Some estate agents in Turkey reportedly ask people seeking homes to rent or buy for 2,000 to 5,000 lira before showing them a property. According to a Memurlar.Net report dated 27 October 2026, these payments, described as deposits or consultancy fees, can leave house hunters facing extra costs and refund disputes before a transaction takes place. Consumer law specialist Ali Kaya says charging for property viewings breaches regulations.
The practice affects prospective buyers as well as tenants. Under the model described in the report, the customer’s preferred area, budget, number of rooms and other requirements are established first. An upfront payment is then requested to research suitable listings and arrange viewings. This means payment is required before a home is found or a contract is signed.
For house hunters, the main risk arises when no suitable home has been found by the end of the service period. Refunds can become contentious if customers dislike the properties offered, choose another home or stop searching. The central issue in the report is the dispute between agents citing their time, fuel and staffing costs and customers seeking their money back when no transaction has been completed.
Kaya advises consumers not to pay before a rental or sale is formalised. He also argues that an estate agent cannot retain the money if someone who has made such a payment subsequently decides not to rent the home. This assessment reflects the view of the lawyer consulted for the report. According to lawyer Ali Kaya’s explanation of the legal framework, Article 19 of the Regulation on Real Estate Trade does not permit charges for property viewings. Kaya says some businesses describe the same payment as a consultancy fee, appointment fee or good-faith deposit, and argues that these upfront demands have no legal basis.
The distinction is between a charge for showing a property and the scope of a specialist consultancy service. Nizameddin Aşa, president of the Istanbul Chamber of Estate Agents, also says viewing fees are prohibited by law, but notes that specialist consultancy services may be offered. He recommends separating the two services and establishing clear rules for the system.
Aşa says estate agencies face high operating costs and payments to property listing portals. While attributing the emergence of the upfront-fee model to these costs, he also stresses that viewing fees were banned because they were open to abuse. The industry representative’s explanation of the costs therefore does not amount to a claim that the practice is legally permitted. Under the service-fee framework described by Aşa, agents may charge buyers and sellers 2% each on sales, and one month’s rent plus VAT on rentals. In the upfront-payment model described in the report, deducting the initial payment from the agency commission if a transaction goes ahead is presented as part of the arrangement. If no property transaction takes place, however, the question of a refund can become disputed.
The fee demands and expert assessments were detailed in Memurlar.Net’s report dated 27 October 2026.
Some estate agents reportedly ask for a deposit or consultancy fee of between 2,000 and 5,000 lira before showing a home to rent or buy.
According to the report, refund disputes can arise when no transaction takes place. Lawyer Ali Kaya says an estate agent cannot retain the money if someone who has made such a payment decides not to rent the home.
Key points about the upfront charges
What house hunters face: Paying before a transaction
Can a viewing fee be charged as a consultancy fee?
Agents’ operating costs and commission limits
Questions about fees charged before property viewings
How much are house hunters reportedly being asked to pay upfront?
What happens to the payment if no home is rented or bought?