How to find a good real estate agent ?

@Ibrahim Aly1 Where do you want to live, I do not like global real estate agents (service is so so I think)

Turkey is big, very big

Thanks cdw057 for the quick response.

I am still debating whether big cities like Istanbul (or right outside the city) would be a good option for me, or a coastal area in the South (Antalya area for example)

I am also looking for an immigration lawyer to help me navigate the complexity of the process, or would you recommend "do-it-yourself" way to accomplish the transition?

@Ibrahim Aly1 We went through a real estate agent (they have their own lawyers and if create no pay no cure you can create right incentives). I do not like lawyers.

Anyhow so, so many things have to be arranged with moving and you will need support.

-A tax number is the easiest

-A bank accounts is also easy (make sure utility bills are seperate between (and are automated debit) you and your wife (just to avoid issues down the line)

-Changing driving license

-Health Insurance (also with contacts with hospital (very useful I have to say))

-Furniture (TV, Desk, Chairs, Coffee machine, etc)

-Smaller repairs

-Helping with dealing with the manco

-Transport if needed

-Contracts of mobiles

-Internet

-Official connections and ID's (bureaucracy), I do not understand everything, but arranged

-Paying the taxes and mandatory insurance

-....

So many things, always you pay, but often a win-win, I do not speak Turkish. For me outsourcing has been showed to be useful.

Please agree upfront (and price (perhaps included in the property price))

Good after sales is crucial (meet with them over lunch)

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@Ibrahim Aly1

To begin with, it is better for you to decide on the city for moving. If the companies are operating throughout Turkey. but! Only an agent who permanently resides in the selected region will select real estate most accurately for your request. You can be greedy and try to find and purchase an apartment yourself. The purchase procedure is not that complicated. 1 get a tax number. 2 open a bank account. 3 find an apartment. 4 get a certificate of cadastral value from the mayor's office. 5 get a certificate from the bank about the exchange of currency for an amount equal to the cadastral value. 6 submit documents to the cadastral chamber. wait for notification and if there is no debt on the apartment. then, depending on the city, within 5=15 days you will be called to sign the transfer of cadastral documents. you must appear with a translator accredited by a notary. congratulations - you are the owner of the property. on the other hand, any normal agent understands that moving to an unfamiliar country without knowing the language is difficult. and is ready to help not only with the selection of real estate and transaction support but also with subsequent documents. will tell where to buy what. will help with obtaining a residence permit. registration of children in school / kindergarten and so on. and with minor / major repairs.

Of course, this is not done out of altruism. But for one simple reason. All this help - schools / hospitals / obtaining a residence permit, etc. does not take much time. If you know when and where to call / come. Most issues are resolved with a call. And with repairs / cleaning it is even easier - any normal realtor has a list of workers for various repairs and other work in his phone. If a person who bought an apartment from me called and said that the air conditioner broke, I will not go myself - I do not understand anything about the air conditioner. I will call the master, clarify the address where I need to go and ask what time he can do it. If necessary, the master will call me back from the apartment and ask me to translate something over the phone. In total, this will take me a maximum of 10 minutes of conversation on the phone. The master is happy - he has a constant source of clients. (And when I need to fix something, he will give me a discount) The buyer is happy that he does not have to look for masters for himself without knowing the language. and if his friends ask him, he will not hesitate to recommend a realtor. again, I am in the black. since new buyers mean new deals and an expansion of the client base