A survey conducted by the Research and Market Data Committee of the Chamber of Real Estate Appraisers among 160 appraisers reveals interesting findings: 56% believe the proposed Northern Israel recovery plan is insufficient to bring residents back. However, 75% indicated that the plan would lead to rising property prices in the North, and the majority view it as a real estate opportunity.
By Doron Breutman, Nadlan Center
A survey by the Research and Market Data Committee of the Chamber of Real Estate Appraisers among 160 real estate appraisers regarding the rehabilitation plan for evacuees in the North found that 56% of respondents believe that the planned recovery program, in its proposed form, is insufficient to restore normal life in the northern region. About 14% considered the plan sufficient, while approximately 30% were uncertain, indicating a lack of clarity or detail in the proposal.
The Northern Recovery Plan includes a return-home deadline of March 1, 2025, and a grant of 76,000 NIS for a family of four. Additionally, a broader plan for Northern Israel’s recovery is in development, with final terms yet to be determined. The program aims to rehabilitate rural settlements in 95 frontline communities within 0–9 km from the border and in the border towns of Shlomi and Kiryat Shmona. It seeks to increase the population, restore existing infrastructure, fund public institutions, deepen discounts on government projects, construct bomb shelters in frontline communities, subsidize infrastructure within master plans, support development in new construction, offer location-based loans, and remove barriers to new construction.
Another survey question asked whether the Northern Recovery Plan could increase property prices in the North. The results show that 75% of respondents believe the plan will drive price growth, with 8% predicting short-term increases, 26% expecting medium-term growth, and 41% foreseeing long-term appreciation. Meanwhile, 22% of respondents felt the recovery plan would not impact regional prices.
The survey further revealed that most respondents (47%) consider housing prices in the North a real estate opportunity, while 37% disagree. However, in the frontline communities, respondents were divided: 46% believe housing prices do not present an investment opportunity, while 34% think otherwise.
Most respondents (82%) believe that a military presence in southern Lebanon is necessary to alleviate residents’ concerns about returning to their homes. Most real estate appraisers believe that a combination of military presence in south Lebanon (to ensure security) and sufficient resource allocation for the recovery plan (to ensure economic prosperity) would be an effective formula for repopulating the North and fostering growth and development, including infrastructure improvements and expanded public services.
Yariv Drori, chairman of the Haifa and Northern District and head of the Market Data Research Committee, states that in the short to medium term, no tectonic shifts are expected in property prices in the frontline communities, especially those adjacent to the border. “Prices have declined, particularly in the border-adjacent towns, but assessing the full extent of the decrease is still difficult. The coming period will reveal just how significant it has been. Compared to the South, the situation is entirely different; we have seen a transaction surge in cities like Netivot, Sderot, and Ofakim.”
“It’s important to remember that even if the recovery plan is implemented, these are long-term processes—including infrastructure rehabilitation, planning initiatives, and the construction of new public institutions. As a result, any benefits will likely materialize in the long term. I am not convinced that housing prices in the frontline communities, particularly those near the border, have reached the bottom. We lack sufficient data, the recovery plan has yet to be launched, and the future security situation remains unclear, as does Israel’s strategy regarding military deployment in southern Lebanon.”
