The Turkish real estate market has been named as one of the most popular regions for overseas property investments by a new survey.

According to the Worldwide Property Group, interest in the nation has grown in recent months, with the company pointing to the thriving tourism industry in Istanbul as a particular hotspot.

Meanwhile, interest from UK buyers in overseas real estate markets is also on the rise, with 67 per cent of those questioned stating they believe now is a good time to purchase such an asset abroad.

In addition, 65 per cent are seriously considering buying a house or flat outside the UK, the research found.

Managing director of the firm Kevin Wilkes commented: "With some incredible potential for property investment overseas mixed with increasing ease of purchasing a foreign property, people are finding they have much greater choice."

And the Istanbul real estate sector may appeal to those seeking more than just residential assets after a report published recently by CB Richard Ellis revealed that a significant proportion of the city’s office space is now taken up by foreign companies.
 

The latest figures from the Standard & Poor’s (S&P)/Case-Shiller Home Prices Indices show that real estate values in certain parts of the US increased in May, compared to April.

According to the data, both the 10 and 20-city composites saw average prices rise during the timeframe.

Of the 20 urban areas surveyed, just three - Detroit, Tampa and Las Vegas - saw housing values drop.

However, on an annual basis, Washington DC was the only location to see a positive change in its real estate market.

David Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices, commented: "We have now seen two consecutive months of generally improving prices; however, we might have a long way to go before we see a real recovery."

He added that the US property market needs to experience "sustained increases" over the coming months, as well as improvements on annual results, if it is to fully turnaround.

Earlier this month, the National Association of Realtors revealed that the number of house sales fell unexpectedly in June compared to May and remained well below the level experienced at the same time in 2010.