Aura has 84,000 apartments in the pipeline – so why does it need an adventure in assisted living?

Aura is acquiring the assisted living company 'Bayit Bakfar' at a valuation of NIS 1.7 billion. Despite a backlog of 84,000 apartments in urban renewal, the company is selling at a slow pace (722 apartments in the first nine months of 2026). The move is presented as a strategic hedge against risks in the industry.

Aura, a leader in urban renewal in Israel, reported this week the acquisition of the assisted living company 'Bayit Bakfar' at a valuation of NIS 1.7 billion. The article explains that despite a massive backlog of 84,098 apartments in projects (of which 78,040 are in urban renewal), the company faces a slow sales pace: 722 apartments in the first three quarters of 2026, and an annual target of 1,200 apartments. The move into assisted living is presented as a strategic hedge, not a whim, due to the high risks in urban renewal: negotiations with residents, bureaucracy, infrastructure, and long timelines. As an example, a project in Hadera took 11 years from land acquisition to occupancy, and still 20% of the apartments remain unsold. The article compares this move to similar moves by other real estate giants such as Azrieli, Shapir, and Israel Canada.