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Top property buyers in Turkey are Russians, record sales in April

Top property buyers in Turkey are Russians, record sales in April

Top property buyers in Turkey are Russians, record sales in April
Top property buyers in Turkey are Russians, record sales in April

Sales of residential real estate in Turkey rose nearly 40 percent in April from a year earlier, official data showed Tuesday. The upward trend continues despite high borrowing costs and sharp price increases.

The growth was also driven by interest from foreign buyers, especially Russians, who more than doubled their home purchases from a month ago as they seek financial refuge. Home sales rose 38.8 percent in April to 133,058 units, the highest in a month, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said. This follows a March record when sales reached 134,170, a 20.6% increase from a year earlier. Sales on an annualized basis''increased by 113.7%, 25.1% and 20% in December, January and February respectively.

The growth comes amid tightening supply and rising prices, but households continue to see real estate as an attractive investment vehicle that protects them from inflation, which has hit a 20-year high of nearly 70%. The government earlier this month announced several measures to boost home sales and cope with soaring prices, which are rising by nearly 100% annually, as residents struggle to find affordable homes to rent or buy.

The construction index in March rose 102% year-on-year, according to TurkStat. The residential real estate price index also rose 96% at an annualized rate in February,''showed data from the Central Bank. In Istanbul, the index rose 106% year-on-year.

The data showed that home mortgage sales in April rose 82.9 percent year-on-year to 32,030, accounting for 24.1 percent of total sales in the period. "It seems like everyone wants to invest in '\''safe haven'\'' real estate," said the chairman of Dap Holding. "They are right because neither foreign exchange nor gold has proven to be as lucrative an investment as real estate," he added.

The increase in sales this year comes despite mortgage interest rates exceeding 1 percent and prices rising, Yılmaz said. Istanbul, Turkey's largest city by population, had the highest share at 19.8 percent, or 26,330 home sales last''month. It was followed by the capital Ankara with 12,195 sales and the Aegean province of Izmir with 8,459, respectively, up 9.2% and 6.4% respectively.

Sales from January to April rose 26.2% to 453,121 homes despite high loan costs. The positive growth trend will continue because real estate is the most valuable hedge against inflation, Chairman Ege Yapı said. Current demand supports expectations, Kabaday added, noting that measures recently announced by the government will add momentum to sales in the future period.

In a program announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last week, cheap housing loans will be provided to those who convert their savings into''be provided to construction companies to complete certain projects if they promise to keep selling prices unchanged for a year. Erdogan said the loan program for construction companies is aimed at increasing the supply of housing, which will lead to a balance in prices.

Sales to foreigners rose 58.1 percent year-on-year last month to 6,447 units, TurkStat said. Russians topped the list among nations for the first time in April, increasing their purchases by 186.6% year-on-year to 1,152 homes against 547 in March. They were followed by Iranians with 905 and Iraqis with 714. Wealthy Russians are investing in real estate in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seeking financial refuge in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and stifling''by Western sanctions, many real estate companies report.

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Many Ukrainians fleeing the war flew to join their relatives living in Turkey, while others opted to rent or buyreal estate. They increased their purchases, buying 263 homes in April, nearly 186 times more than a year ago. "After the war, interest in Turkey has increased not only among Russians but also Ukrainians," said Helmann Yapı's chairman. "We can clearly see this growth in Antalya," he noted, referring to the Mediterranean resort city, which for years has been a favorite vacation destination for both Russians and Ukrainians. While Turkey and the UAE have criticized Russian aggression, Ankara has countered with non-resolutionary sanctions against Russia, and both countries have''relatively good relations with Moscow, and they also continue to carry out direct transportation. Ankara is trying to find a balance between its close ties with Russia and Ukraine and acting as a neutral party trying to mediate an end to the conflict. "The safest country for the Russians right now is Turkey. We hear that from them as well," said a sales manager at Akzirve. "They used to buy in Antalya, now they have started investing in Istanbul and some other cities," he noted. "In fact, we have heard that some companies operating in Russia have told their staff that they can continue their work from Istanbul," he added. Sabbagh noted the growing interest of citizens from other countries, including Kazakhstan, South Korea and China. He''emphasized expectations of even greater momentum in real estate in the summer, which could be driven especially by demand from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. From January to April, housing sales to foreigners reached 20,791 units, an increase of 48.9% compared to the same period last year, the data showed. Sales to foreigners reached a record 58,576 units in 2021, an increase of 43.5% year-on-year. The previous annual record was set in 2019 with 45,483 units. Sales have accelerated due to the devaluation of the lira, making Turkish real estate more attractive to foreign buyers, while the authorities continue to implement new economic policies with low interest''s rates to stimulate credit, exports and investment, believing it will help the country overcome inflation. To support this program, Turkey's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 500 points from September to 14%.

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