Useful Information
Title Deed (TAPU)
Buying Process for Real Estate in Turkey
In order to familiarize yourself with the property buying process in Turkey, which is not much different than that of any other European country, we have outlined below the procedure that should be followed. Keep in mind that the most important thing during the buying process is to find a trusted and knowledgeable local real estate agency that will guide you through the path to risk-free ownership wherever you decide to buy in Alanya and its surrounding areas.
Once you’ve chosen Viktor Property as your trusted real estate agency, our agents — who are recognised for their professionalism, integrity and specialist knowledge of the market, and more importantly, are your assurance that the property you are acquiring is safe and secure — will provide you with specific budget estimates for all legal, finance, and transaction costs and also, represent you in the acquisition of any type of property in the area, including new developments and re-sale villas and apartments.
We would like to point out that Viktor Property also provides after-sales services for its clients, which means that once you’ve purchased your property you don’t have to worry about managing or maintaining it. We offer professional property management and our after-sales team can be contacted six days a week should you need assistance.
LEGAL PROCEDURE
Purchasing real estate in Turkey is not as difficult as some might think. In fact, Turkish property owners find the buying process fairly uncomplicated. That’s not to say however, that it can’t be time consuming and sometimes even frustrating. We believe it is indispensable to secure professional, legal, and financial advise before investing in real estate in Turkey. While the Turkish property law is rather simple and straightforward, there are always cases of investors being unscrupulously misled by unethical sellers. This is whereViktor Property comes in with its expertise and integrity to provide sound advice to the prospective buyer and make the property acquisition go as worry free as possible.
*According to Article 35 of [Turkey’s] Property Act №2644 as amended by Article 19 of the Act № 4916 dated by 03.07.2003: «Foreign individuals and trading companies, forming a legal entity established abroad, and in accordance with the laws of their country, have the right to purchase real property located within the borders of the Turkish Republic».
As soon as a sales agreement has been drawn up and the buyer & seller have signed it, providing you, the buyer, with legal rights over the selected property and preventing the possibility of its sale to another buyer, an application to the local Land Registry, or State Cadastral Administration, is made for the transfer and the acquisition of the original Title Deed of the property known locally under the term “TAPU”. Make sure that the sales agreement, apart from additional terms of the transaction, includes the owner and buyer of real estate, the value of the deposit, and the payment schedule for the remaining amount.
In Turkey, only the state authorities on behalf of the State Cadastral Administration can register and legalize the documents of ownership, ensuring at the state level, the transparency and legitimacy of the transaction. Notaries do not have the right to register the transaction of sale of real estate in Turkey. The Notary’function in this case is only that of being present to officially certify that the Title Deeds have been exchanged and understood by the parties involved. Also, keep in mind that all property sales to foreign nationals must be notarized by authorised interpreter. This is to ensure that you understand the documents that you are signing.
If the real estate property is being purchased under a joint venture, the photocopies of passports as well as the passport-sized photos of each individual included in the transaction are required.