General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and rates change and depend on your circumstances: check the official sources linked on this page and take advice from an Israeli lawyer and tax adviser before you act.
Before you start: who is on your side
Plan for three advisers in Israel: a licensed real estate broker who finds the home and negotiates, your own Israeli real estate lawyer who checks the property and drafts or reviews the contract, and, if you will borrow, a bank or mortgage adviser. If you pay tax in another country, involve your accountant at home early as well.
Your lawyer represents you, not the seller. In Israel the seller’s lawyer often drafts the contract, which is a good reason to have someone who reads it only for you.
Search and viewings from a distance
Start with a short call about budget, neighborhoods, size and what matters most: a safe room (mamad), parking, an elevator, outdoor space, distance to the sea or to schools. We then send a shortlist, run live video viewings, and plan one trip to see the strongest options in person.
Checks before you commit
Before any signature, your lawyer checks who owns the property and whether there are mortgages, liens, warning notes or other rights registered against it, usually through a Land Registry (Tabu) extract or the relevant registry for the building. Much of Israel’s land is owned by the state and managed by the Israel Land Authority, which can add steps and approvals. Building permits and planning status are checked with the municipality.
An independent engineer’s inspection of the apartment and the building is worth the cost, especially in older buildings.
The offer and the contract
Once the price and main terms are agreed, the lawyers draft the sale contract. Be careful with any document signed before the contract, such as a memorandum of understanding or an offer form: in Israel such documents can be binding. Sign nothing beyond a broker’s order form without your lawyer.
The contract sets the payment schedule. It is common to pay in instalments, with a first payment at signing and the balance against handover. To protect the buyer, a warning note (he’arat azhara) is usually registered in the buyer’s favour soon after signing.
Taxes and fees on the purchase
The buyer pays purchase tax, which for foreign residents is usually higher than for Israeli residents buying their only home; new immigrants can get relief. See the purchase tax guide. The buyer also pays their own lawyer and, when represented by one, their broker.
Under Israeli law a broker is entitled to a fee only with a signed written order from the client, so our fee is agreed and signed before we show you a property.
Handover and registration
You receive the keys when the payments due at handover are made. Registration of the property in your name comes later: it needs the tax approvals for both sides, and can take months. Your lawyer handles it, and the warning note protects you meanwhile.