Pre-approval is what makes speed possible. CMHC guidelines generally look for roughly 39 percent of gross income on housing costs and 44 percent on total debt, and a buyer who has already cleared those ratios with a lender can make a firm offer while a slower buyer is still waiting on paperwork.
The other half is condition strategy. A $400 to $600 home inspection completed quickly, or a pre-offer walk-through with someone who knows what to look for, lets a buyer trim a lengthy condition period without buying blind, which is often the difference in a multiple-offer situation.
Joel Dyck structures offers this way for Saskatoon buyers, competitive but not reckless. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.