It is known that real estate investment in the center of any city in the world is the most effective and beneficial, especially if we are talking about the foreign investor who has experience, no matter how deep, that will not be equivalent to the experience of the local investor from the country.

Istanbul is a diverse, large city that is growing very rapidly, so much so that a large number of its original citizens did not visit all of its sectors and did not have the opportunity to get to know its 39 municipalities, of which the European section of Istanbul includes 25, and the remaining 14 municipalities are located in the Asian section of Istanbul.

So what is the center of Istanbul that is actually suitable for investment?

How can a foreign investor choose his investment property in the center correctly?

At the time of writing this article, the prices of new investment properties in the Sisli towers, for example, start at about $260,000. Should a foreign investor have this amount to make a successful investment in Istanbul?

Let us begin immediately by talking about the suitable center of Istanbul for investment:

If we asked any foreign investor with a good background about Istanbul, what is the center of Istanbul, he would directly answer the Beyoğlu areas, which include Taksim Square and Besiktas, where the Dolmabahçe Palace is located, the Levent and Sisli area, which includes Nisantasi and the high towers, Maslak, where the Istanbul Valley area is, and the Maslak projects overlooking the Belgrade forests and the Bosphorus. .

If we ask about the Asian section, the answer will be in Kadikoy, Uskudar, and Beykoz, with views of the Bosphorus.

This answer is correct and we can call it the primary center of Istanbul, but today with the rise in real estate prices and construction costs, the minimum required for investment in these areas above is approximately 260 thousand dollars for one bedroom and one living room. If we want to talk about the slightly higher level of real estate in the same areas. We can say that we need $450,000 to acquire a one-bedroom property in a central, strategic location in a modern, full-service complex.

If we want to talk about a property of the highest standard, we are talking about around 650 thousand dollars. Finally, if we talk about Besiktas and a direct view of the Bosphorus for a relatively new property, then we are talking about approximately one million dollars (according to the available offers).

These prices are not offers that we provide so that they are judged appropriate or high, but rather real market prices.

So the prices in the traditional center of Istanbul today are not suitable for a large class of medium-sized investors. Here we ask: Is investing in the center of Istanbul today suitable only for large investors with high budgets?

In fact, by looking at the transportation map in Istanbul below, we can say that the traditional center of Istanbul is suitable for really high budgets, but there are many areas near the center that are suitable for medium budgets, and we can call them an extension of the center of Istanbul. So what are these areas and what are their specifications?

First, we can say that the traditional center areas were classified as central because they possess the following characteristics:

It is close to tourist areas and the Bosphorus Strait, and therefore there is a high demand for tourist rental and subsequent resale.

Complete services, including educational, medical, service, and entertainment centers that can be easily accessed

A high level of social life, whether in terms of residential complexes, their services and benefits, or through the markets surrounding them.

All of these reasons make traditional real estate in the center of Istanbul a successful investment, as it does not lose its value and its returns continue to grow.

But today, with the expansion, diversity, and high efficiency of the transportation map at any peak hour of the day or night, can we find successful central investment properties with slightly fewer advantages than traditional central areas, but with more appropriate budgets starting from $130,000 for a room and a hall?

Fifteen years ago, getting from the central Sisli area to the west of Istanbul, the Buyukcekmece area, which is about 40 km away, required more than two hours due to the lack of means of transportation and the fact that the roads are not paved in their current form, but today this same distance can be covered within 55 minutes by metrobus.

In the same way, the presence of new and fast metro and tram lines has made access to the central areas easy, and this is exactly what the tenant who works in a central area where he cannot afford the rent, such as Nisantasi or Levent, wants, but he can afford the rent in areas extending to the center, such as Kagithane, Topkapi, and Eupma. As long as there is fast means of transportation, no matter how crowded, it can take you to the heart of Istanbul within minutes.

Also, for example, a project in the Topkapi area cannot be considered not the center of Istanbul as long as it is located:

+Close to the tramway, through which you can reach Sultanahmet in less than 15 minutes

+Near the metro, which takes you to Taksim Square within 20 minutes

+Close to the Metrobus, which connects you to Asian Istanbul within 30 minutes

At the same time, all educational, recreational and medical services are within walking distance.

Also, some projects in the Kaytana and Eyup area have great advantages near transportation that facilitates access to the heart of Istanbul within a few minutes and can be considered an extension of the center of Istanbul at prices lower than the prices of the center.

How can a foreign investor correctly choose his investment property in the center?

As we explained previously, the traditional center of Istanbul is the basis for real estate investment, but the development of transportation infrastructure in Istanbul has brought the areas adjacent to the center significantly closer, so we have the following:

If the investor has a sufficient budget to obtain an investment property in the center of Istanbul, we can guide him to the best projects suitable for his request.

If he has a budget of less than $260,000, we can guide him to the areas that represent the extension of the center and are investment-grade at the same time for some projects there.

We always emphasize the idea that the best property is not necessarily the cheapest property, and this is a mistake that many foreign investors fall into when choosing cheap properties in the center of Istanbul, as they do not achieve a high rental return on the one hand, and more importantly, reselling them is difficult and often causes a loss of capital. Basic.

You can avoid this risk by relying on an experienced real estate consultant in the real estate market who can provide free consultations based on long experience in the real estate field.