It is very hard to know if a vendor really wants to sell his property. Many vendors are putting their real estate on the market to sell and  allowing agents and many other sides to work for hours and hours in difficult negotiations, only to say at a very late stage, many times the deal is already with lawyers that they are not prepared to sell. This is giving Israel a very bad name with regards to the real estate market. If a vendor decides to put his home up for sale it is vital that he does his homework first. He must decide if he actually wants to seriously sell, not just to test the market. Choosing the currency is also vital. If the owner wants security, then ask in Shekels. If the vendor asks in Dollars he must understand that the Dollar can plummet or suddenly go high. If the Dollar currency is chosen it should be made clear if he wants to be paid in Dollars or in Israeli Shekels and at a particular exchange rate. Vendors must realize that many people are involved including  buyers and their families, bankers, lawyers and brokers once they put their property on the market and claim that they want to sell. Many buyers are new immigrants or investors visiting Israel in order to buy. In my opinion the vendors who are not serious do not realize or care about the time wasting to others and the serious damage that they can do. Perhaps there should be a law that fines vendors for putting properties on the market if they decide not to sell. Something to protect buyers and professionals from wasting their precious time and resources.
I keep reiterating to my vendor clients that to sell a property and buy another  could cost a lot of extra money than first expected, including brokers fees, lawyers, taxes, removals, engineers etc. Many vendors do not realize the implications of these costs and realize to far along the process that they are making a mistake in selling. The answer is that vendors should do their homework properly before putting their properties up for sale.

Michael Bloom