Knowing the right steps when making one of the biggest financial decisions of your life protects you from serious losses.

Every year in Turkey, thousands of people fall victim to fake real estate listings. Some pay an advance, some later learn how binding the contract they signed is, and some notice the mortgage on the property long after receiving the title deed. These stories have one thing in common: Most could have been prevented.

Buying or renting a home is one of the biggest financial decisions of your life. To make this decision on solid ground, it is essential to know which steps the process consists of and what you need to pay attention to at each step.

How Do You Really Recognize a Fake Listing?

Fake listings are not always obvious. But a few clues reveal most of them early.

If the price is clearly below the market, be suspicious. Creating the feeling of “This opportunity can’t be missed” is one of scammers’ oldest tricks. Check comparable properties in the same area; if the difference cannot be explained logically, pause.

Run a reverse image search. A simple image search with Google or TinEye will show whether the photos were copied from another site. Stolen visuals are extremely common in fake listings.

If the listing owner postpones meeting in person, be careful. Excuses such as “I’m abroad right now, I left the key with an agent” or “Pay the deposit first, then we’ll do a viewing” are serious red flags.

If communication proceeds only via messages, be cautious. The vast majority of fake listings avoid phone calls. Do not proceed with a listing owner who does not want to have a voice or video call.

Step-by-Step Guide for a Secure Process

1. See the Property in Person, More Than Once

No photo or video can replace an on-site visit. Visit the property on at least two different days and, if possible, at different times. On the first visit you get a general impression; on the second you look more carefully — dampness, noise, neighborhood character, parking, transportation.

If there is someone you trust who can go with you, take them along. Four eyes are always better than two.

2. Be Sure to Check the Title Deed Record

Before buying, check the property’s title deed record via the inquiry service provided by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre on e-Devlet. Get clear answers to these questions:

• Is the property really registered in the seller’s name?
• Is there a mortgage, lien, or annotation on it?
• Does the title deed type match the stated use? (For example, a place sold as a “residence” may have an office or warehouse title deed.)

Skipping this step lays the groundwork for problems that are extremely difficult to remedy later.

3. Verify the Seller’s Identity

Make sure the person selling the property is truly the owner or an authorized representative. Ask for an ID document and a copy of the title deed; requesting this is both your legal right and common sense.

If the sale is carried out through a proxy, confirm that the power of attorney is notarized and up to date. Transactions made with fake or expired powers of attorney may be deemed invalid.

4. Have a Lawyer Review the Contract

Before signing a preliminary agreement or a lease agreement, get an opinion from a real estate lawyer. Many people consider this step unnecessary or costly — yet in a potential dispute, your legal protection depends entirely on this document.

Make sure the contract clearly includes: the parties’ identity information, the property’s title deed details, the payment schedule, cancellation conditions, and the handover date.

5. Never Make Payment in Cash

In a secure real estate transaction, payment is always made via bank transfer or EFT, after the title deed registration is completed. Treat with suspicion any offer that requests cash payment, says “deposit now, title deed later,” or asks for payment to be made to a third party.

Do not make down payment (earnest money) payments without tying them to a written contract. Any cash payment that remains unreturned turns into a receivable that is extremely difficult to prove in a legal process.

6. The Platform You Start On Matters

The first step of the process is choosing the right platform. Because on a platform without listing oversight, no matter how careful you are, you have to test the accuracy of the information from scratch.

home.com.tr carries this burden for you in advance.

Before publishing listings, the platform audits each listing through a listing verification system: the listing owner’s identity is confirmed, property information is checked, and suspicious content is blocked before it goes live. Complaints and reports from users are also actively monitored, and fake or misleading listings are removed from the system.

This means there is a real identity behind every listing. When searching, you don’t need to spend extra effort on the listing’s reliability — this assurance is built into the system.