According to figures prepared by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK – Türkstat), domestic property sales in general in Turkey, that is including both Turkish and foreign nationals, fell by 18.7% in November 2020 to 112,483 units compared with the same month of the previous year.
Following tighter monetary and fiscal measures being introduced by the government, property sales fell by 6.9% in September and 16.3% in October, and now by 18.7% in November. The new economic team taking up office last month is expected to maintain these tighter controls over the feasible future. Property sales are accordingly expected to fall further over the coming months.
Mortgage sales decreased by 44.3% to 24,450 units in November 2020, and made up 21.7% of all property sales compared with 31.7% in the same month of the previous year.
The number of property units sold for the first time, which made up 32.6% of total property sales, fell by 25% to 36,658 units in November 2020 compared with the same month of the previous year. Used property sales which made up 67.4% of total sales in November 2020 decreased by 15.2% to 75,825 units.
For the year 2019, property sales in Turkey were 1,348,729 units, a decrease of 1.9% on the previous year. Mortgage sales, which made up 24.7% of all property sales, increased by 20.1% to 332,508 units in 2019. The number of property units sold for the first time, 511,682 units, which made up 30.3% of total property sales, decreased by 21.5% in 2019 compared with the previous year. Used property sales, with 837,047 units, which made up 62.1% of total sales in 2019, increased by 15.6%.
Property sales to foreigners of 4,962 units in November 2020 showed a 24.4% increase on the figure for the same month of the previous year, a 5.6% decrease on the figure for the previous month of October, and represents 4.4% of total domestic sales in Turkey in November 2020.
Property sales to foreigners for the year 2019 were 45,483 units, 3.4% of the total, and an increase of 14.7% on the 39,663 units for 2018, which was in turn 78.4% higher than the figure for the previous year 2017. The reason for the high number of property sales to foreigners over the last two years has been the weaker Turkish lira and the government’s easing of citizenship requirements in 2018 for foreigners, who can now obtain Turkish citizenship if they own real estate in Turkey worth a minimum of USD 250,000.
In November 2020, sales to middle-eastern nationals continued at over 50% of the total. Highest sales were to Iraq nationals with 876 units, followed by Iranian nationals with 860 units, Russian nationals with 434 units, Afghan nationals with 203 units, Kuwait nationals with 202 units, UK nationals with 147 units, German nationals with 145 units, and Yemeni nationals with 135 units. In 2019, of the total 45,483 units sold, highest sales were to Iraq nationals with 7,596 units, followed by Iranian nationals with 5,423 units, Russian nationals with 2,893 units, Saudi Arabian nationals with 2,208 units, Afghan nationals with 2,191 units, Kuwait nationals with 1,903 units, German nationals with 1,723 units, Jordanian nationals with 1,596 units, and Yemen nationals with 1,353 units.
Istanbul was the number one province attracting property sales to foreigners with 2,443 units in November 2020. The Mediterranean resort of Antalya was the second most popular province with 893 units, followed by the capitol Ankara with 297 units, the north-western provinces of Yalova and Bursa with 182 units and 174 units respectively, and the Mediterranean province of Mersin with 160 units. Of total sales in 2019 of 45,483 units, 20,857 units were sold in Istanbul, 9,951 units were sold in Antalya, 2,539 units were sold in Ankara, 2,213 units were sold in Bursa, 1,696 units were sold in Yalova, and 1,247 units were sold in Sakarya.