Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi Surpass Israel in Global Real Estate Transparency

Israel has improved its real estate market transparency but remains in 39th place globally, according to the JLL Global Real Estate Transparency Index. While Israel's score improved from 2.79 to 2.71 (a lower score indicates higher transparency), narrowing the gap with the top tier of transparent markets, it was not enough to move up. Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi have now surpassed Israel, ranking 35th and 33rd respectively, placing them in the highest transparency category, one level above Israel. Dubai also ranks significantly higher at 17th.

JLL attributes the progress in the Gulf states to expanded databases, digitization of real estate services, strengthened regulatory frameworks, and better accessibility to data on transactions, prices, and rentals. The global benchmark has risen, with approximately two-thirds of markets improving their transparency over the past two years. This means local improvements alone are insufficient if other countries advance faster.

Globally, the UK leads the index with a score of 1.24, followed by France (1.27), Australia (1.36), and the US (1.42). Singapore, at 13th place with a score of 1.90, closes the top tier of highly transparent markets.

Financial implications are significant, as over 98% of global direct real estate investments are concentrated in the top two transparency categories. Israel, in the mid-tier category, attracts only 1.3% of these investments. Investors now demand more than just transaction data, seeking information on credit markets, infrastructure, energy costs, and emerging sectors like data centers and student housing. "As information becomes more accessible, standardized, and digital, the ability to understand the market, price risk, and make decisions increases," explained Yaniv Lotringer, CEO of JLL Israel. "In a world where markets compete for global capital, transparency becomes a competitive infrastructure in every respect."