Canadian real estate platform Zown is expanding its cash-back model to renters with the launch of an all-in-one app designed to support users from renting and saving through to buying a home.
Available free across Canada, the app allows eligible renters to earn Zown rewards equal to 8% of their monthly rent. Those rewards can later be applied toward a home purchased through the platform.
Users upload their lease agreement and provide proof of payment each month while continuing to pay their landlord through their existing method. The rewards build on Zown’s commission-sharing model, which gives eligible homebuyers up to $25,000 back at closing.
“Homeownership is something many young Canadians want, but saving for it has become increasingly difficult when so much of their income is already going toward rent,” said Zown founder and CEO Rishard Rameez.
“We believe the years you spend renting should help move you forward. Our goal is to give renters a way to start building toward homeownership long before they’re ready to buy.”
The Toronto-based company says more than 65,000 people in its community are currently renting and hope to purchase a home, while over 2,000 Canadians joined the app’s waitlist ahead of its launch.
The expansion comes as affordability challenges continue to complicate the path to homeownership. A 2025 survey commissioned by Zown and conducted in partnership with the Angus Reid Institute found that 84% of Gen Z respondents and 69% of Millennials still considered owning a home a lifetime goal.
When prospective buyers were asked what form of support would make the biggest difference, 42% selected a cash-back-style incentive.
Beyond renter rewards, Zown is positioning the app as an end-to-end homebuying platform. Its AI real estate agent can help users search for properties, access market analysis, book showings and prepare offers from their phones.
Licensed Zown REALTORS review and complete showings and transactions, combining the platform’s automated tools with professional oversight. After closing, buyers can also use the app to find mortgage, legal, insurance, moving, inspection and home-maintenance services.
Founded in 2022, Zown says it has helped approximately 1,000 buyers complete more than $500 million in real estate transactions and returned over $7 million to buyers through cash-back incentives.
The company is aiming to help 10,000 young Canadians purchase a home by 2028.
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