The 7 Best Real Estate Apps for Finding Homes Under $300K

Last Updated: February 8, 2026 by Michael Kahn. Published: February 8, 2026.

The national average home price in Canada hit $673,335 in December 2025, according to data from the Canadian Real Estate Association. That number sits more than double the $300,000 mark, which tells you something about how far a budget-conscious buyer has to stretch and how carefully they need to search.

But homes under $300K do exist. They show up in Saint John, where detached houses list between $129,000 and $269,000. They show up in Brandon, Manitoba, in parts of Saskatchewan, and in smaller Ontario communities like Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The trick is knowing where to look and having the right tools loaded on your phone when a listing drops.

Pent-up demand from first-time buyers is expected to push activity higher in 2026, and the Bank of Canada signalled in late October 2025 that rates were likely about as good as they were going to get. That combination of slightly lower prices in select markets and cheaper mortgages could make 2026 one of the more favourable years for buyers on a tight budget. The 7 apps below each handle the search differently, and the best pick depends on where you are buying, how much data you want, and how hands-on you prefer to be.

App	Coverage	Sold Data	Free to Use	Best For
Wahi	ON, AB, BC, SK, NS, NB	20+ years	Yes	Budget buyers who want cashback and deep data
HouseSigma	ON (primary), BC, AB	Back to 2003 (GTA)	Yes	Data-heavy research in Ontario
Realtor.ca	All provinces	Limited	Yes	Broadest national coverage
Zolo	Most of Canada (not QC or Winnipeg)	Yes	Yes	Frequent listing refreshes and lifestyle data
Zoocasa	Canada + 30 U.S. states	Yes	Yes	AI-powered home valuations
Redfin Canada	Primarily Toronto and Vancouver	Yes	Yes	Tech-forward search tools
Zillow Canada	Limited Canadian coverage	Partial	Yes	Casual browsing and early-stage searching

1. Wahi: Cashback That Puts Money Back in Your Pocket

Wahi gives buyers access to all MLS listings and more across Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. The app pairs that search coverage with personalized property recommendations, real-time pricing trends, and historical sold data going back more than 20 years.

Wahi’s mortgage calculator goes beyond the basic monthly payment estimate. It factors in property taxes, condo fees, utilities, and maintenance costs so you can see what you will actually pay each month. The app also tracks school boundaries for public, Catholic, and French immersion programs, which matters to families narrowing down neighbourhoods.

A co-buyer feature lets partners share, match, and chat about listings together inside the app, then book showings as a team. Market data tools show median sold prices, days of inventory, and sold price distribution for any neighbourhood of interest. Wahi also matches buyers with a Realtor based on years of performance data, backed by a Perfect Match Guarantee. The app won Canadian Business Awards for Best Real Estate Innovator in both 2023 and 2024, and it runs on iOS, Android, and web.

2. HouseSigma: Deep Analytics for the Data-Driven Buyer

HouseSigma has built a strong following in the Greater Toronto Area and has expanded into British Columbia and Alberta. The platform says it serves 1.5 million Canadians and provides what it describes as the most complete data in the country for real estate decisions.

Search history in the GTA and Greater Vancouver goes back to 2003, with Ottawa and other Ontario areas reaching back to 2018 and Alberta data starting from 2020. The app uses machine learning technology to generate property value estimates and market projections, which gives buyers a data-backed second opinion on asking prices.

Advanced filtering lets you sort by price, size, number of rooms, and location. Price alerts and custom notifications keep you informed when a property drops in price or when a new listing appears in your target area. The app is free to download and use.

One limitation for budget buyers: HouseSigma’s strongest coverage remains in Ontario. Smaller markets across Atlantic Canada and the Prairies, where many sub-$300K homes are listed, receive less attention on this platform.

3. Realtor.ca: The Widest Net You Can Cast

Realtor.ca pulls MLS feeds from every real estate board and association in the country. No other app matches that breadth. For buyers searching across multiple provinces, particularly in affordable markets like New Brunswick, Manitoba, or Northern Ontario, this is the single most comprehensive source available.

Search filters cover price, bedrooms, bathrooms, property type, and open houses. Neighbourhood insights include local demographics, commute times, nearby schools, parks, and amenities. A built-in mortgage calculator helps estimate what you can afford.

Recent updates brought improved map performance, public transit route overlays, and an in-app note-taking function. As of January 2025, Realtor.ca transitioned into a taxable, for-profit subsidiary of the Canadian Real Estate Association, giving the platform more room to invest in new features and data services.

