What a mortgage adviser costs
This is an independent guide. A mortgage adviser (יועץ משכנתאות) helps you compare offers, build a mix and negotiate with the banks. No law sets the fee. The figures below are indicative ranges reported in the press in 2025 and 2026. They are not rules, and your adviser may charge more or less.
Fee models
- Usually a fixed fee, not a percentage of the property price.
- Full service, from comparing offers to signing: about ₪6,000 to ₪9,000 before VAT.
- Basic advice that only builds the mix: about ₪2,000 to ₪3,000.
- Complex files cost more.
- Some agreements set the fee as a percentage of the approved credit. The case below used 8%.
- Many advisers take the fee in two parts: half at engagement and half at signing.
When the fee falls due
It depends on the agreement. In a case reported by Bizportal in May 2025, a Tel Aviv client signed a fee of 8% of the approved credit. The fee fell due when the bank gave its approval in principle (אישור עקרוני). The client took only part of the approved amount and still owed the full fee. The lesson: read when the fee is triggered, not only how much it is.
Who may pay an adviser
Banks may not pay independent advisers or give them benefits. Bank of Israel Directive 329A, issued in 2017, says a bank may not pay a client's representative or give them benefits, directly or indirectly. A bank's own mortgage staff work for the bank, not for you.
Non-bank lenders are different. On 21 October 2026 the Capital Market Authority published its final circular banning commissions and benefits to advisers from non-bank credit providers: holders of credit-provision, credit-intermediation-system and deposit-and-credit licences (non-bank credit companies and lending platforms). It takes effect about three months after publication. The same day the Authority published a draft of similar rules for institutional lenders, such as insurers and pension funds; that part is still a draft.
Not licensed yet
As of 2026 the profession is not licensed or regulated in Israel, according to the State Comptroller's report of June 2026. Bill פ/5070/25, which would regulate the occupation, was approved by the Knesset Economy Committee for first reading on 26 May 2026. It has not become law. The Mortgage Advisers Association says the bill would also ban advisers from receiving payments from financial bodies.
Red flags in a fee agreement
- The fee falls due at approval in principle even if you do not take the loan.
- You owe a fee if you later take a mortgage from a bank the adviser contacted.
- The scope is vague: you cannot tell what the adviser will actually do.
- VAT is not mentioned, so you do not know the final amount.
Cancelling
Consumer protection law gives cancellation rights for some distance or door-to-door service contracts. Ask the adviser in writing what your cancellation terms are.
Where Ribit fits
Contacting an expert through Ribit is free and non-binding, and each expert sets their own fee. To see what the expert receives and what happens next, read: “How Ribit's Mortgage Experts Work”.