Analysis of corporate sustainability perceptions and priorities in the Turkish real estate sector

Purpose This study aims to examine the perceptions of corporate sustainability among stakeholders operating in the real estate sector in Türkiye. In this context, the research evaluates how sustainability is perceived in relation to economic, environmental, and social dimensions and identifies the key factors shaping these perceptions in the sector. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on survey data collected from 303 participants representing various stakeholders in the Turkish real estate sector. Corporate sustainability was assessed in accordance with the United Nations sustainability framework. To analyze differences in sustainability perceptions across demographic groups, non-parametric statistical techniques, namely the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests, were employed. In addition, the relative importance of sustainability criteria was analyzed in order to identify priority areas within the real estate sector. To complement these group comparisons, a multiple linear regression was estimated to control for overlapping effects among the variables, and effect sizes together with reliability analysis were used to assess the practical magnitude and consistency of the findings. Findings The results indicate that perceptions of corporate sustainability differ significantly according to certain demographic characteristics. In particular, gender had a statistically significant effect, with women attaching consistently greater importance to sustainability across all dimensions, though the effect sizes were small; this effect remained significant in the multivariate analysis after controlling for the other variables. Perceptions were largely homogeneous across institution types and departments, while the presence of a dedicated sustainability department was associated with stronger perceptions of the legal and environmental dimensions. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on corporate sustainability perceptions in the Turkish real estate sector using a multidimensional evaluation framework aligned with the United Nations sustainability principles. By identifying sector-specific priorities and demographic differences in sustainability perceptions, the research offers insights that can support the development of more effective sustainability strategies in the real estate industry.