).
A quieter year for foreign demand
Foreign demand has been softer in 2026. In July, foreigners bought 2,120 homes, and sales to foreign buyers in the first seven months of the year totalled 11,203, down 7.3% on the same period of 2025. Total home sales in July fell 17% year on year, to 123,603.
Istanbul and Antalya continue to dominate foreign purchases. In July, Istanbul accounted for 899 sales to foreigners and Antalya for 661, followed by Mersin with 128.
Context
High interest rates have weighed on Turkey's housing market, limiting mortgage-financed purchases. Turkey still offers citizenship to foreigners who buy property worth at least $400,000 and keep it for three years, which continues to support demand in the higher end of the market.
TurkStat is due to publish September housing sales data in the coming days.
Sources
- Shafaq News: Iraqis secure fourth place in Turkish real estate (TurkStat August data)
- Homesoverseas: Turkey housing market statistics for July 2026
Photo: Patrickneil / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
