Housing prices in a market under years of constant transformation : a county-based analysis of Istanbul

Objective: The objective of the article is to present a comprehensive approach to analysing Istanbul’s housing prices, using a hedonic price model with a large dataset and a single variable for locational attributes. Research Design & Methods: The analysis of consequent housing prices in Istanbul’s counties with hedonic price modelling and the extrapolation of results by comparing the prices to the human development level of counties. We use multiple regression and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) methods to estimate two semi-log hedonic price models for two time periods. Findings: The relationship between socioeconomic development levels and housing prices varies for counties under different urban transformation processes. Implications & Recommendations: The results are useful for the housing price analysis in Istanbul. The housing prices appear to follow the socioeconomic development level of the county in which a house is located, thus showing variations between different counties. The relationship between housing prices and urban transformation processes should be approached with caution by policymakers, as the outcomes may disturb both the sociological and economic balance in the long run. Contribution & Value Added: The study contributes to the existing research on housing price analysis by interpreting locational attributes as a whole and housing research at large by combining hedonic price modelling and case study methods.