Real estate agent in Istanbul: one adviser from shortlist to title deed

A real estate agent in Istanbul who sits on your side of the table

Most foreign buyers meet Istanbul through a developer’s sales office or a listing portal. Both are useful, yet each one is selling a particular stock. A real estate agent in Istanbul who works for the buyer starts at the other end: your budget, your reason for buying and the date you want to move or let. Property Turkey Finder works this way. One adviser follows your file from the first call to the day the title deed carries your name, and stays reachable afterwards.

This page explains what we do, how our work is paid, how to check any real estate agency in Turkey before you sign, and how the roles of agent, lawyer and sales office differ. Facts and rules were checked on 11 November 2026.

What we do for foreign buyers

• Search and shortlist. We compare projects and resale homes across the city and send a short, reasoned list rather than a long catalogue. See property search and shortlist.
• Viewings. We book visits back to back, or walk the flat with you on a live video call if you are abroad. See viewings in person or by video.
• Negotiation. We ask for the payment terms, the delivery date and the price in writing, and we tell you plainly when an offer looks weak.
• Checks before you commit. Title record, mortgages or annotations, building permits and occupancy status are reviewed before any deposit. Contract review is done with an independent licensed lawyer. See purchase and legal process.
• Deed day. Tax number, bank account, valuation report, sworn translator and the land registry appointment are arranged in the right order.
• Residence or citizenship. If the purchase supports a permit or a passport application, we prepare that file with you. See citizenship and residence support.
• After the keys. Utilities, furnishing, long-term letting and later resale. See after-sales and rental management.

How we are paid

Buyers do not pay for our advice, from the first call through the purchase and into after-sales support. You pay the official and third-party costs of a purchase directly to the parties concerned: the valuation report, the title deed fee, a sworn translator and the notary, an independent lawyer if you appoint one, and the seller or developer for the property itself. Nothing is collected from you on our behalf.

For context, the rules on brokerage fees in Turkey are set by the Regulation on Real Estate Trade (Taşınmaz Ticareti Hakkında Yönetmelik) of the Ministry of Trade. Under its Article 20, a licensed agency may charge at most 4% of the sale price plus VAT for a sale; for a letting, the ceiling is one month’s rent, with VAT added on top. Unless the written contracts say otherwise, the fee is shared equally between the two sides, which is why buyers often hear of 2% plus VAT each. Showing a property may not be charged at all (Article 19). If any agent asks you for a fee, it has to be written into the authorization contract before you sign it.

How to check a real estate agency in Turkey

A few checks protect you whichever real estate agency in Turkey you choose, ours included.

1. Authorization certificate. Brokering sales and lettings requires a Taşınmaz Ticareti Yetki Belgesi, issued by the provincial trade directorate through the Ministry’s information system (Article 5). The certificate number must appear in the agency’s listings (Article 14). Ask for it and compare the business name with the one on your contract. Background: Ministry of Trade, real estate trade.
2. Written authorization contract. Article 15 requires a written contract that names the services, the fee, the term and any cancellation charge. A verbal promise is not enough.
3. Verified listings. Since 1 January 2025, sale and rental adverts on Turkish property portals have had to pass the Ministry’s Electronic Listing Verification System (EİDS), in which the owner authorizes the advert through e-Devlet. A portal advert without that check is a warning sign.
4. Money goes to the seller, never to a person. Deposits and instalments should go by bank transfer to an account held by the seller or the developer company, with a receipt that names the property. Avoid cash and avoid paying into the private account of any intermediary.
5. The Secure Payment System. The Ministry of Trade announced on 28 September 2026 that the secure payment system for property sales becomes mandatory on 1 December 2026, so that the price and the title transfer change hands together (announcement report). Ask how your payment will run under it.

Agent, lawyer or developer’s sales office: who does what

An agent does not replace a lawyer. We recommend that every buyer has contract terms checked by an independent licensed lawyer, and we work alongside one on every purchase that needs it. If you are searching for a property lawyer in Turkey, our purchase and legal process page describes how the two roles fit together.

Languages and areas we cover

Advisers work in English, Russian, Turkish and Persian, so contracts, valuation reports and municipal letters are explained in your language before you sign them. Our focus is Istanbul on both sides of the Bosphorus: start with the Istanbul property hub, or open a district such as Beşiktaş, Şişli, Kağıthane, Eyüpsultan, Zeytinburnu, Bağcılar, Küçükçekmece, Beylikdüzü, Kartal or Pendik. Buyers who need a passport can filter citizenship-eligible property.

Our process in six steps

1. Brief call. Budget, purpose, preferred side of the city, timing and how you will pay.
2. Shortlist. A short list of homes, each with our notes on price, building and location.
3. Viewings. Visits grouped into as few days in Istanbul as possible, or live video walk-throughs from home.
4. Checks and reservation. Title and permit review, negotiation, then a reservation agreement in writing.
5. Valuation, payment and deed. The valuation report, the bank transfer and the land registry appointment, with a sworn translator present.
6. After-sales. Utilities, furnishing, residence application, letting or management, as you need.

Buying from abroad is possible at every step: a notarised power of attorney allows someone you trust to sign at the land registry in your place, as explained in our power of attorney guide. Planning to live here rather than invest? Read our plan for moving to Turkey by buying a home.

Speak to an adviser

Call or message us on WhatsApp at +90 555 466 98 66 (WhatsApp), use the form on this page, or write through our contact page. We reply with questions about your plans first, not with a sales pitch.

Frequently asked questions