How to check a real estate broker license in Israel? The check takes less than two minutes, costs nothing, and can be done from your phone before the first meeting. And yet many people sign a brokerage services order (hazmanat sherutei tivuch) without checking whether the person in front of them is licensed at all. This short guide explains how to check a real estate broker license in Israel step by step, what the result tells you and what it does not, and what it means to work with someone who holds no license.
Why a broker license matters to you as well
The Real Estate Brokers Law, 5756 1996, prohibits engaging in real estate brokerage, or presenting yourself as a broker, without a valid license. To obtain a license, a candidate must pass the examination of the Registrar of Real Estate Brokers at the Ministry of Justice, covering contract law, property law, planning and building, and real estate taxation, and must meet threshold conditions such as minimum age, no bankruptcy and no conviction that makes the person unfit for the profession.
For you as a client this matters on two levels. The first is professional: the license guarantees a basic level of knowledge and subjects the broker to the duties the law imposes, such as loyalty, disclosure of material information and confidentiality. The second is legal: a licensed broker is subject to disciplinary proceedings before the Registrar, so you have somewhere to file a complaint. Someone without a license is outside that mechanism.
How to check a real estate broker license in Israel: the Registrar’s database
The Registrar of Real Estate Brokers maintains the register of license holders (pinkas hametavchim), and the information is open to the public in two ways.
Option one: the search on gov.il
- Go to the government services website gov.il and search for “real estate broker search” (in Hebrew, “itur metavech mekarkein”) or “brokers register”.
- In the search, enter the broker’s name or license number.
- Make sure the name in the result matches the person in front of you exactly, and that the license appears as valid.
Option two: the Ministry of Justice open dataset
The government open data portal data.gov.il publishes the dataset “Active Real Estate Brokers” (ma’agar metavchim pe’ilim), listing all license holders. The list has three fields: license number, broker name and city of residence. According to the dataset description, it is updated every three months, and in October 2026 it included about 25,000 licensed brokers. You can search it directly on the site or download it as a file.
The simplest approach: ask the broker for their license number before the meeting and search by number. Searching by number avoids confusion between two people with the same name.
What the result shows and what it does not
The check answers one question: does this person hold an active brokerage license. It does not answer other questions, and that is important to understand.
- What you see: name, license number and city of residence. The city of residence says nothing about where the broker works.
- What you do not see: experience, specialization, area of activity, quality of service or complaints.
- Update timing: the license is granted for one year and is renewed by paying an annual fee, usually due by the end of March. A broker who has not paid may not practice until the payment is settled. Since the open dataset is updated once a quarter, there may be a gap of a few weeks between the actual status and what appears in it. When in doubt, you can contact the Registrar.
The law also allows the Registrar and the disciplinary committee to publish decisions on the suspension or revocation of licenses, so it is worth noticing whether such a notice appears regarding the broker.
How to check a real estate broker license in Israel in practice: an example of a sound check
This example is for illustration only. A family looking for an apartment in Ramat Aviv schedules a viewing with a broker through a listing. Before the meeting, they ask by message for his full name and license number.
- They search the license number on gov.il and find it valid, under the same name.
- At the meeting, the broker presents a brokerage services order. The name and license number on the order match what was found in the database.
- The apartment being shown appears on the order with its full address, and the commission rate is stated explicitly, including how VAT is treated.
- The order is signed before the exact address is given.
If there is a discrepancy at any stage, for example the name on the order differs from the person showing the property, or the license number cannot be found, that is the time to ask, not after signing. Sometimes there is a simple explanation, such as a broker who works in someone else’s office, in which case the person showing the property must be licensed in their own right.
Brokers who are not Israeli citizens
The law also allows a license for a foreign resident who has received a lawful permit to work in Israel, provided they passed the examination and met the other conditions. On the other hand, a broker licensed in another country is not licensed to broker in Israel by virtue of the foreign license. Buyers from abroad who work with a real estate advisor from their home country should know that in a transaction for a property in Israel, whoever actually acts as the broker needs a valid Israeli license.
What happens when a broker works without a license
Practicing brokerage without a license has three main consequences:
- A criminal offense. Section 15 of the law sets a penalty of imprisonment and a fine for anyone who practices brokerage without a license, and for anyone who employs an unlicensed person in brokerage work.
- No entitlement to brokerage fees. Under Section 14, one of the conditions for entitlement to a commission is that the broker held a license while performing the brokerage. The courts have repeatedly rejected claims by brokers without a valid license, even when the license lapsed only because a fee was not paid.
- No professional protection. An unlicensed person is not subject to the disciplinary committee, and you have no complaint route through the Registrar.
It is important to know that case law is not clear cut in every case. There have been rulings in which the court ordered a client to pay despite the lack of a license, when it found that the client knew about it, benefited from the service and raised the argument only to avoid payment. The early check is meant precisely to prevent this situation for both sides. In any specific dispute, consult a lawyer.
The office’s license versus the license of the broker in front of you
The license is granted to a person, not to an office or a brand. A well known office may employ several brokers, and Section 13 of the law prohibits it from employing anyone without a license in brokerage work. The check should therefore relate to the person who shows you the property and conducts the negotiation with you, not only to the name on the sign. Employees in administrative roles, such as scheduling meetings, do not need a license, but they are also not supposed to broker.
In practice, the broker’s name and license number should also appear on the brokerage services order you sign. The details that must appear on the order are explained in the guide to broker fees.
Checks beyond the license
A license is a threshold condition, not a recommendation. Once you have verified it, it is worth checking as well:
- Knowledge of the area. Ask for examples of deals recently signed on the street or in the building, and how they affect the price.
- Transparency in the order. The commission rate, whether VAT is included, and when payment is due. If there is exclusivity, for how long and what the broker undertakes to do during it.
- Who does the work. Who will show the property, who will conduct the negotiation, and what is passed on to the lawyer.
- Membership in a professional body. Some brokers are members of the Israel Real Estate Brokers Association (Lishkat Metavchei HaNadlan), which has a code of ethics and an arbitration mechanism. This is not a legal requirement, but it is one more data point.
- References. A conversation with a previous client tells you more than any online rating.
For a broader understanding of what a broker must do under the law and what is prohibited, see the guide how apartment brokerage works. And on whether to work with a broker at all, see why it pays to hire a broker.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether a broker has a license?
Search their name or license number in the real estate broker search on gov.il, or in the Active Real Estate Brokers dataset on data.gov.il. If they do not appear, ask them for their license number and check again, and if in doubt contact the Registrar of Real Estate Brokers.
Do I have to pay brokerage fees to an unlicensed broker?
Under the law, a license valid at the time of the brokerage is a condition for entitlement to brokerage fees. However, the courts also examine the client’s conduct, and in exceptional cases they have ordered payment. In any specific dispute, consult a lawyer.
The broker’s license has expired. What does that mean?
The license is renewed every year by paying a fee. A broker who has not renewed may not practice until the payment is settled, and it is important to make sure the license was valid at the time you received the service.
Where do I file a complaint about a broker?
A complaint about a licensed broker is filed with the Registrar of Real Estate Brokers at the Ministry of Justice. The disciplinary committee may take measures ranging from a warning to suspension or revocation of the license.
Before the first meeting
You now know how to check a real estate broker license in Israel. Ask for a license number, check it, and move on to the questions that really matter. If you would like to ask us about the process, we will be happy to help. You can contact us or call 077-500-4600 (+972 77 500 4600).
