Home Sales to Foreigners: Top Nationalities and Provinces in January–August 2026

Total sales alone do not fully explain changes in the profile of foreign home buyers. The nationalities of purchasers and the provinces where sales are concentrated should be considered together. January–August 2026 figures show that some nationalities moved up the rankings while the overall volume declined.

According to TurkStat, 13,141 homes were sold to foreign buyers across Türkiye during these eight months, down 6.3% from the same period a year earlier. August sales totalled 1,938. These figures refer to homes sold, not the number of individual buyers.

Top five nationalities: China moves up the rankings

The Russian Federation ranked first with 2,288 home sales over the eight-month period, followed by Iran with 1,103, Ukraine with 871, Iraq with 801 and China with 753. The first chart shows each of the eight months separately for these five nationalities.

China provides a concrete example of the changing rankings. In the current TurkStat series accessed on the same day, sales to Chinese citizens rose from 474 in January–August 2025 to 753 in the corresponding period of 2026, an increase of approximately 58.9%. China moved from seventh to fifth place. Germany declined from 836 to 737 sales, moving from fourth to sixth place.

This does not mean that all foreign buyer groups are expanding. Eight-month sales to Russian, Iranian and Ukrainian citizens were below their respective levels a year earlier. China's rise is therefore distinct from growth in the overall market.

Monthly rankings differ from period totals

Germany ranked third in March with 84 sales, while China ranked second in April with 110. Ukraine overtook Iran in August with 147 sales. In June, Ukraine and Iran were tied at 170 each. These examples show why a single month's rankings should not be presented as the buyer profile for an entire year.

To keep comparisons consistent, the first chart follows the same five nationalities throughout the eight months. They were selected using the cumulative total. Germany, which ranked sixth over the full period, is therefore discussed in the text rather than included in the chart.

Istanbul and Antalya lead; Ankara ranks fourth

The top five provinces for home sales to foreign buyers in January–August were Istanbul, Antalya, Mersin, Ankara and Yalova. Their totals were 5,716, 4,029, 876, 532 and 231 respectively. The second chart covers sales to foreigners only, rather than all residential property sales.

In Ankara, monthly sales to foreign buyers were 57 in January and 92 in August. Comparing these two months alone does not establish a sustained upward trend or an increase in prices. Ankara's provincial total also cannot be used to infer the number of sales in Çankaya or stronger foreign demand in a particular neighbourhood.

Monthly and cumulative provincial rankings can differ too. In August, Trabzon ranked fifth with 47 sales and Yalova sixth with 45. Across the full eight months, however, Yalova remained in the top five. The period specified in the chart therefore matters as much as the headline.

How can buyers and sellers use these figures?

These statistics provide a starting point for understanding buyer groups and the geographical distribution of sales. They do not, by themselves, establish a particular property's value or how quickly it will sell. Asking prices should be assessed alongside comparable properties' locations, net floor areas, building characteristics, occupancy and available transaction information.

At Başkent Zirve Emlak, our approach is to interpret official data within the correct period and scope, then assess each property on its own characteristics. Changes in nationality or provincial rankings should not be turned into promises of returns or a quick sale for an individual apartment.

Sources and methodology

Source: TurkStat, Sales to Foreigners by Nationality (Türkiye) and Sales to Foreigners by Province/District. Accessed: 14 October 2026. Data period: January–August 2026. Comparison period: January–August 2025. The August bulletin was released on 17 September 2026.

Top-five groups are selected by cumulative eight-month totals. District records are not added to provincial totals. Joint purchases by people of different nationalities may be counted under more than one nationality: the nationality table totals 13,211, compared with 13,141 distinct home sales. These are not counts of people. Comparisons with 2025 use the current series accessed on the same day. The charts use Turkish month labels, from January on the left to August on the right.

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