Entering the home market for the first time can feel complicated and stressful. With changing rules, financial requirements, and shifting property values, making sense of housing choices often means spending hours sorting through listings, comparing programs, and coordinating different people.
A group of new Canadian apps aims to help first-time homebuyers with these common problems, each with different tools and perks designed to make things simpler and lighten the financial load.
Leading these choices in 2025 is Wahi, which offers features tailored for buyers who are new, working with a partner, or needing budget support.
Below, we take an in-depth look at Wahi’s full feature set, how its cashback program works, what users report, and how it compares to other Canadian home apps as of mid-2025.
Why Wahi Leads for First-Time Canadian Buyers in 2025
Wahi has become a preferred choice among those buying a home in Canada for the first time. Its coordinated approach includes:
- Complete nationwide listings across major provinces
- Search tools powered by artificial intelligence that respond to the user
- Communication and workflow are built into the app
- Special cash back tied to closing
- Extra tools for couples or groups buying together
These tools are not only aimed at browsing but at lowering confusion and removing common pain points, especially when it comes to making the process more open and less expensive. Here is a closer look at how each piece works together.
Canada-Wide Listings in One App
Wahi covers nearly all homes for sale in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. This means almost every house, condo, and apartment in both big cities and smaller towns is part of a single search, without the need to check different realtor pages or portals. By working with the national listing system, Wahi helps buyers avoid missing available homes due to patchy information. Users can:
- Search for property types and price points anywhere in these provinces
- See up-to-date information, updated in sync with local agent feeds
- Scroll through homes that fit both budget and location, from urban centers to outlying areas
This full access can help those on smaller budgets or looking outside the biggest cities. It also reduces the work involved in gathering a complete view of what’s for sale.
Search Tools that Personalize Results
Wahi uses a search method that goes beyond simple filters. The app records what users save, which areas they look at, and what prices they prefer. Over time, Wahi uses these signals to show more houses that fit without making buyers do all the work. According to its developers, the algorithm can:
- Spot “hidden” homes or up-and-coming areas worth considering
- Suggest homes a buyer might have missed based on their unique interests
- Speed up the search process for those who are busy or on tight deadlines
For many buyers, this level of automation cuts down hours spent on endless scrolling. According to a Toronto user interviewed in June 2025, “The AI recommendations were spot-on. Our short list included homes we hadn’t considered, and the instant price check tool saved us hours of Googling.”
Agent-Level Home Data and Price Histories
Buying a home is often confusing because so much information is reserved for real estate agents. Wahi addresses this by offering:
- Up to 21 years of sold-price history for each property
- An instant estimate of each home’s value, with claimed accuracy of 90 percent or higher
- Listing records showing if a property was ever re-listed, price-changed, or previously sold
- Details about local schools, including average scores and catchment zones
This deep data helps those who want to avoid overpaying or buying into an area with fewer services for families. It also assists buyers in better understanding price trends before making an offer. Unlike some portals that only show limited metrics, Wahi’s information allows users to compare properties with as much context as possible.
Searching Together: Joint and Couple Tools
About half of Canadian first-time homebuyers purchase with a partner, friend, or family member. Wahi offers tools designed for these buyers:
- Users can invite a second person to their search, both accessing and rating homes through a shared “favorites” list
- The two can chat about homes privately within the app, with comments showing up for both
- Both receive synchronized alerts and can book house viewings or virtual tours together
- Showings can be confirmed for times that work for both buyers, preventing missed appointments
This joint workflow solves several problems common with traditional agents, such as separate communication threads or confusion over which listings have been reviewed. According to a Vancouver couple, “For us as a couple, the joint search just worked: we could each shortlist and chat privately about properties.”
