"Every corner of Türkiye is worth its weight in gold in terms of real estate."

Speaking at the International Real Estate Congress, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) President Şekib Avdagiç said, "The real estate sector is being affected by global economic difficulties and the national disinflation program. However, we understand that we are approaching a general recovery period from the small, albeit high, increases in major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. It is particularly noteworthy that a significant portion of the rentals made in Istanbul in the second quarter of 2025—81% by square meter and 62% by unit—were new. In recent years, the appeal of Istanbul, the Mediterranean, and its coasts has been steadily increasing. Every corner of Türkiye is worth its weight in gold in terms of real estate."

The 1st International Real Estate Congress, organized in collaboration with the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) and the All Entrepreneurial Real Estate Consultants Association (TÜGEM), was held with the participation of ITO President Şekib Avdagiç. In his opening speech, Avdagiç emphasized the importance of the real estate sector to them and stated that the congress would address numerous issues from diverse perspectives and with a comprehensive solution approach. Avdagiç noted that the appeal of Istanbul, the Mediterranean, and its coasts has been steadily increasing in recent years, saying, "Every corner of Türkiye is worth its weight in gold in terms of real estate. The Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, as well as our Marmara coast, are increasing their appeal daily. Our Anatolian provinces, with their developments in trade and industry and their natural and historical beauties, also offer significant opportunities for the real estate sector."

Avdagiç, stating that the real estate sector is home to all sectors, said, "Therefore, when business in our real estate sector is going well, it generally means that the economy and trade are functioning healthily. Therefore, as the Chamber, we consider it very important to organize this congress that discusses the real estate sector. Every corner of our country is truly worth its weight in real estate. In recent years, the appeal of Istanbul, the Mediterranean, and its coasts has been steadily increasing. Every corner of Türkiye is worth its weight in real estate. The Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, as well as our Marmara coast, are increasing their appeal every day. Our Anatolian provinces, with their developments in trade and industry and their natural and historical beauties, also offer great opportunities for the real estate sector. Istanbul is the locomotive and shining global star of the Turkish real estate sector. With the advantages of its 8,500-year history and its position as the confluence of continents and seas, Istanbul is now a global center of real estate."

"In the second quarter of 2025, 81% of the rentals in Istanbul in terms of square meters and 62% in terms of units were new rentals; this is valuable for us."

Avdagiç emphasized that the real estate sector has been affected by global economic difficulties and the national disinflation program, saying, "However, we understand that we are approaching a general recovery period from the small, albeit high, increases in major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. It is particularly valuable for us that a significant portion of the leases made in Istanbul in the second quarter of 2025—81% by square meter and 62% by unit—were new leases. We also see that high-street stores, small-scale office projects, storage, and logistics areas are prominent among real estate investments in Istanbul. Of course, we need a little more time for real recovery and development. There are some sectors that cannot stay behind the winds of change. They must lead the way and create the winds of change themselves. The real estate sector is similar. In this context, we value the sector's adoption of a modern structure like our real estate instead of traditional methods. We appreciate the efforts in this direction. For example, practices such as the WebTapu system and the requirement of identity verification in advertisements have taken the sector to a new level. Updating both the legislation and the technological infrastructure has increased transparency in the sector and improved service quality." "Now, the sector needs to utilize artificial intelligence, real estate technologies, and digitalization in the most efficient way. Once these positive developments begin, Turkey and Istanbul have every potential to capture their share of this pie. Urban transformation projects, mega infrastructure investments, tourism-focused developments, and providing citizenship opportunities for foreigners in home sales are our key advantages," he said.

UAV

Reporter: News Center