Cottage and recreational property leads
Buyers of cottages, cabins and second homes, delivered to you alone.
Cottage mortgage leads are people buying a second home or recreational property: a lake cottage in the Kawarthas, a cabin in the Okanagan, a place on the water in Nova Scotia. The mortgage depends heavily on the property, not just the buyer, so a broker who knows where each type fits has an edge over a bank branch. Our campaigns run under one broker's name, and every inquiry is exclusive to you.
- Cottage, cabin and second home buyers
- Property type matters, and we treat it that way
- Exclusive and never resold
Cottage mortgage leads, in 41 seconds
Which cottages fit an insurer program and which need another lender, and what you confirm on the first call.
Which cottages fit a bank, and which need another lender
Insurers draw the line by the property: access, heat, foundation and water. Here is how the common types usually sort. Check the current guidelines on any file, because they change.
Winterized, year-round road
Fit: Insurer-friendly
Fits the second home programs at CMHC, Sagen (Type A) and Canada Guaranty, if heat, foundation and water also meet each insurer's rules.
Island, bridge or ferry access
Fit: Depends on the insurer
CMHC accepts island homes reached by bridge or ferry. Canada Guaranty excludes island properties without bridge access.
Seasonal road, not ploughed
Fit: Sagen Type B only
Sagen accepts seasonal road access at 90% of value. CMHC and Canada Guaranty require year-round access.
Water access only
Fit: Sagen Type B only
Sagen says boat-access properties may qualify. Other insurers do not list them, so expect a different lender.
Not winterized, seasonal access
Fit: Usually a different lender
Canada Guaranty lists non-winterized homes with seasonal access as ineligible. Sagen Type B is the insured route.
Rental pool, fractional, timeshare
Fit: Usually a different lender
Canada Guaranty lists these as ineligible, and CMHC second home insurance is for owner-occupied homes.
That sorting applies to insured files, with less than 20% down. A buyer with 20% or more can go to lenders with their own policies, which vary.
What the form captures and what to be careful about
The form asks for name, phone, email, province and city, how much they have saved and when they want to buy. The property type is what you pin down on the first call: access, heat, water and whether they plan to rent it out, because each moves the file to a different lender.
Down payment rules differ too. Sagen allows a non-repayable gift from a related person on a Type A home but requires the buyer's own resources for Type B. Sagen also accepts home equity as a source, which links these buyers to HELOC leads. The buying conversation itself is the same as purchase leads.
Never promise an approval, a rate or that a property will qualify. Put your brokerage name and licence details on the ad where your province requires it.
Get them through a managed Facebook campaign or pay per lead. Built by Amplify Leads, month to month with no long contracts.
Questions brokers ask us
What is the difference between Type A and Type B?
These are Sagen labels. A Type A secondary home has year-round road access, a permanent heat source, a permanent foundation and drinkable water. A Type B vacation home can have seasonal access, no permanent heat and a floating foundation, but it needs running water. Type B is limited to 90% of value, so at least 10% down, and the down payment has to come from the buyer's own resources.
Can a cottage be bought with less than 20% down?
Sometimes. CMHC, Sagen and Canada Guaranty each insure second homes that meet their rules, which generally means year-round access and a winterized property. Sagen also insures seasonal vacation homes at 90% of value. Anything outside those rules usually needs a lender with its own policy.
Do insurers allow a rental property or a rental pool?
Not under the second home programs. CMHC requires the home to be intended for owner occupancy, and Canada Guaranty lists rental properties, rental pools, timeshares and fractional ownership as ineligible. A cottage the buyer plans to rent out is a different file.
Why do cottage buyers need a broker?
Because two properties that look the same in a listing can sit in different lender categories. Water access, a road that is not ploughed, a lake property without a winterized system: each can move the file from a bank to a different lender. A broker who knows where each one goes saves the buyer a decline.
Which channel works for cottage leads?
Facebook and Instagram reach buyers while they are still browsing listings in cottage country, and Google catches those already searching for a cottage mortgage. Mortgage ads need a Special Ad Category on Meta, so the message does the targeting.
See what a campaign would look like in your market
A free 30-minute call. We look at your province, your products and what is already working, and map out what we would build. If it is not a fit, you will hear that too.