Service Design
First-time home buyers
Canadian first-time home buyers are navigating one of the most challenging housing markets in the last few decades. With limited affordable homes, a high cost of living, and home prices that continue to climb the path to homeownership has become increasingly out of reach for many.
Considering the rapidly evolving housing market, this organization asked Grayce to identify key opportunities at the intersection of housing and the needs of first-time home buyers.
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A Glimpse of the Process
Through exploration and research, Grayce set out to uncover emerging trends, pain points, and possible solutions to better support first-time home buyers. The research process included:
Stakeholder research to understand the systemic constraints and current solutions available to first-time buyers.
Phone interviews with prospective and recent first-time home buyers to capture a wide range of lived experiences, including regional differences, financial barriers, and emotional drivers that shape the home-buying journey.
Thematic analysis of interview data to uncover recurring needs and patterns, including trust in financial institutions, transparency in processes, and desire for holistic guidance.
Empathy mapping exercises to synthesize insights from interviews and articulate what first-time buyers are thinking, feeling, saying, and doing at key stages of the decision-making process.
Journey mapping to visualize the complete experience of attempting to buy a home—from initial aspiration and financial planning to post-purchase transition.
Environmental scan of tools, services, and educational resources targeting this demographic, in order to identify gaps and areas for innovation.
This approach allowed Grayce to develop a rich, empathetic understanding of the challenges faced by Canadian first-time home buyers, while identifying meaningful pathways to support more inclusive and accessible housing futures.
