What happened?
According to the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) House Price Index for August 2026, house prices in Istanbul rose 1.9% on the previous month and 26.3% on the same month last year. Across Türkiye the rise was 0.9% monthly and 23.0% annually; the CBRT notes that this is a 6.5% fall in real terms.
The New Tenant Rent Index in the same release shows new-tenant rents in Istanbul up 4.9% on the month and 34.5% on the year, the highest annual rise among the regions in the CBRT's table.
Figures published by TÜİK on 17 September 2026 show 20,426 homes sold in Istanbul in August, down from 24,331 a year earlier, a fall of about 16%. First-hand sales were almost unchanged at 5,813, while second-hand sales fell from 18,527 to 14,613. Nationally, sales fell 14.7% while mortgage-financed sales rose 7.2%.
What does it mean?
Over the past year, rents for new tenancies in Istanbul have risen faster than house prices, and price growth stayed below August's annual CPI inflation of 31.51%. For owners deciding whether to sell or let a newly handed-over flat, these figures give an official picture of the broad trend.
These indices are city-level, quality-adjusted averages; the price index is based on valuation reports prepared for mortgage applications. The value of an individual flat in Fikirtepe can differ from the average depending on its phase, floor, aspect and handover status, so current listings and recent deals in the same phase should guide any decision.
TÜİK will publish the next sales figures on 16 October 2026.
