“Out-of-town buyers don’t know Haifa”: Dor Neuman on the stigma holding the city back
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Courtesy of the Nadlanist radio station
A Boutique Firm That Knows Haifa From the Inside
At a session held at the “Nadlanist” radio station on June 15, 2026, Dor Neuman, a partner-developer at the Ahuza firm, spoke about the Haifa-based company’s work in the real-estate market. Ahuza operates through three arms: residential for investors, urban renewal, and the purchase of plots in partnership with investors. The company attracts investors from Tel Aviv, from Jerusalem and from abroad, and directs them toward opportunities in Haifa. “We are a Haifa boutique firm,” Neuman said, “and we are mainly engaged in drawing investors to the city.”
The Stigma That Still Follows Haifa
Neuman described a familiar picture: an investor arriving in Haifa for the first time, still asking about wild boars and air pollution. “Those who don’t know the city love it very much,” he said, “those who don’t know it ask about the boars.” According to him, these stigmas are old and do not reflect the reality on the ground, where significant improvements have taken place. But as long as there is no strong municipal marketing, the negative image stays stuck in the mind of anyone who has not visited the city.
Other Cities Marketed Themselves: Haifa Did Not
Neuman compared Haifa to other cities. Cities in the center of the country with higher pollution levels do not suffer from a similar negative image, because they invested in marketing and branding. Haifa, by contrast, is almost absent from television and the media, while cities such as Acre, Rishon LeZion, Ofakim and Netivot do advertise themselves. “There is ongoing reputational harm due to a lack of municipal marketing and branding,” Neuman said, stressing that this is a problem that holds back the city’s economic growth.
The Message: Haifa Sells Itself for Less Than It Is Worth
The discussion at the radio station pointed to a gap between Haifa’s true potential and the way it is perceived among investors from outside the city. Neuman did not claim there are no problems, but rather that the central problem is that no one is telling the right story. As long as there are no dedicated marketing budgets and a department that promotes the city systematically, investors will keep arriving with questions from the past, rather than with eyes open to the future.
For a deeper read on the subject, we also recommend reviewing our guide on Dor Neuman calls on young people to enter the market.
Further reading: Urban Renewal in Haifa.
