Real Estate Agent License in Turkey: Opening an Agency

To work as a real estate agent in Turkey, you need to either run a business holding an authorization certificate (yetki belgesi) from the Ministry of Trade or work for one. Opening an agency requires a registered and tax-registered business, plus a responsible agent with a Level 5 vocational qualification, 100 hours of training, experience and a clean record. Employed agents need Level 4.

This guide is for foreigners who want to open a property agency in Turkey, and for anyone checking the rules before starting out. It is based on the current text of the Regulation on Real Estate Trade on mevzuat.gov.tr (first published in the Official Gazette on 5 June 2018, No. 30442; last amended 29 April 2026, No. 33238; Turkish only). It is general information, not legal advice.

Two roles: responsible agent and agent

• Responsible real estate consultant (sorumlu emlak danışmanı): the sole trader or craftsman running the agency, or, in companies and branches, the authorized representative who carries out the real estate business. This is usually the person opening the agency.
• Real estate consultant (emlak danışmanı): sales and marketing staff employed by a licensed agency.

Franchise offices are "contracted businesses" and need their own certificate as well.

Requirements for the authorization certificate

Graduates of relevant real estate programmes, including recognized foreign schools, are exempt from the training and experience rules; relevant university graduates are also exempt from the Level 5 qualification.

Can a foreigner open a real estate agency in Turkey?

The regulation itself sets no citizenship requirement. It explicitly refers to a "foreign identity number" (yabancı kimlik numarası) on certificates and contracts, which means foreign nationals are expected in the system. What we can confirm from the regulation:

• Every responsible agent, foreign or Turkish, must meet the same age, education, record, training, experience and Level 5 conditions.
• In a company, the representative who carries out the real estate business counts as a responsible agent, so a foreign director in that role must qualify personally.
• Foreign diplomas in relevant fields can count if their equivalence is recognized.

Beyond the regulation, opening any business in Turkey brings its own steps: company registration, a tax number, a residence permit and, for working in Turkey, usually a work permit. These rules sit in other legislation and depend on your situation, so confirm them with a Turkish lawyer before you sign a lease. Also ask the certification body which languages the Level 5 exams are offered in.

Step by step

1. Complete the Level 5 qualification through an MYK-authorized certification body (theory and practical exams). Agents you hire need Level 4.
2. Document your 100 hours of training and your experience, or your exemption.
3. Choose the business form (sole trader or company) with an accountant.
4. Prepare the office: it cannot be used as a home and no other business may run there (Article 14). Apply for the municipal workplace licence.
5. Register with the chamber and tax office, with real estate trade listed as an activity.
6. Apply for the certificate through the Real Estate Trade Information System (TTBS). If you meet the conditions, it is issued within 10 days (Article 7).
7. Report agents joining or leaving within 10 days (Article 11).
8. Amend or renew the certificate within 10 days of any change, such as a new address or trade name (Article 8, as amended in 2026).

Independent agency or franchise?

A franchise office is a "contracted business" under the regulation. It needs its own certificate showing the franchisor's name and certificate number, and it is exempt from the experience requirement but not from the others. Its contracts are checked and signed by the franchisor's responsible agent. If the franchisor's certificate is cancelled, the franchise ends, or the office moves away from the address in the contract, the franchise office's certificate is cancelled too (Article 9).

Day-to-day rules

• Written authorization contract with the owner, showing your certificate number and the responsible agent's name and signature (Article 15).
• Property viewing form for each buyer or tenant; viewings are free of charge (Article 19).
• Fee caps: 4 percent of the sale price excluding VAT for sales, one month's rent excluding VAT for rentals (Article 20).
• Records kept for at least five years per contract.
• Listings removed within three days of a sale, rental or contract end.
• Marketing messages: sending new listings to clients by SMS or email needs prior consent recorded in İYS, Turkey's consent register.

To learn how owners authorize listings through e-Devlet and how anyone can check your certificate, read our guide to checking a real estate license in Turkey.

Website and listing rules

Every online listing, including those on your own website, must clearly show the certificate number, the business name on the certificate, province, district, neighbourhood, block and parcel (not the full address), contact details and the energy certificate details if available. You may only advertise properties you are authorized to market. A listing form that makes these fields mandatory keeps you compliant without relying on memory. We cover the rest of the site in our article on building a real estate website, and client and listing management in what is a real estate CRM.

Checklist

• [ ] Level 5 qualification, or a valid exemption
• [ ] Training certificate and experience records, or exemption
• [ ] Criminal record and bankruptcy status in order
• [ ] Business form chosen with an accountant; residence and work permit questions checked with a lawyer
• [ ] Office that is not a home and hosts no other business
• [ ] Municipal licence process started
• [ ] Chamber and tax records list real estate trade
• [ ] Certificate application filed on TTBS
• [ ] Agents hold Level 4 and are reported to the system
• [ ] Contract and viewing form templates ready
• [ ] Website and listings show all mandatory details

Summary

Opening a real estate agency in Turkey takes more than one exam: a Level 5 qualification, training, experience, a registered business and a proper office all have to be in place. Check each condition against the table above, settle your business form and permits with professionals, and publish compliant listings from day one. For a multilingual agency website that prints certificate details on every listing automatically, see our real estate website page.