Simple Messaging, Booking, and Virtual Tours
First-time buyers often struggle to connect and communicate with selling agents and their own representatives. Wahi helps by allowing:
- Direct messaging with agents inside the app, preserving conversations in a single place
- Scheduling viewings without phone calls or back-and-forth emails
- Virtual tours for homes that support this feature, letting users see properties before driving across town
- An organized calendar and archive for all appointments and discussions
This centralized approach takes away the need for endless email chains or lost messages. Every note, showing confirmation, and virtual tour link remains sorted inside the profile for both single and joint buyers.
Link with a Trusted Agent (but Keep Control)
Wahi does not simply provide listings; it assigns a real, licensed agent to help each buyer. These agents:
- Are matched based on region, deal type, and user preferences
- Stay accessible for negotiation, offer paperwork, or contract questions
- Can be switched if the user feels the fit is not right
- Work with a buyer-focused support team in the background available by chat or phone
Users gain peace of mind from having their own advisor but retain access to all tools even if an early match does not work out. Unlike portals that leave buyers to pick an agent off a long list, Wahi offers a structured process.
Digital Offers, E-Signature, and Deal Management
Wahi supports the entire buying process online, including:
- Drafting and sending offers through the app
- Adjusting deals (counter-offers, inspections) with e-signatures
- Tracking steps from first offer through closing day
- Keeping all documents in one secure online folder
This digital option suits tech-savvy or younger buyers who are less comfortable with paper forms or repeated office visits. According to user reviews, it also helps cut down on confusion about where documents are or whose step is next.
Financial Incentives: Wahi’s Cashback Structure
One of the biggest draws for Canadian homebuyers is Wahi’s cashback reward, which operates under simple rules:
- Buyers working with a Wahi-linked Realtor receive up to 1% of the purchase price, paid out shortly after closing
- On an average $750,000 home, this equals around $7,500 in hand
- In certain provinces or during special promotions, cashback rises up to 1.5% ($11,250 on a $750,000 deal)
- Cashback shows at the listing level in-app, making it easy to see which homes qualify
- To receive it, buyers must both register through Wahi and close with their matched agent
This program is intended to help with closing costs, down payments, or the first major expenses after taking possession. For buyers who are tight on funds, the cashback can play an important role. The offer is not usually available for deals in Quebec or some “new build” pre-sales, so buyers should confirm eligibility inside the app for each property.
Feedback from Users and Media
Recent media reports and direct user quotes support the idea that Wahi is reaching its goals. In interviews and reviews published from March 2024 to July 2025, most feedback centers on:
- Ease of viewing the full market in one spot
- The accuracy of the value and price history numbers
- Success in pointing out listings that buyers would have overlooked
- The practicality and transparency of the joint search feature
- Positive remarks on the cashback when buyers closed on their first home
Tech analysts writing in proptech outlets credit Wahi with offering a “full agent service inside a phone,” and with making the homebuying process less confusing for new buyers.
Expansion, Growth, and Planned Updates
As of July 2025, Wahi’s coverage includes Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. These regions account for a large proportion of home sales to first-timers. Expansion into Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador is planned for later in the year, depending on partnerships and legal clearance.
Other planned updates include:
- Full French-language workflows across every part of the app
- Direct tie-ins with large Canadian banks to check pre-approval and eligibility in real time
- Chat with legal and insurance professionals in English and French
- Fast-tracked legal review for title or agreement questions on fast deals
- Expanded “MyBuy” tools, so buyers can see live totals for government grants, bank credits, and cashback in the same spot
- Ongoing talks for full Quebec data coverage, though not confirmed as of July 2025
These updates aim to address gaps reported by users and add more loan-related advice for buyers using different incentive programs.
What Makes Wahi Different Than Other Canadian Apps
Several features mark Wahi’s approach as different from the main competitors such as Realtor.ca, Properly, and HouseSigma.
