Newcomers see home ownership central to feeling established

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Edmonton realtor Aligul Arslan knows well when newcomers to Canada, choosing to live in Alberta’s capital, finally feel they belong.

“For a lot of newcomer families I worked with, homeownership is the moment they feel like they’ve made it.”

The realtor with eXp Realty works with many newcomers drawn to Edmonton for its combination of economic opportunity and affordable housing.

Arslan adds they account for about 20 per cent of clients. Most are first-time buyers, who often see a faster pathway to ownership in Edmonton compared with larger centres like Toronto and Vancouver that often draw most of Canada’s international migrants. His insight regarding how newcomers perceive ownership is reflected in a recent survey from Royal LePage.

The Royal LePage 2026 Canadian Newcomers Survey found that Alberta had the highest percentage of newcomers indicating that home ownership is important to a “sense of being established in Canada.”

Among Alberta respondents, 94 per cent indicate it is a key component to belonging, compared with the national average of 90 per cent.

“This shows that new Canadians believe in home ownership as a financial long-term investment,” says Anne-Elise Cugliari Allegritti, vice-president of research and communications at Royal LePage.

“This is important because it is how our country has always thrived, with newcomers being an important demographic for the housing market.”

The survey findings show 80 per cent of newcomers believe homeownership is a good financial investment, increasing to 82 per cent in Alberta.

Ontario and British Columbia had lower percentages, 79 and 78 per cent respectively.

Cugliari Allegritti suggests those lower percentages may result from higher housing prices in those markets.

In the Greater Vancouver Region, for example, the aggregate average home price — detached, townhomes and condominium apartments included — remains above $1.2 million, Greater Vancouver Realtors statistics show from September.

That is despite prices trending downward over the past three years, a decline driven in part by the federal government’s decision to reduce previously high immigration quotas, she notes.

The survey points to ongoing challenges to entering the market with 61 per cent of newcomers stating saving for a down payment is a barrier.

Securing stable employment represented a challenge for 50 per cent of respondents, and building credit history was cited as another obstacle among 27 per cent of surveyed newcomers.

“The desire is definitely there,” Arslan says, noting newcomers he works with face all the aforementioned challenges to ownership.

Yet often the issue is a lack of financial literacy and recognition that help is available for them to navigate these barriers to entry.

“Many newcomers don’t know, for example, that banks have dedicated mortgage programs for them.”

Arslan says he frequently encourages newcomers to meet with their financial institution to leverage initiatives designed to help them buy a home, including accessing mortgage insurance from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

Challenges aside, Edmonton newcomers still face a lower financial barrier.

The average price of a single-family detached home, for example, was about $570,000, about $290,000 for townhomes; and about $209,000 for apartment condominiums, Realtors Association of Edmonton statistics from September show.

Cugliari Allegritti further adds that the survey shows newcomers “overwhelmingly” perceive ownership as important despite the barriers.

“It is such an important part of what makes up the fabric of the Canadian dream.”