Speed matters more than aggressive terms in most cases. A buyer who can view a new listing within a day or two of it hitting the market, with financing already sorted, competes better than one offering a slightly higher price but needing a week to arrange a pre-approval.
Programs built for first-time buyers, the Home Buyers' Plan, a First Home Savings Account and the federal First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit, are worth arranging before the search starts rather than during a live offer, since paperwork delays cost time you do not have in a tight market.
A REALTOR® who tracks new listings closely and can move fast on a showing is often the difference between winning a home and losing it to someone who saw it first.
Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.