Against the approaching end of 20/80 financing deals and contractor loans, thousands of visitors flocked to the apartment fair organized by the Contractors’ Association and the Emanuel Group at Expo Tel Aviv over the weekend. Despite the surprisingly strong turnout, most visitors complained about the high prices: “It’s all going to blow up in people’s faces.”
By Doron Breutman, Nadlan Center
Against the anticipated disappearance of financing deals such as 20/80, due to tightened regulations from the Bank of Israel, combined with sharp stock market declines triggered by recent actions from U.S. President Donald Trump, the Contractors and Builders Association of the Tel Aviv District and the Emanuel Group, which specializes in real estate marketing, hosted a large-scale apartment fair at Expo Tel Aviv.
The two-day fair (Friday morning to afternoon and Saturday night) featured 45 of Israel’s leading real estate companies, including Hachsharat HaYishuv, Damari, Azorim, Africa-Israel, Rothstein, Ashtrom, Guy and Doron Levy, Kardan, and others. Properties ranged from luxury apartments in Tel Aviv priced at 60,000 NIS per square meter to four-room apartments in Sderot offered at about 1.6 million NIS.
Attendance exceeded expectations, with organizers reporting over 5,000 visitors across both days. Conversations with company representatives revealed general satisfaction with the high turnout, which many did not anticipate. According to the organizers, the bustling traffic at the apartment fair generated “strong leads” — potential buyers who registered at the booths for follow-up conversations at sales offices.
Amit Gottlieb, chairman of the Tel Aviv District Contractors’ Association, suggested that the strong attendance was due to these days being a “last chance” to buy apartments under the 20/80 plans and contractor loans, which are expected to end soon as Bank of Israel directives become mandatory.
Dr. Yaron, a representative from Ashtrom, said, “More people came than expected. There’s a lot of interest, attractive offers, and many leads. People know what they want and are coming from all the demand areas. Everyone who attends the fair continues to benefit from the 80/20 deals and additional perks like free mortgage consulting, free interior design, and cancellation of linkage to the Construction Cost Index. Soon, these conditions will disappear, and buying an apartment will become harder. The new Bank of Israel law is a turning point. It’s money time.”
On the other hand, some developers won’t miss the aggressive sales campaigns. Roy Beinhorn, CEO and owner at Adam Shuster, active in high-demand areas, stated, “I support the emerging regulation that will bring order to the market.”
Despite the strong turnout, conversations with visitors revealed significant disappointment with the high price levels. “They offered us financing deals and 20/80 plans, but without closing real deals, things change. We’re not kids,” said Eli Moshe, who attended the fair searching for an apartment for his son. “There are interesting options, but the prices are high.”
Indeed, many visitors expressed frustration over high apartment prices, not just in the demand areas. Gal Shalev and Lior Elkali, relatives searching for an investment property together, said, “Today’s prices are not proportional to the population’s income. Everything will blow up in people’s faces because prices will rise, and it will cost Israel dearly. Real estate moves slowly, but eventually, it will collapse. They offer deals, but it’s fake because it’s built into the final apartment price. To buy a five-million-shekel apartment, you need three million in upfront capital. Where is that money supposed to come from?”
Similarly, Yaron and Sarit Frishman, a couple in their 60s living in Nir Et in southern Sharon, want to downsize from their large private home to something smaller. “We live in a good place and are looking for something smaller since the children have grown up. Maintaining a large home has become a burden. Apartment prices are rising, and we’re trying to plan for that. We live in a 300 sqm private home with a garden and two rental units, where you can host a party for 150 people. We’re searching for a four-room apartment in the central area, Herzliya, or Tel Aviv, but even with adding money, prices are very high. They wanted 10 million NIS for a penthouse.”
Adv. Emmanuel Vatari, CEO of Emanuel Group, which produced the fair, added: “What made this apartment fair unique was the serious crowd that came with genuine intentions to buy. It wasn’t a real estate happening but a true sales fair that yielded tangible results. I noticed surprising diversity among the buyers — on one hand, young couples who typically attend these fairs, and on the other, older individuals who understand market trends and are seeking quality housing solutions. This clearly shows that the public recognizes opportunities and comes to take advantage of financing deals before the Bank of Israel supervisor’s directives take effect. Furthermore, the enthusiastic feedback from participating companies speaks for itself — about half have already requested to reserve their spots for the next fair we will hold in November, which indicates a remarkable success for the event.”
