Shimon Gershon, former captain of the Israel national soccer team and businessman, is establishing a new fintech company under the name Arvuyot Yashir operating in the rental real estate sector. The new platform enables apartment tenants to issue a guarantee without a deposit in a fast, digital online process – within 5 minutes. An investment of NIS 12 million was made in the company.
The platform offers an alternative to the bank guarantees and cash deposits currently customary in the rental market, under which tenants are often required to freeze significant sums of money or transfer a deposit to the landlord. Thus, tenants avoid locking up substantial amounts of money right at the start of the lease, while landlords enjoy a full security financial backing of up to three months' rent. In addition to keeping the credit line free, the model prevents tenants from paying a high commission to the bank.
For example, a tenant who needs a guarantee in the amount of NIS 15,000 – an amount usually equivalent to three months' rent – will be able to obtain the guarantee through Arvuyot Yashir without depositing a security fund and without affecting their credit line, for just NIS 81 per month for 12 months. The total cost amounts to 6.5% of the guarantee amount, allowing the tenant to keep the cash available for moving needs, organizing the new apartment, and other expenses involved at the beginning of the rental period.
Through the platform, a full guarantee can be obtained in just about 5 minutes thanks to a unique technology developed by the company. The entire process is carried out online and is based on digital verification: The tenant enters personal details, uploads identification documents, and fills in the property details. Following a financial background check and data verification through the company's systems, and in the absence of exceptional findings, a guarantee is received and transmitted directly to the property owner, the management company, and the tenant. This is an end-to-end secured process, without the need for banking entities or manual procedures.
Unlike traditional models in the guarantee market, which include lengthy underwriting, working with branches, and mediating parties, the platform enables a full decision to be reached in an exceptionally short time. For the tenant, financial liquidity is preserved without the need to freeze funds, and for the landlord, a verified digital security is received from a financial body operating in the market that provides large-scale solutions. All of these enable high certainty and rapid signing of the lease agreement.
Arvuyot Yashir currently works with leading real estate companies in the market, including Mivne Real Estate, Rent It, City Boy and others, providing solutions for guarantees without a deposit in long-term rental projects through the most advanced management and underwriting system in the market. In addition, the company is promoting an extensive collaboration with the insurance giant Phoenix Smart, where tenants on the Arvuyot Yashir platform will be offered a variety of insurances related to moving apartments, such as contents, third-party liability and more, as well as a loan for moving. The collaboration will also include an additional safety cushion for the company's activities at larger scales and will strengthen the company's position as a significant player in the field of rental securities in Israel.
Shimon Gershon, CEO and owner of Arvuyot Yashir, stated: "The rental market in Israel includes tens of thousands of transactions a year, but when it comes to guarantees and securities, complex processes still exist that require the tenant to part with a lot of money and landlords to compromise. Today's Israel needs real financial solutions that ease the burden on tenants and landlords. We established Arvuyot Yashir to create a simpler, faster, and more accessible process. The technology we developed enables a decision to be made and a guarantee issued within about 5 minutes, while creating certainty and security for all parties involved in the transaction."