Buying a Home in Türkiye: From Offer to Title Deed, Step by Step

In Türkiye the transfer of property is completed in a single day, at the Land Registry Office, with the signatures of both parties. That makes the process look deceptively short. In truth it is the preparation before that day which determines whether the transaction goes smoothly.

The six steps

1. 01Offer and agreementPrice, payment schedule, what stays in the property and the completion date are discussed here. A verbal agreement is not binding; every detail not put in writing becomes an argument on the day of transfer.
2. 02Inspection of the title registerIs there a mortgage, an attachment, an annotation or an easement over the property? What is its zoning status, and does it have an occupancy permit? This inspection is carried out before any deposit is paid. Any encumbrance that emerges afterwards is the buyer's problem.
3. 03Deposit and preliminary agreementThe deposit is usually between five and ten per cent of the price. The agreement must state clearly in which circumstances the deposit is returned — in particular where a mortgage is declined and where an encumbrance appears on the title.
4. 04Valuation reportPrepared by an institution licensed by the Capital Markets Board. It is compulsory on sales to foreign buyers, and the bank will require one on a financed purchase in any event. It takes a few working days to prepare and has a validity period, so having it done too early is no help either.
5. 05Land registry appointment and feeThe appointment is booked with the Land Registry Office. The title deed fee must have been paid before the appointment. If the buyer does not speak Turkish, a sworn interpreter must attend.
6. 06Transfer and afterwardsSignatures are exchanged and the title deed is handed over the same day. Utilities are then transferred, the earthquake insurance policy is updated and the property tax declaration is filed.

What a deposit agreement must contain

• The block, parcel and independent section numbers of the property — a description of the address is not enough
• The total price, the deposit paid and the date the balance falls due
• The last date by which the title transfer must take place
• The circumstances in which the deposit is returned (mortgage refused, encumbrance on title, zoning problem)
• A list of the fixtures and fittings that remain in the property
• Who bears the service charge, property tax and utility debts

The question of the declared price

Because the title deed fee is calculated on the sale price, declaring a figure below the true price at the land registry is a widespread habit. It carries three separate risks, none of them small.

• If the difference is discovered on a tax inspection, the underpaid fee is demanded together with late interest and a tax loss penalty.
• When you sell, the capital gain is calculated against the low purchase price on the deed; what you save today you pay back with interest tomorrow.
• If you intend to apply for citizenship, the threshold is assessed against the figure on the deed; an understated price defeats the application outright.