Tomer and Chen Becher are brothers and business partners in the fields of restaurants, food, Airbnb apartments, and land-integrated housing. The bureaucracy and working times in Israel (mainly the waiting time for building permits and various approvals) led them to search for other opportunities.

As part of their search for new avenues for business investment abroad, they defined clear criteria for themselves, ensuring they only examined growing business sectors located geographically close to Israel.

With these parameters in mind, they began doing their homework, investigating various countries and meeting with different figures. One of the people they met was Eran Cohen, CEO of the Israel-Cyprus Chamber of Commerce, who explained the existing opportunities in Cyprus and the potential there—in terms of tourism data, taxation, gas fields, and the booming real estate market on the neighboring island.

Cyprus – Everything They Dreamed of and More

Tomer and Chen were excited by the combination of all the criteria they had set. It wasn’t just a place physically close to Israel that allows for returning home on the same day (or at most the next day), making it possible to truly “live” the business as if it were right here.

In Cyprus, they discovered an abundance of future development plans and a positive trend, particularly in the real estate and hotel sectors in Larnaca, Paphos, and Limassol. However, they also surprisingly found additional factors they hadn’t considered.

For example: membership in the European Union provides a legal umbrella, tax benefits for high-tech companies, support for Israel even during times of crisis, and above all—a mentality that is reminiscent of home.

Beginning to Discover Cyprus

Tomer and Chen first traveled to Cyprus with Eran Cohen, who introduced them to the island in depth, particularly from a business perspective. He introduced them to professionals who are also members of the local Chamber of Commerce, such as real estate agents, accountants, architects, etc., and they set off on their journey.

After a few “small” land purchase and sale transactions, they understood—with Eran’s help—the personal and business dynamics of the Cypriot market. They opened a company called ICB Group (which accompanies the buyer throughout the entire construction process until receiving the key, including opening bank accounts and fund transfers) and began operations.

Today, after 3 years and dozens of trips to Cyprus, they already have 3 projects in various planning stages that they are marketing to both Israelis and locals in Larnaca.

Soon, they will also begin the pre-sale for a residential complex of 26 units with a pool and all the amenities near the sea in Pervolia, as well as another project in the Oroklini neighborhood of Larnaca. Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce and the connections developed with other members, everything is already set—including collaborations with construction supervisors, furniture agents, and even management companies.

The Chamber of Commerce Opens Doors

Tomer and Chen highly praise Eran, who they say “made things easy,” which is a huge plus in an unfamiliar foreign country. But Eran is not alone; the Chamber of Commerce conferences also opened doors for them and provided an in-depth acquaintance with all the members active in the field.

On one hand, there is the introduction to Cypriot developers, but on the other, there is the friendship with Israeli businessmen in the same situation—creating an atmosphere of mutual aid and shared interest. Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce, personal and business connections were formed.

Furthermore, the Cypriots understand that Israelis are a rising force and want to connect with them, so membership in the Chamber of Commerce in both countries is the way to do it successfully. For Tomer and Chen, this is just the beginning, and they are already thinking ahead to dozens of joint projects.

For them, they can fulfill the dream in Cyprus: initiating and managing real estate projects and accompanying investors from the planning stage, through receiving the key, to managing properties located in high-demand areas, characterized by a high level of finishing and equipped with all the luxurious amenities. And it’s all just a half-hour flight away.