On Finding an Apartment in a Foreign Country

Finding an apartment in a foreign country can be a complex process. There are similarities to what we know from back home, but also quite a few differences, especially when you are unfamiliar with the area and with how things work in a new place.

So how do you find an apartment?

I will share my experience in Georgia, which might also apply to other countries, though probably not to all of them.

Tbilisi, Georgia (2025)

Before relocating, we visited the country several times and explored different areas. We wanted to get a feel for the place, understand the atmosphere, and figure out what suited us and what did not.

After that, we consulted Israelis, mainly through groups of Israelis living in Georgia. We asked specific questions and tried to learn from other people’s experiences.

Pretty quickly we realized that we did not really understand the local market or how it worked, and that for us the most convenient and suitable option would be to work with a real estate agent.

This also comes with challenges, and it is important to know when an agent is simply not the right fit.

Our first agents put a lot of pressure on us, showed us apartments that did not meet our needs or requirements, and were priced higher than what we were willing to pay. At a certain point we said to ourselves, clearly and out loud, this is not working.

Later on, we found another agent who was much more attentive and did not pressure us to sign a contract.

We viewed quite a few apartments while living in an Airbnb, until we finally found one that felt exactly right.

From this experience, we learned a few things:

• In Georgia, tenants do not pay a brokerage fee. The agent is paid by the landlord once the contract is signed, and that cost is not passed on to the tenant in any way. In practice, it works like Israeli law, except that here it is actually enforced. Back home, unfortunately, tenants often pay agents even though they are not supposed to.

• If someone tells you “you will never find what you are looking for” or “your standards are too high for the market”, that is your cue to say thank you and move on. There are things we are not willing to compromise on, and that is completely legitimate. Not wanting to live inside a construction site is a reasonable requirement when searching for an apartment, and expecting a functioning elevator is entirely fair.

• Preparing in advance for the fact that this process may take time helps reduce stress. We brought lessons with us from our apartment searches in Israel. Finding the right place can take a long time. We found our apartment here after several months, and back home we were stuck searching for as long as ten months. This means living uncomfortably for a while, being more patient than usual, and not settling for something that does not really suit you out of fear that nothing else will come along.

• It is important to know what you can and cannot compromise on. Everyone has different priorities and needs. In our case, we could compromise on the view, but not on having a working elevator. We were willing to live without a balcony, but not to live among construction sites. Others will be willing to make different compromises, and that is perfectly fine. What matters is knowing how to draw the line between what is truly essential for you and what you can live without.

• Before signing a contract, it is important to examine the area where the apartment is located. We took short walks around the neighborhoods where we viewed apartments. We checked proximity to bus stops and metro stations, where the nearest grocery stores and supermarkets were, and whether the area felt clean and organized. We paid attention to what kinds of businesses were nearby and how noisy the streets were. Some apartments were ruled out because of construction noise or proximity to a busy main road.

• Listen to each other. If you are going through this process with someone else, a partner, family member, or friend, it is important to be attentive to each other’s needs. There were things that were essential for me and others I was willing to give up, but I was not alone in this process. My husband was a full partner, and he also had requirements, expectations, and compromises he was willing to make. There will not always be complete overlap, so it is important to talk about it openly, think together, and find a solution that both sides can live with. Honest and open communication can prevent frustration and resentment later on.

• A budget can be flexible, but only to a point. Set a clear upper limit that you do not exceed. Take ongoing expenses into account alongside your income. Renting a dream apartment that puts you into debt before the lease even ends is not a realistic choice. You want to find a place that provides a sense of safety and calm, not one that creates financial anxiety. The difference between one thousand dollars and fifteen hundred dollars can sound negligible to one person and like an unbridgeable gap to another. Do not rush this step. Take your time and explore all your options.

• Talking to immigrants and locals about the area you are considering can completely change your perspective. Immigrants who have already gone through the process bring firsthand experience, while locals can offer insights that only people who grew up there have. This helped us narrow our search from an entire city to specific neighborhoods, making the process feel less overwhelming and much more focused.

• If you keep kosher, check the proximity to a Chabad house and to kosher restaurants or grocery stores. If shopping for kosher food feels like a long quest, everyday life will become much harder. The same applies to synagogues, if prayer is important to you. This advice is relevant for anything that matters to you, from kindergartens to gyms and medical clinics. Knowing in advance where these things are located reduces stress and uncertainty down the line.

These are my conclusions so far.

Do you have additional tips or questions? Feel free to share in the comments 🙂

And greetings from Georgia 😉