New Immigrants in Israeli Real Estate Brokerage | Merkaz HaNechasim

One of the fastest routes into the Israeli job market as a new immigrant runs through real estate — not despite your imperfect Hebrew, but because of the language you already have.

Why English and French speakers are wanted in brokerage

A significant share of buyers in the Israeli market are olim and overseas investors, from the United States, Britain, France and Canada. They are buying property in a country they did not grow up in, against a legal system they do not know, in a language they are still learning. An agent who speaks their language is not just translating — they understand what worries them.

That is an advantage that is hard to acquire. An experienced agent can learn the market in depth, but cannot learn what it is like to arrive in a new country and buy a first apartment in it. Someone who has been through it brings an understanding that is not taught.

Where these communities are

Jerusalem holds large English- and French-speaking communities, and they are concentrated in particular neighbourhoods rather than spread across the city. Ma'ale Adumim, Pisgat Ze'ev and Giv'at Ze'ev have substantial communities too. An agent who knows their own community from the inside — through the synagogue, the WhatsApp groups, the other parents at kindergarten — has access that advertising cannot buy.

The licence — what to know in advance

Practising brokerage in Israel requires a licence from the Ministry of Justice under the Real Estate Brokers Law, 5756-1996. There is no exemption for new immigrants and no shortened track. The exam is held four times a year — February, May, August and November — in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the pass mark is 60, and it is conducted in Hebrew.

That is the real hurdle and it is worth planning around: the material is legal, so it demands a higher level of Hebrew than everyday conversation. Most candidates use a preparation course, and the total cost of entering the profession usually runs between 3,500 and 8,000 ILS.

What you can do before the licence

A great deal — and this is the part most olim miss. Not every role in a real-estate company is brokerage. Marketing, digital, content, enquiry handling and office roles require no licence at all, and in several of them native English or French is the main qualification rather than a complication.

The common route is to join a company in one of those roles, learn the market from the inside, and work towards the licence in parallel. Someone who sits the exam after six months inside a real-estate company reads the material very differently.

What is realistic in year one

The first year in brokerage is hard for everyone, not only for immigrants. The usual pace is half a deal to one deal a month, and the first closing typically comes after three to six months. Income in the first year sits below the sector average — 15,000–16,000 ILS gross, per Central Bureau of Statistics figures — at roughly 8,000–12,000 ILS until a steady flow of deals is built.

A new immigrant has one clear advantage here and one clear disadvantage. The advantage: a community that knows you and speaks your language is precisely the first client base an established agent struggles to reach. The disadvantage: you still have to learn the local market in depth, and that takes time.

Hebrew — how much is actually needed

For working with English- or French-speaking clients, less than you would think. For the licensing exam, a lot. For dealing with Israeli lawyers, appraisers and sellers, a reasonable working level. Most people who enter the field find that professional Hebrew builds faster on the job than in a classroom, because the same terms keep recurring.

Frequently asked

Can I work in brokerage without native-level Hebrew?

Yes, particularly with English- or French-speaking clients. Hebrew is needed mainly for the licensing exam and for working with Israeli professionals.

Is there any concession for new immigrants in the exam?

No. The requirements are identical for everyone, and the exam is in Hebrew.

How long from aliyah to working in brokerage?

Mostly a function of your Hebrew. The process itself — study, exam, licence issue — takes three to six months.

Can I start working in real estate before the licence?

Yes, in roles that are not brokerage. In several of them your language is the main qualification.

Want to start?

Merkaz HaNechasim hires across four branches — Ma'ale Adumim, Jerusalem, Pisgat Ze'ev and the Jordan Valley — including a role aimed at beginning agents and marketing and content positions that need no licence. Open roles · Guide for new brokers · Income calculator. To talk: 054-249-8166.