With an annual investment volume above $1 trillion, commercial real estate is important for the global market. Among its sub-sectors, this study focuses on retail real estate (i.e. shopping centers, retail parks and other retail, leisure and entertainment facilities) within the context of foreign direct investments (FDI) and the Turkish market. This study proposes a four-level pathway proposal (international, national, investment approach and project levels), key steps for improving the FDI infrastructure (i.e. re-modeling the public-private cooperation, offering an online investor interface and creating a GIS-supported list of region-based opportunities) and an overview of Turkey’s provinces in terms of retail real estate FDI.