Istanbul real estate investors shift from commercial spaces to residential rentals amid rising high‑rise moving demands

Real‑estate specialist Mustafa Hakan Özelmacıklı says that hybrid work models and the growth of e‑commerce have reduced demand for traditional city‑center office space, leaving many commercial units vacant. The textile sector’s struggles in districts such as Merter and Zeytinburnu have further deepened the vacancy trend. At the same time, rental income from residential properties has risen faster than that of commercial premises, prompting investors to redirect capital toward housing.

The surge in new high‑rise residential towers across Istanbul has created logistical challenges for moving households. Conventional stair‑only moves are time‑consuming and noisy, leading many relocation firms to adopt exterior elevator systems that lift furniture directly from a balcony or window to a truck. Projects such as the Maltepe development on the E‑5 corridor now routinely use these modular elevators to shorten move times from hours to minutes and reduce building‑management conflicts.