Buy your home in Jerusalem knowing exactly who is on your side.
You live in New York, London, Paris or Johannesburg, and you want a home in Jerusalem. We introduce you to licensed brokers we have watched treat overseas buyers fairly, find you the right lawyer, mortgage advisor and bank, and stay with you until the keys are in your hand.
Can foreigners buy property in Jerusalem?
Yes. If you live abroad, you can buy an apartment or house in Jerusalem and register it in your own name, with or without Israeli citizenship.
What you need is your own Israeli lawyer, an Israeli bank account to receive the funds, and usually a power of attorney so your lawyer can act for you while you're away. Foreign residents pay a higher purchase tax than Israelis buying a first home, and can usually borrow only about half the property's value. Both are covered below.
Why so many families are buying in Jerusalem now
Every buyer has a reason. Most recognise themselves in one of these.
Just in case.
You're not leaving tomorrow. But being Jewish in London, Paris or New York feels different than it did a few years ago, and a door in Jerusalem with your name on it lets you sleep.
One day we'll make aliyah.
The move may be years away. Prices won't wait, and a home bought now can be rented, or lived in by your children, until you come.
Pesach at our own table.
No more hotel seders. A sukkah on your own mirpeset, a mezuzah you put up yourself, and a place the grandchildren call theirs.
Because it's Jerusalem.
For some it's a mitzvah, for some it's history. For many, owning a piece of this city simply means something no other address can.
Finding an apartment is easy. Knowing who to believe is not.
Jerusalem has hundreds of brokers and no shortage of apartments. What overseas buyers lack is a way to tell the honest broker from the rest, from six thousand kilometres away.
One apartment, three brokers, three prices
Listings in Israel aren't exclusive the way they are in the US or UK. The same flat can reach you through several people at different prices, and more than one of them may later claim a fee.
The overseas price
An American or French accent on the phone can quietly move the number. Without a local yardstick, there's no way to know.
Rules that work nothing like home
In Israel, the buyer pays their own broker. Contracts are in Hebrew. The land registry, the warning note, the purchase-tax brackets: none of it works the way you're used to.
Trust by familiarity
Remote buyers are most often burned by someone who seemed safe because they were from the community back home. Familiar is not the same as on your side.
Free for you. Paid only if you buy.
There is nothing to lose by talking to us first.
- A conversation, not a pitch.Your reasons, budget, currency and timeline, and an honest read on what they buy in Jerusalem today.
- One or two introductions, not ten.To licensed brokers who know your neighborhood and price range, and whom we've seen treat overseas buyers fairly.
- Everyone else you'll need, found for you.A lawyer who represents you, an English-speaking mortgage advisor, a bank that works with foreign residents, a currency transfer service, an engineer, a property manager for when you're away. Don't know where to start? That's what we're for.
- A second opinion whenever you need one.Before you sign, offer or wire anything, ask us. You'll get a straight answer.
- What you pay us
- Nothing. No retainer, no consultation fee, no contract with us.
- What you pay the broker
- Their usual buyer's fee, as with any Israeli purchase. Our share comes out of the broker's commission, and every broker we work with agrees in advance that your fee does not go up because of it.
- How we're paid
- The broker shares part of their commission with us, and only if your purchase completes.
- Lawyers, advisors, banks
- Introductions are free too. You deal with them directly and pay them their normal rates.
- If you don't buy
- Nobody owes anybody anything.
Doesn't being paid by brokers put you on their side?
It's a fair question, and the answer is in how the arrangement works. A broker earns our introductions only by treating our clients well. One unhappy buyer and that broker doesn't hear from us again. Your good experience is the only thing we have to sell.
- Every broker we introduce holds an Israeli broker's license. Ask to see it; since 2025 they're required to show you.
- We always tell you to hire your own lawyer, never the seller's.
- If something about a deal looks wrong, we say so, even if it means nobody gets paid.
How buying property in Jerusalem works, step by step
From first idea to keys in hand. Most overseas buyers are caught out by step four.
- Decide why you're buying, and what you can really spend.Your reason picks the neighborhood, the building, even the floor. Your currency sets the budget: since 2025 a dollar buys noticeably fewer shekels.
- Talk to a mortgage advisor early if you'll borrow.Foreign residents can usually finance about half the value, and approvals take longer than at home. We can introduce you to advisors who work with overseas buyers every day.
- Hire your own lawyer before you choose an apartment.Yours checks the land registry (Tabu) extract, debts, liens and permits, and negotiates the contract. If you don't know one, we'll suggest a few to choose from.
