Access your equity
No monthly payments. No interest rates.
Unlock up to $500,000 of the equity you’ve built while keeping full ownership of your home and enjoying it on your terms. A HESA gives you access to funds today, with a 10-year term and no monthly payments, in exchange for sharing in the future change in your home’s value when you decide to sell or exit.
A partner in the outcome, not a creditor
Your home represents years of hard work and financial growth. However, accessing the equity you've built often means taking on new debt, making monthly payments, or waiting until you sell your home.
A HESA is structured differently. HEQ invests alongside you as a partner in your home's future. If the value rises, HEQ participates in the gain. If it falls, HEQ shares in the loss. You access funds today while retaining full ownership of your home throughout the 10-year term.
Take the next step
Access your equity
Unlock a portion of the equity you have built and receive funds to use for what matters to you most — from paying down debt to making a major renovation or simply planning for the future.
Enjoy your home
Keep full ownership of your home and continue living in it on your terms. Your HESA has a 10-year term, giving you time to use the funds without monthly payments.
Settle when you sell or exit
When you sell your home or choose to exit the HESA, the agreement is settled based on the change in your home’s value. You repay the original amount you received, plus or minus HEQ’s share of the change in value.
Is a HESA right for you?
A HESA may be available to homeowners who meet a few straightforward requirements. Use our estimator to see if you meet the criteria below and get an initial indication of your eligibility.
Location
Greater Toronto AreaYour home must be located in the GTA
Occupancy
Primary residenceYour home must be where you live
Property type
Detached, semi-detached & townhomesHESAs are currently not available for condominiums
Loan-to-value
75% or lessYour mortgage and HESA advance must be 75% or less of your home's value
Minimum credit score
500+You must have a minimum credit score of 500
Funds available
$50K – $500KThe funds you may be eligible to access
Maximum advance
Up to 17.5%You can access up to 17.5% of your home's current value
Timeline
Long-term solutionA HESA is designed for homeowners who plan to stay in their home
Step by step: how the process works
Get your estimate
Start by entering your home's estimated value and your current mortgage balance into our calculator. You'll receive an instant estimate of the equity you may be able to tap into with a HESA.
A few basic requirements apply — see the eligibility criteria above.
Speak with our team
No application is required to have a conversation. A member of the HEQ team can walk you through how a HESA works in plain language, answer your questions, and help you understand whether it aligns with your needs and plans.
A HESA is designed for homeowners with a longer-term outlook. If you're considering selling in the near term, we'll explain how that may affect the agreement so you can make an informed decision. Our goal is to give you clear, straightforward information so you can decide whether a HESA is right for you.
Complete your application
Submit your application through our licensed third-party underwriting partner, Perch. Perch securely collects your documentation, performs an independent underwriting review, and, if approved, issues a commitment letter. As part of this process, Perch also assesses whether a HESA is suitable for your financial circumstances.
Independent appraisal
An independent third-party appraiser determines your home's current value. After applying the agreed risk adjustment, this becomes the starting point for measuring any future change in value under your HESA. This means the calculation is based on your home's current value, not the price you originally paid. The equity you've already built remains entirely yours from day one.
Legal review and agreement signing
When you're ready to move forward, you'll review and sign the final agreements. We require an independent lawyer to review the agreement with you to ensure you fully understand the terms before signing. We also encourage you to discuss the agreement with your financial advisor, family, or anyone else you trust.
Receive your funds
Once your agreement is complete, you receive access to the funds directly in your account. Most homeowners complete the process within 30 to 45 days, giving you the flexibility to use your equity to support the goals that matter most.
Clear costs. No surprises.
We believe transparency builds trust. HEQ charges a one-time 3.9% application fee based on the amount you access through your HESA. This fee covers the costs of creating your agreement and supports the required regulatory and underwriting process.
Homeowners are also responsible for appraisal and legal review costs.
What happens at exit?
Your HESA ends when you sell your home or choose to exit through a refinance within the 10-year term.
At that time, your home's current value is determined through a third-party appraisal (for a refinance) or the sale price of your home. We compare this value to the starting value of your agreement to calculate the change in your home's value.
You then repay the original amount provided by HEQ, plus or minus HEQ's share of the change in value of your home.
Understanding the terms
Security registration
HEQ registers a security interest on your property, similar to a traditional mortgage lender. The HESA can sit behind your existing first mortgage, while you remain the full owner of your home.
Long-term alignment
A HESA is designed for homeowners with a longer-term outlook. If you sell your home within the first three years, HEQ does not participate in any decrease in your home's value during that period.
Shared outcomes
HEQ participates in a decrease in your home’s value only if you sell your home. If you refinance and buy out HEQ, any decrease in value is not shared. If you experience a loss when you sell, we share in that loss too. That’s what it means to be partners in the outcome.
Is a HESA right for you?
Get a free estimate in two minutes, or speak with our team — no application required.