Helping Clients Buy Sooner With Proven Tactics for First-Time Buyers

Breaking into the Canadian housing market is getting tougher. With average first-time buyers now aged 40, higher interest rates, tighter amortization rules, and record investor activity are raising the bar. However, with the proper guidance, financial advisors can help clients stack strategies to buy sooner and build wealth earlier.

This article outlines practical, advisor-friendly ways to help first-time buyers qualify faster and afford more, even in today’s complex housing market.

• Investor pressure and affordability gaps push first-time buyers out of core markets. Advisors need multi-strategy plans that combine credit repair, co-borrowers, and subsidy stacking.
• Higher down payments and stronger credit profiles directly improve qualifying ratios and unlock better mortgage rates, critical in today’s stressed and volatile market.
• Alternative homeownership options such as co-ownership, rental income, or buying during off-peak seasons can help younger clients re-enter the conversation sooner.

What’s Changed: Age Up, Amortization Down

According to Teranet Intelligence, Ontario’s average first-time buyer is now 40, up from 32 in 1981. Back then, buyers often had 40-year amortizations and zero down payments. Today, they’re trying to qualify on 25-year amortization for properties averaging $701,900 as of April 2025, with incomes twice the national average of $65,918.

The result? Delayed homeownership means delayed equity, stagnating entry-level markets, and fewer move-up transactions, directly reducing a client’s mortgage potential over their lifetime.

How the Right Advice Can Make a Difference

1. Leverage FHSA + RRSP strategies to maximize down payment readiness.
2. Encourage clients to improve their credit scores above 680 to access lower rates and higher loan amounts.
3. Recommend co-ownership or co-signing for clients who can’t qualify on income alone.
4. Explore rent-to-own or shared equity options for clients who need time to grow into homeownership.
5. Consider 30-year amortizations or alternative lenders to expand qualifying amounts, especially for urban buyers.
6. Use timing strategically—off-season purchases or delaying liabilities (like car loans) can nudge clients over qualifying lines.

First-time buyers face more roadblocks than ever, but also more tools. As an advisor, integrating these strategies into financial plans can help clients buy sooner, build equity earlier, and start their homeownership journey on a firmer footing.

Partner with nesto mortgage experts to deliver mortgage solutions that help your clients succeed sooner, strategically, affordably, and confidently.

Why Choose nesto

At nesto, our commission-free mortgage experts, certified in multiple provinces, provide exceptional advice and service that exceeds industry standards. Our mortgage experts are non-commissioned, salaried employees who provide impartial guidance on mortgage options tailored to your needs and are evaluated based on client satisfaction and advice quality. nesto aims to transform the mortgage industry by providing honest advice and competitive rates using a 100% fully digital, transparent, seamless process.

nesto is on a mission to offer a positive, empowering and transparent property financing experience – simplified from start to finish.

Contact our licensed and knowledgeable mortgage experts to find your best mortgage rate in Canada.