Buying Property in Turkey: How to Avoid Scams

When you’re buying property in Turkey, the property itself feels like the “big decision.” Location, view, sunlight, distance to the sea, the complex, the price… all logical.

However, the problems buyers complain about most often don’t start with Turkey, the builder, or the neighborhood. They start earlier: the wrong real estate company.

That’s how you end up with the same predictable outcomes:

• Overpriced deals that magically look “normal” until you compare properly

• Bait listings that pull you in, then disappear

• After-sale support vanishing right when you need help

• Stress around documents and residence-permit steps

• A “sales rep” who stops answering once the commission is secured

The fix isn’t paranoia. It’s a short verification routine you run before you invest emotions (and flights) into a viewing.

Here’s the priority order that removes risk fastest:

1. Authorization + real company identity

2. Real people, real leadership (accountability)

3. Corporate contact basics (phone, email, office)

4. Digital history that matches their story (domain age + consistency)

5. Review logic (patterns, context, timelines)

6. Proof the listing is real (portfolio + price confirmation + documents)

Common Scams in the Turkish Real Estate Market 

Scams and “soft scams” look different across Turkey depending on the location, but the mechanics rhyme:

• Bait-and-switch listings: “Sold yesterday… but I have something similar.” The “similar” option often comes with worse value and more pressure.

• Overpricing through isolation: You only see the agent’s options, so the “market price” becomes whatever they say it is.

• Telegram-only funnels: Easy to rename, disappear, and avoid accountability.

• Fake urgency: “Today only price,” “another buyer is paying tonight,” “deposit now to secure.”

• Citizenship bait: If you’re considering Turkish citizenship routes, bad actors may promise eligibility without clear documentation or professional confirmation.

The goal isn’t to assume everyone is a scammer. It’s to filter out the ones who can’t be held responsible.

The Quick Sanity Check 

Use this table like a pre-flight checklist. If the answers feel slippery, you already learned what you needed.

Legal Verification: MERSİS and Authorization Certificates

This is the part that turns your verification from “gut feeling” into something solid.

1) Authorization certificate (Yetki Belgesi) — verify, don’t assume

In Turkey, real estate trade activity ties to the Taşınmaz Ticareti framework and the Yetki Belgesi concept. Official provincial Trade Directorates commonly publish the rule plainly: real estate trade should be done by businesses that hold the authorization certificate, and the certificate is issued/managed via the information system. 

If someone refuses to provide anything verifiable, you’re not being “too careful.” You’re preventing the exact situation buyers regret later: no accountability after the sale.

2) MERSİS — confirm there’s a real registered entity behind the marketing

MERSİS is the Ministry of Trade’s Central Registration System used for company/enterprise registration processes and presenting registry information electronically. 

You don’t need to become an expert in corporate law. You simply want to confirm you’re dealing with a real business identity, not a replaceable persona.

3) Trade Registry Gazette — does the company footprint exist?

Turkey’s Trade Registry Gazette platform (under TOBB) provides access to published registry announcements and related searches. 

Use it as a consistency check: does the company presence look stable over time, or does it feel like a constantly-resetting operation?

Red Flags: From “Telegram-Only” to Bait Listings

If you remember only one line: scams love low-friction, low-accountability communication.

“Only Telegram” isn’t a style—it’s a risk profile

Telegram can be fine as one channel. The danger is Telegram as the only channel.

Red flags that matter:

• No corporate phone

• No official email

• No office address

• No clear company identity

• Username-style branding instead of a stable business presence

Serious agencies don’t build their entire pipeline on something that can be renamed overnight.

Bait listings: the fastest way to waste your time (and overpay)

Ask these two questions early:

1. “Is this property currently in your portfolio?”

2. “Is the price confirmed with the owner/developer—and can I see the official price list or written confirmation?”

If the answer becomes “sold, but similar exists,” treat it as a warning. Bait listings often exist to capture attention, then redirect you to stock that benefits the intermediary.

Why Domain Age is a Survival Signal in Turkish Real Estate

This is a small check with massive signal value.

Use the ICANN Registration Data Lookup tool to view domain registration data. 
(You may not see personal owner details due to privacy rules; that’s normal. What matters is timeline consistency.)

What you’re looking for:

• A domain older than a year is a normal baseline

• A brand-new domain paired with “10–15 years experience” needs an explanation

• Frequent domain changes can indicate reputation resets

A young brand is not automatically bad. A young brand pretending to be old is the problem.

Review logic beats review volume

When you check reviews (Google, Yandex, etc.), don’t count stars—read for reality.

Healthy signs:

• Different writing styles and tones

• Specific details (area, process, after-sale support)

• Spread-out dates

• A mix of positive and neutral/critical feedback

Suspicious signs:

• Same template, same vocabulary

• No criticism anywhere

• No real customer questions and responses

Property-level safety questions (where “tapu” belongs)

Even though this guide is about the agent, one property question exposes a lot:

• “Can you share the tapu (title deed) details needed to understand ownership/title type, and what documents are available for review?”

A good real estate company in Turkey won’t “promise” legal outcomes. They’ll help you request and organize documents, and they’ll encourage proper professional verification where needed—without turning the process into a fear campaign.

The “Stop Now” micro-check (Yes / No)

Answer quickly:

• Can you verify the authorization certificate through TTBS?

• Is there a real company footprint (MERSİS / registry consistency)? 

• Do they show real leadership and accountability?

• Do they have corporate phone/email and an office address?

• Do reviews feel human and varied?

• Can they prove the listing is current and the price is confirmed?

If 2–3 answers are “No,” pause the process. Not because you’re dramatic—because your downside is expensive.

How do I verify a real estate agent in Turkey?

Verify the agent by checking three things first:

(1) an official  Yetki Belgesi you can confirm via the Ministry’s verification page,

(2) a real company identity that aligns with MERSİS and registry presence,

(3) stable corporate contact channels (office, phone, official email). Then validate consistency (domain age, review patterns) and finally confirm listing proof (portfolio + price confirmation + document readiness). 

Where Luxury Estate Turkey fits in

Luxury Estate Turkey is built for property seekers who want safe buying, clean pricing logic, and a process that stays responsive after the deal—especially in Alanya and broader property in Turkey searches.

If you want, send:

• the listing link (or screenshots), and

• your target area (Alanya / Istanbul / other),

• plus whether Turkish citizenship or residence planning matters for you,

…and we’ll tell you plainly whether the setup looks clean—or whether you’re about to lose time on a bait-driven pipeline.