According to Loans Canada, Realtor.ca holds ratings of 4.3 with 45,099 reviews on iOS and 3.5 with 7,320 reviews on Google Play. The app is free for property searching.

4. Zolo: Listings Refreshed Every 15 Minutes

Zolo is powered by local MLS listings and covers more than 150,000 homes for sale across Canada, with the platform reporting over 6 million monthly users. Listing data refreshes every 15 minutes, which matters in competitive sub-$300K markets where properties can move fast.

Buyers can filter by property type, price range, beds, baths, and size. The app also surfaces lifestyle data, including nearby restaurants, parks, gyms, and schools alongside real-time market trends like average price, growth, days listed, and inventory levels. A mortgage payment calculator is built in.

Market insight tools show you if a specific city or neighbourhood favours buyers or sellers. You can track a property’s price over time and set custom alerts for new listings, price drops, or recently sold homes. Zolo has Realtors and full MLS listings for Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Victoria, and many other cities.

The app is currently unavailable in Quebec and Winnipeg. According to Loans Canada, Zolo has ratings of 4.1 with 113 reviews on iOS and 4.3 with 4,480 reviews on Google Play.

5. Zoocasa: AI-Powered Valuations for Smarter Offers

Zoocasa provides listings, insights, and sold data across Canada and over 30 American states. The platform offers access to more than 100,000 listings along with price history and intelligent appraisal tools.

The Zoopraisal Home Estimate tool uses algorithms and local market data to determine a property’s value and estimate how quickly it will sell. For budget buyers trying to figure out if a sub-$300K listing is priced fairly, that kind of second opinion adds real value to the research process. Sold data lets you view historical listings and see how a home has changed over time.

An agent-matching service pairs buyers with vetted real estate professionals based on specific preferences. Once matched, you can chat with agents, book property tours, and request detailed reports without leaving the app. Zoocasa is a wholly owned subsidiary of eXp Realty.

Coverage in Quebec is less comprehensive compared to other provinces. The app is free to download on iOS and Android.

6. Redfin Canada: Real-Time Alerts in Under 5 Minutes

Redfin brings a tech-forward approach to the Canadian market, with real-time updates, integrated market research, and transparent commission structures. The platform notifies users within 5 minutes when a home matching their saved search criteria hits the market, which gives budget buyers a head start on competitive listings.

A draw-your-own search boundary feature lets you define exact areas on the map rather than relying on pre-set neighbourhood limits. You can search by school, calculate mortgage payments alongside property tax and insurance estimates directly within search results, and check commute times from a given property.

For sellers, Redfin launched with a 1% listing fee in Toronto. Browsing is free, with standard brokerage fees applying only at the transaction stage.

The main limitation is geographic. Full brokerage services in Canada are concentrated in the Toronto and Vancouver markets. Buyers searching sub-$300K homes in Atlantic Canada or the Prairies can browse listings on the app, but agent services in those areas may be limited.

7. Zillow Canada: A Familiar Interface With Some Gaps

Zillow brings its well-known U.S. platform to the Canadian market, though with notable limitations. The app does not feature full MLS access like some Canadian-focused competitors, but it delivers a smooth, map-based search with detailed property listings and high-quality photos.

Some listings include price history and tax data. The Zestimate tool provides estimated home values in select regions, though coverage is not as wide as it is in the United States. Listing inventory in smaller Canadian markets can be limited or outdated, so the app works best for casual browsing or early-stage research rather than serious offer preparation.

Users give the app an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 and praise its intuitive design. Buyers who are also considering properties in the U.S. will find Zillow’s cross-border coverage convenient, but for focused sub-$300K searches in Canadian markets, a domestically built app will serve you better.

How to Get the Most Out of These Apps

Start by figuring out what you can actually afford. That calculation involves your income, debts, and credit score. Once you have a maximum mortgage number, plug it into any of these apps and let the filters do the work.

Pairing a national-coverage app like Realtor.ca with a data-rich platform like Wahi or HouseSigma gives you both breadth of listings and depth of pricing intelligence. Set up price-drop alerts and new listing notifications across more than 1 app so you catch sub-$300K opportunities as soon as they appear.

All 7 apps covered here are free to download and use for property searching. Costs only come into play at the transaction stage through agent commissions or brokerage fees. With housing affordability forecast to improve to its best level in several years during 2026, budget-conscious buyers in Canada have good reason to start loading up these tools now.