First Home Buyer Mortgage Broker Sydney
More guidance. Less stress. Zero broker fees. Buying your first home is a monumental step, and as Sydney's award-winning first home buyer mortgage broker, AFMS Group handles the home loan stress so you can focus on the exciting milestone.
No cost to you · No obligation · Seven days, 8am to 8pm
We know the home loan process can be challenging, with many lenders and loan structures to choose from, overwhelming paperwork to get right, and expensive deposits to save for. Whether you're just starting to save or ready to make an offer, our expert Sydney mortgage brokers, led by principal Andrew Hadjidemetri, take the time to understand your financial goals and homeownership dreams. We simplify the process by comparing 30+ lenders, explaining your options in plain English, and helping you access eligible government grants and schemes that could save you thousands.
From your first question to settlement day, we're here to guide you home. All at no cost to you.
Book a ConsultationWhat's Included in AFMS Group's First Home Buyer Service
- A free, no-obligation first home buyer consultation to map your goals, timeline, and budget
- A borrowing capacity assessment so you know your realistic price range before you start looking
- An eligibility check across every government grant and scheme, plus help applying and combining them
- A deposit strategy built for Sydney prices: 5% vs 20%, LMI options, and guarantor structuring
- Comparison of 30+ lenders to find first-home friendly products and low-deposit appetite
- Fast pre-approval so you can make offers and bid at auction with confidence
- All the paperwork prepared, packaged, and submitted for you
- Support through to settlement and beyond, including annual reviews and proactive rate checks
What Does a First Home Buyer Mortgage Broker Do?
A first home buyer mortgage broker guides you through buying your first property from start to finish. On top of comparing 30+ lenders for first-home friendly loans and managing the whole application for you, they work out how much you can borrow and the deposit you really need, identify the government grants and schemes you qualify for (and how they can be combined), and handle everything from pre-approval through to settlement, explained in plain English at every step.
Our first home loan brokers charge zero consultation fees for this service. Instead, we make money on commissions from the lender. For a closer look at the role, read our guide on what a mortgage broker does, or see how pre-approval fits into your buying journey.
Which First Home Buyer Schemes Could You Use?
Answer six quick questions for an instant indication of the grants and schemes worth exploring for your first home. It's a guide only; we confirm your actual eligibility, and how the schemes stack, in a free consultation.
Select an answer to all six questions for your instant indication.
Who Qualifies as a First Home Buyer?
In general, a first home buyer is defined as an individual or couple who has never owned or co-owned a property in Australia before. Most first home buyer schemes and exemptions share a common criterion. You (and usually your partner) must:
- Be 18 years or over
- Be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia
- Be an individual, not a company or trust (this can be waived in some circumstances, such as a legal guardian trustee)
- Not have owned or co-owned a property in Australia before
- Intend to live in the home as an owner-occupier (the minimum residence period varies)
- Meet each scheme's extra rules, such as property value caps or income limits, which are subject to change through new legislation
First home buyer schemes in Sydney make property ownership more achievable, but the eligibility criteria and application process are still complex. When you have AFMS Group's mortgage brokers on your side, we keep up to date with all schemes and guide you through the ones you qualify for.
First Home Buyer Grants and Schemes in NSW
The New South Wales government schemes may make it easier or more affordable to buy your first property or land. Although each scheme has the same overall purpose, they differ in eligibility and how they award you the grant, concession, or exemption. For the full walkthrough, read our first home buyers guide.
| Scheme | What You Get | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| NSW First Home Owner Grant (New Homes) | A non-taxable lump sum you can put towards the property purchase | For brand-new homes or new builds only, meaning no one has lived in it before. Administered by Revenue NSW. |
| First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme (Stamp Duty) | A full stamp duty exemption, or a reduced rate | Often the single largest saving, depending on your eligibility and the property value. See our guide to stamp duty in NSW and estimate your bill with our stamp duty calculator. |
| First Home Guarantee (5% Deposit Scheme) | Buy with as little as a 5% deposit and pay no lenders mortgage insurance | Housing Australia guarantees part of the loan, so lenders don't add LMI. Available through participating lenders. Read our First Home Guarantee scheme guide. |
| First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS) | Withdraw voluntary super contributions to grow your deposit faster | Voluntary contributions only, not employer contributions. Rules and limits are set by the ATO. See our guide on using your super to buy a home. |
| Help to Buy | Co-purchase a share of your home with the Government and put down as little as 2% | You don't pay rent on the Government's share, and you can buy back the equity over time. |
| Family Home Guarantee | Buy with as little as a 2% deposit and no LMI | For single-parent or legal guardian households with at least one dependent child at home. |
Can You Combine These Schemes?