- Work with one broker, and read what you sign.A broker can only charge you if they're licensed and you've signed their written order. Sign one, deliberately, with someone you trust.
- View with your eyes open.In person if you can, live video if you can't. Have an engineer inspect older apartments, and new ones before handover. We'll put you in touch with one.
- Sign, pay, register.Your lawyer registers a warning note (he'arat azhara) protecting you from the day you sign, payments follow a schedule, and the home is registered in your name. You'll need an Israeli bank account and a way to transfer the funds; we can help you set up both.
What buying in Jerusalem really costs a foreign buyer
Budget roughly 11–13% on top of the price. Purchase tax is most of it.
| Cost | Typical | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase tax (mas rechisha) | 8%, then 10% | Foreign residents pay 8% from the first shekel up to about ₪6.06M, and 10% above that. |
| Buyer's broker fee | ~2% + VAT | Agreed in writing before viewings. VAT is 18%. |
| Your lawyer | ~0.5–1% + VAT | The one cost not to economise on. |
| Currency transfer | Varies | Bank spreads on a seven-figure transfer add up. We can point you to specialist services. |
| Inspection and appraisal | From ~₪3,000 | Worth every shekel on older buildings. |
| Our help | ₪0 | Paid from the broker's fee, only if you buy. |
Estimate your total
- Purchase tax
- —
- Broker fee (2% + VAT)
- —
- Lawyer (~0.75% + VAT)
- —
- Inspection and appraisal
- —
- Our help
- ₪0
- Estimated total
- —
An estimate for planning only. Making aliyah within a few years? Ask your lawyer about new-immigrant purchase-tax rates, which can be far lower.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Tax brackets are updated every January; your lawyer has the final word.
Six mistakes overseas buyers make in Jerusalem
- Calling every broker at onceIt feels thorough. It's how buyers end up owing two fees on one apartment.
- Comparing price per square metreTwo flats of the same size on the same street can be worlds apart: registration status, building rights, light, stairs, the shul around the corner.
- Using the seller's lawyer to save moneyA lawyer who represents the other side cannot protect you.
- Signing something "just to hold it"A written commitment in Israel can carry legal and tax consequences even if the deal falls through.
- Seeing twenty apartments in a four-day tripFive, properly filtered for you in advance, will teach you more.
- Forgetting the exchange rateA currency swing can move your real price more than any negotiation. Plan the transfer as carefully as the purchase.
Jerusalem neighborhoods for overseas buyers
Each neighborhood has its own brokers, its own pricing and its own community. A short orientation:
Rehavia רחביה
Central, leafy and prestigious, walking distance to everything. Bauhaus-era buildings and prices that rarely soften.
Talbiyeh טלביה
Quiet, elegant streets among the city's most expensive. Old stone villas and boutique new buildings.
German Colony המושבה הגרמנית
Emek Refaim's cafés and a long-established English-speaking community. A favourite for holiday homes.
Baka בקעה
Family streets full of English-speaking shuls and schools, a little more relaxed than its neighbours.
Katamon קטמון
A Modern Orthodox centre for English speakers, with a strong community and a mix of old and renovated buildings.
Arnona ארנונה
Newer buildings, desert views and a growing community. Often more rooms for the money.
Old City, Jewish Quarter הרובע היהודי
Minutes from the Kotel. Very few apartments come up, and ownership structures are unusual. Expert help is essential.
Mamilla ממילא
Luxury apartments beside Jaffa Gate, often with hotel-style services. Popular with part-time residents.
Har Nof הר נוף
A Haredi neighborhood on the city's western edge, with a large English-speaking community, its own shuls and schools, and long views over the hills.
Ramot רמות
A large northern neighborhood made up of several distinct sections, each with its own community. Newer buildings, more space for the price, and very different streets from one end to the other.
Nachlaot נחלאות
Narrow lanes and hidden courtyards beside the Machane Yehuda shuk. Small, characterful old homes and a lively, eclectic mix of residents.
Beit HaKerem בית הכרם
Green, quiet garden streets in the west of the city, popular with families who want calm and space while staying close to the centre.
Buying property in Jerusalem from your country
From the United States
The dollar has weakened against the shekel, so the same apartment now costs noticeably more in dollars. When and how you transfer funds matters, as does US reporting on foreign property. We can connect you with advisors who handle both.
From the United Kingdom
British buyers are a fast-growing group, helped by a pound that has held up better than the dollar. Most begin with a second home that could one day become the first.