- Wahi merges national listings, smart search, live agent matches, virtual tours, digital offer management, and cash rewards all under one account
- It leads in supporting buyers who want to search as a couple or team, and who need constant communication and records
- Listings in Wahi come with sale history, current value, and agent support built in, plus an up-front listing of what cashback or grant money is available before committing
- Many rivals still require jumping to outside sites for part of the process, and most do not pay a direct cash reward at closing
- Other apps focus either on property browsing (Realtor.ca), estimate/data tools (HouseSigma), or loan management (bank pilot programs), but do not pull all elements together for buyers
Comparing Competing Canadian Homebuyer Apps (2024–2025)
Realtor.ca
Realtor.ca is the oldest and most-used property portal in the country. It relaunched in 2024 with better search and help for people looking to use government programs, but messaging and joint browsing are still limited. No cashback is provided for buyers.
Properly
Properly targets Toronto and some larger centers, focusing on homeowners upgrading or moving. The app works with fixed-fee Realtors but does not offer regular cashback. Its best features fit users selling a home at the same time they buy.
HouseSigma
HouseSigma offers home value forecasting, maps, and bidding advice. It is a tool for analyzing prices, but it lacks in-app cash perks, real-time support, or group searching. Some buyers comment that it works best for number crunching, not for seeing the process through to closing.
Brixwork / Spark Realty App
These focus on higher-priced homes or investors. Most do not include all tools needed by first-time or lower-income buyers.
CIBC Homeowner Express
CIBC’s pilot app combines mortgage pre-approval, grant tracking, and program advice in Ontario and British Columbia. It does not show homes for sale, but can be used next to Wahi. It helps calculate how much buyers can afford and applies government programs, but does not manage search, communication, or documentation.
Among these, Wahi is the only major product providing both joint search functions and a direct cashback system visible while browsing homes.
Maximizing Benefits: Combining Wahi with Grants and Other Apps
First-time homebuyers in Canada can expand what they receive at closing by using Wahi next to government programs and new banking tools. As of mid-2025:
- The federal First-Time Home Buyer Incentive is easier to track using Wahi’s “MyBuy” tools, which add government grants and cashback into one live display
- Ontario’s “Starter Grant” pays up to $8,000 to buyers under 35, which Wahi displays in-app when eligible properties are found
- Pre-approvals from large banks can be linked directly, making it simpler to only view homes within lending limits
- Combining loan approval, realtor matching, and listing scouting, Wahi helps reduce guesswork and allows real decisions based on verified numbers
New Government Tools and Market Context
The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation now offers a tool kit that connects to Wahi and other home search apps. This provides real-time checklists and helps buyers make sure they are applying for every program available. Provincial tax calculators and instant grant applications are in beta testing in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia for those using the MyBuy feature.
Industry reports by the Canadian Real Estate Association in May 2025 show that agents who work with digital-first, buyer-incentive platforms tend to close deals faster and with fewer buyer complaints in the under-40 segment.
Limitations and Buyer Advice
While Wahi scores well on most counts, buyers should be aware of a few realities:
- Cashback does not cover Quebec or all types of new builds, and eligibility is always noted for each listing
- Some parts of Canada, such as sparsely populated provinces, may have less agent coverage during the 2025 expansion
- French features and instant legal/insurance chat are coming, but not finished bythe end of July 2025
- Incentives only apply if the buyer closes their purchase with a Wahi-connected Realtor; off-platform sales or outside agents do not qualify
- Buyers still need to do their own checking when using price history or value estimates, and should confirm all grant rules match their situation before making an offer
Conclusion
Wahi leads the group of Canadian homebuying apps in 2025 by connecting full national listings, search that learns, chat, and booking for partners, agents, and document support, and a cashback reward in a single service. User stories point to practical time savings, fewer oversights, and significant cash benefits.
When combined with current government and bank programs, Wahi helps first-timers spend more time choosing a home and less on figuring out paperwork, price math, or closing logistics. The app is set to stay central to the way Canadians approach their first property.
For those beginning a search, matching Wahi’s features with their needs can bring both support and savings at a time when every dollar and decision matters.
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