Real Estate Agents in Israel
Real Estate Agents in Israel
If you are looking for real estate agents in Israel, here is how brokerage works in Israel, what agents may charge, and how to choose a firm that can represent you when you are not in the country.
Official market data — Israel (CBS, 2026)
National average: ₪2,392,000 in H1 2026 (+3.9% vs. H1 2025); the CBS housing price index for February–March 2026 was down 1.2% year on year
Purchase tax for a foreign resident or investor: 8% up to ₪6,055,070 and 10% above; bank financing for non-residents is capped at 50% of the property value (up to 75% for an Israeli resident buying a single home)
Source: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics — average apartment prices for the first half of 2026 (published 15 September 2026), the housing price index (published 15 May 2026) and the Q1 2026 rent survey. These are city-wide averages; the actual price depends on the neighborhood, size, floor and condition. Before any decision we show you real transactions recorded with the Israel Tax Authority in the area you are considering.
This page explains how agents and agencies work in Israel, what they charge, what a licensed agent must do, and how Kobi Elkayam Real Estate works with clients who are not in the country.
Israel at a glance
Israel is a small, dense country where most of the population and most of the housing demand sit along the Mediterranean coastal plain, between Haifa in the north and Ashdod in the south, with Jerusalem in the hills to the east.
The market is dominated by apartments in multi-family buildings; private houses are concentrated in older suburbs, moshavim and community settlements. Land is mostly state-owned and leased long-term through the Israel Land Authority, with a smaller share of privately owned (tabu) land.
Foreign residents can buy freely in Israel. Purchase tax is higher for non-residents and for second homes than for Israeli first-time buyers, so tax planning belongs at the start of the process, not the end.
Getting around:Israel Railways links the coastal cities and Jerusalem, Ben Gurion Airport sits between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and Highways 2, 4, 6 and 1 carry most of the intercity traffic.
How real estate agents work in Israel
Real-estate brokerage in Israel is a licensed profession: agents must pass the Ministry of Justice examination and hold a licence, and a fee is only enforceable if you signed a written brokerage agreement identifying the property. There is no multiple-listing service, so agents hold their own listings and often co-operate case by case – which is why a buyer or tenant usually works with several agents, or with one agency that sources across the market.
Fees –buyers and sellers each customarily pay their own agent a percentage of the price plus VAT; tenants and landlords each customarily pay about one month's rent plus VAT
Exclusivity –sellers often sign an exclusive listing for a fixed period; buyers rarely do
Dual representation –one agent may represent both sides; ask who the agent is acting for
Lawyers –agents do not draft contracts; each side's lawyer does, and the buyer's lawyer runs due diligence
Language –English-speaking agents are common in Israel, but contracts are in Hebrew and should be translated
Kobi Elkayam Real Estate is a Tel Aviv-based agency and developer that works with international clients in English, French and Hebrew. Because the group is also active as a developer and in complex deals, we see opportunities in Israel before they reach the open market, and we bring a lawyer, tax adviser and mortgage broker to the table from the start.
Areas to know in Israel
Location within Israel matters more than almost any other factor. These are the areas our clients ask about most:
Tel Aviv and Gush Dan –the economic centre – Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, Herzliya, Bat Yam, Holon and Rishon LeZion
Jerusalem and its surroundings –the capital plus Beit Shemesh, Mevaseret Zion, Modi'in and the Gush Etzion communities
The Sharon coast –Netanya, Herzliya, Ra'anana, Kfar Saba and Caesarea – popular with French and Anglo buyers
Haifa and the north –Haifa, the Krayot, Nahariya, Akko, Karmiel, Tiberias and the Galilee villages
The south –Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beer Sheva, Eilat and the Negev towns
Housing stock and who buys in Israel
What you will find on the market: new towers with underground parking and a reinforced safe room (mamad) in every apartment, mid-century walk-ups that are being rebuilt under the TAMA 38 and pinui-binui urban-renewal programmes, and a smaller stock of villas, cottages and garden apartments.
Who you will be competing with: Israelis upgrading or investing, new immigrants (olim), diaspora families from the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Latin America buying a second home, and overseas investors looking for rental income in a supply-constrained market.
Every purchase runs through a lawyer who registers a caveat (he'arat azhara) in the Land Registry, and payments are staged against milestones written into the contract.
How Kobi Elkayam Real Estate helps
Kobi Elkayam Real Estate Ltd is part of the Elkayam Group, a Tel Aviv family business whose roots go back to 1945 and is now in its third generation. The group is active as a developer – in urban renewal, combination deals and complex transactions – and as a brokerage for international clients, working in English, French and Hebrew from its offices at 37 Rival Street, Tel Aviv.
Search and shortlisting in Israel –agency, private and off-market sources, screened in person
Video and in-person viewings –timed to your visits to Israel
Negotiation –against verified transaction data, through your lawyer
Professional team –introductions to real-estate lawyers, tax advisers, mortgage brokers and appraisers who work with overseas clients
Developer projects and complex deals –access to the group's own projects and to combination and urban-renewal opportunities
After the purchase –management, letting and renovation partners so the property works while you are abroad
Can a foreigner buy real estate in Israel?
Yes. Non-residents can buy freely in Israel and hold the property in their own name. You will need an Israeli lawyer, a tax file number for the purchase-tax filing and a way to transfer funds in shekels; a notarised power of attorney lets your lawyer sign if you cannot be in Israel.
What does a real estate agent charge in Israel?
For a purchase or sale, each side customarily pays its own agent a percentage of the price plus VAT; for a rental, each side customarily pays about one month's rent plus VAT. A fee is only enforceable if you signed a written brokerage agreement naming the property, and the agent must hold a licence.
Do I need an agent if I have a lawyer?
They do different jobs. The lawyer checks title, planning and the contract; the agent finds the property, verifies the facts on the ground, negotiates and coordinates. From abroad, the agent is also your eyes – viewings, video, neighbourhood knowledge and access to off-market stock.
Can one agent represent both the buyer and the seller?
Yes, dual representation is legal and common in Israel, provided the agent discloses it. Ask explicitly who the agent is acting for, and rely on your own lawyer for the contract.
Related guides
Talk to us about a purchase in Israel.Call +972-53-658-4252, write to support@kobielkayamrealestateltd.com, orleave your detailsand a member of the team will get back to you in English, French or Hebrew.