From France
French buyers are one of the fastest-growing groups in the market. Expect differences from the French notaire system: in Israel, your own lawyer does that job, and we can introduce you to French-speaking ones.
From South Africa, Australia and Canada
Fewer buyers, long distances, and almost always buying remotely, which makes a trustworthy person on the ground matter even more.
The Jerusalem market for overseas buyers in 2026
487homes bought by foreign residents across Israel in Q1 2026, up 18% on a year earlier
₪5M+median price paid by foreign buyers for a home in Jerusalem in Q1 2026
+4.2%rise in average Jerusalem apartment prices in the year to Q1 2026, while national prices fell
49%Americans' share of foreign purchases, down from 60% as the dollar weakened
Jerusalem remains the first choice for overseas Jewish buyers, and their steady demand is a large part of why its prices kept rising while the wider Israeli market cooled. For dollar buyers, the exchange rate is now the biggest variable; for euro and pound buyers, much less so.
Sources: Israel Ministry of Finance, Chief Economist, Q1 2026, as reported by JFeed and Buyitinisrael; Central Bureau of Statistics, Q1 2026, as reported by Immobilier.co.il. Updated October 2026.
Questions overseas buyers ask
Can foreigners buy property in Jerusalem?
Yes. Foreign residents can buy apartments and houses in Jerusalem and register them in their own name, with or without Israeli citizenship. You'll need your own Israeli lawyer, an Israeli bank account for the transfer, and usually a power of attorney so your lawyer can act while you're abroad.
Is your help really free?
Yes. You pay us nothing, whether or not you buy. If you do buy through a broker we introduced, that broker shares part of their commission with us. You pay the broker their normal buyer's fee, as you would on any Israeli purchase, and every broker we work with agrees in advance not to raise it because of us.
Can you help me find a lawyer, mortgage advisor or bank?
Yes, and at no cost. Most overseas buyers don't know where to start, so we introduce you to lawyers who represent buyers, English- and French-speaking mortgage advisors, banks that work with foreign residents, currency transfer services, engineers and property managers. You deal with each directly and pay their normal rates.
How much does it cost to buy property in Jerusalem as a foreigner?
Budget roughly 11 to 13 percent on top of the price. Foreign residents pay purchase tax of 8 percent up to about 6.06 million shekels and 10 percent above that. Add the buyer's broker fee (about 2 percent plus 18 percent VAT), your lawyer (about 0.5 to 1 percent plus VAT), currency transfer costs and an inspection.
Do buyers pay the real estate broker in Israel?
Yes. Unlike in the US or UK, the buyer usually pays their own broker, typically about 2 percent plus VAT. A broker can only charge you if they're licensed and you signed their written brokerage order, so read it before you sign and sign with one broker at a time.
Can I get a mortgage in Israel as a foreign resident?
Yes, but foreign residents can usually borrow only up to about half the property's value, and approval takes longer than at home. Speak to an Israeli mortgage advisor before you start viewing so you know your real budget.
Can I buy an apartment in Jerusalem without visiting?
Yes. Many buyers do it through live video viewings and a power of attorney to their own lawyer. But remote buyers are also the most common target for inflated prices and scams, so it matters even more to have someone on the ground who works for you.
How do I know if a Jerusalem real estate agent is trustworthy?
Ask to see their broker's license; since March 2025 Israeli brokers must show it on request. Be wary of anyone who rushes you, discourages you from hiring your own lawyer, or quotes different prices for the same apartment. Being from your community back home is not the same as being on your side.
What if we make aliyah after buying?
Israel offers much lower purchase-tax rates to new immigrants on a home bought within a window around aliyah, currently from about a year before to several years after. If aliyah is a realistic possibility, plan the timing with your lawyer before you sign.
Is now a good time to buy in Jerusalem?
It depends on your currency and your reasons. The stronger shekel has made Jerusalem more expensive for dollar buyers since 2025, while euro and pound buyers have lost less ground. Prime neighborhoods have held their prices, and many developers offer flexible payment terms on new projects.
Which Jerusalem neighborhoods are popular with English-speaking buyers?
Rehavia, Talbiyeh, the German Colony, Baka and Katamon have long-established English-speaking communities. Arnona is newer and growing, Har Nof and Ramot are popular with Haredi and Orthodox families, and apartments in the Old City's Jewish Quarter are rare.
Tell us what you're looking for
Free, and it commits you to nothing. You're simply interested, and that's enough.
Whether you're ready to buy or just starting to wonder, a few lines are all it takes. We'll get back to you within 24 hours to set up an introductory meeting, by phone or video at a time that suits you. What you share stays with us.