Home sales to foreigners in Antalya surge
ANTALYA - Anadolu Agency
Foreign nationals have purchased a total of 6,257 homes in Antalya, one of Turkey’s top holiday destinations, in the first nine months of the year, marking a sharp 19 percent increase on an annual basis.
Property sales to foreigners have risen gradually since the start of the year, starting with 601 units in January and hitting as much as 850 and 764 units in May and July, respectively.
In September, foreign nationals purchased 744 homes in the Mediterranean city.
Back in 2013, sales to foreigners stood at 5,548 units. The figure, however, jumped to nearly 8,000 units last year.
There are a number of reasons behind why Antalya properties have become so popular with foreign homebuyers, according to Selman Özgün, the chair of developer Helmann Yapı.
“Antalya-based companies focus more on more foreign markets to promote to the local housing market. Another factor is a scheme that grants Turkish citizenship to foreigners who buy a real estate worth $250,000. Antalya is a very accessable city and foreigners can benefit from the exchange rates. These are the factors behind the strong demand for properties in Antalya,” Özgün said.
People from the Gulf and Middle Eastern nations are the top homebuyers, but more and more people from Russia, Germany, the U.K, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan are purchasing properties in the city, according to Özgün.
“They buy those homes for their own use, not for investment purposes. Russians mostly buy properties in the city’s Beldibi resort town and Kemer district, while Germans prefer the Alanya district. Britons buy properties in the Kaş district and Kalkan resort town,” he added.
Özgün expects property sales to foreigners to hit a record 10,000 units this year.
