Press note ·
Chinese buyers lead Istanbul's foreign home sales for only the second time on record
Foreign buyers bought 817 homes in Istanbul in September 2026. From January to September, sales to foreigners in Istanbul rose 2.9% while Türkiye fell 4.3%, and buyers from China were up 64%.
Istanbul, 20 October 2026. Foreign buyers bought 817 homes in Istanbul in September 2026, and for only the second month since records began in 2013, buyers from China were the largest group (123 homes), ahead of Iran (112) and Russia (53), according to official TÜİK figures analysed by Property Istanbul.
From January to September, sales to foreigners in Istanbul rose 2.9% to 6,533 homes, while across Türkiye they fell 4.3% to 15,308. Istanbul's share of all foreign purchases reached 42.7%, up from 39.7% a year earlier.
Buyers from China bought 853 homes in Istanbul in the first nine months of the year, 64% more than in the same period of 2025 and already more than in the whole of 2024 (704) or 2025 (751). Iran remains the largest group over the nine months, with 936 homes.
"Foreign demand in Türkiye is lower than at its 2022 peak, but it is concentrating in Istanbul, and buyers from China are the clearest new trend this year," said Cenan Can Tekin, General Manager of Property Istanbul.
Key figures
| September 2026 | Change on a year | January to September 2026 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homes sold in Türkiye | 142,390 | −9.3% | 1,092,919 | −7.2% |
| Sold to foreigners, Türkiye | 2,167 | +9.9% | 15,308 | −4.3% |
| Homes sold in Istanbul | 22,212 | −16.9% | ||
| Sold to foreigners, Istanbul | 817 | −1.3% | 6,533 | +2.9% |
| Istanbul's share of foreign sales | 37.7% | 42.7% | (39.7% a year earlier) | |
| Sold to buyers from China, Istanbul | 123 | (66 a year earlier) | 853 | +64% (521 a year earlier) |
In Istanbul, buyers from China came first in only two months since 2013: April 2026 (107 homes) and September 2026 (123), the highest monthly figure in the series. Over the nine months the top five were Iran (936), China (853), Russia (374), Palestine (347) and Iraq (345).
About the data
TÜİK's monthly press release gives national figures only. The Istanbul and nationality figures above come from TÜİK's provincial tables. A home bought jointly by buyers of different nationalities is counted once for each nationality, so the nationality figures can add up to slightly more than the total.
The monthly tables and the full series since 2013 are on our property sales statistics page, which is updated every month.
Charts to download
Source and use
TÜİK (TurkStat), House and Commercial Property Sales Statistics, September 2026, released on .
The figures and charts on this page may be used freely with credit to Property Istanbul and, online, a link to this page.
Press contact: Cenan Can Tekin, General Manager · info@propertyistanbul.com · +90 536 246 38 33