A common misconception is that you can't combine schemes and stack up savings. We've helped hundreds of first home buyers save thousands by mapping the optimal stack for their eligibility and financial situation.
Some schemes are mutually exclusive, but some may be combined for one property. One of the most common combinations we see is the NSW First Home Owner Grant and a stamp duty concession or exemption. When buying a new build, this combination can reduce both the upfront cash needed and the loan size. In general, you may be able to combine the following schemes:
| Scheme | FHOG (New Homes) | Stamp Duty (FHBAS) | First Home Guarantee | FHSS | Help to Buy | Family Home Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW First Home Owner Grant (New Homes) | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme (stamp duty) | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| First Home Guarantee | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | Usually yes, subject to lender and program rules | No, if you're eligible for the Family Home Guarantee instead |
| First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS) | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes |
| Help to Buy | Yes | Yes | Usually yes, subject to eligibility and lender and program rules | Yes | N/A | No, these are separate schemes |
| Family Home Guarantee | Yes | Yes | No, if using the Family Home Guarantee | Yes | No, these are separate schemes | N/A |
How Much Deposit Do You Really Need in Sydney?
As Sydney house prices rise, it can take longer to save a first home buyer deposit and get onto the property ladder. Even though a 20% deposit can reduce the loan amount and avoid lenders mortgage insurance, property prices may rise while buyers are still saving. AFMS Group brokers weigh up the benefits of a 20% deposit against market growth to help first home buyers decide whether a lower deposit may be the better long-term option.
5% vs 20% Deposit, and What That Means at Sydney Prices
A 20% deposit may reduce the loan size and usually avoids LMI, but it may not automatically be the best long-term choice if the market moves faster than you can save. Open Agent reported in April 2026 that property prices rose 4.2% over 12 months, which has a knock-on effect on the deposit amount you need to save.
Real-life example: Imagine a first home buyer looking at a $780,000 property in Sydney. With a 20% deposit, they would need to save $156,000 before buying. If it takes them five years to get there and the property rises by 5% a year, that home could be worth about $996,000 by the time they are ready, meaning the 20% deposit target has grown to almost $199,000.
Now compare that with a buyer who purchased the same home earlier using a 5% deposit under a government scheme. They only needed $39,000 to get in, and over those same five years, the property may have grown by more than $216,000 in value. Instead of chasing a bigger deposit while prices rose, they were already in the market and benefiting from that growth.
This is an illustrative example only and does not constitute financial advice.
AFMS Group brokers go beyond simply calculating how much deposit you need to buy a house; we calculate the balance between deposit efficiency and market exposure. Map your own savings timeline with our savings goal calculator.
What Is Lenders Mortgage Insurance, and Can You Avoid It?
Lenders mortgage insurance is a premium usually charged when a borrower's deposit is below 20%. It protects the lender if the loan goes into default. LMI is calculated on a sliding scale and can vary depending on the lender, insurer, loan amount, property value, and deposit size. While it is often around 1% to 5% of the loan amount, the cost can be higher in some cases.
First home buyers with less than a 20% deposit may be able to avoid LMI through the First Home Guarantee, a parental guarantor arrangement, or certain lender-specific LMI waivers. Read our full guide on how LMI works on a Sydney home loan.
Using a Guarantor (the Bank of Mum and Dad)
A guarantor home loan lets a family member, often a parent, use equity in their property as additional security for part of your home loan. This can help you buy sooner with a smaller deposit and may also help you avoid LMI if the lender considers the guarantee sufficient security.
There are risks involved, as the guarantor may be responsible for the guaranteed portion of the loan if you default. A common way to reduce that exposure is a limited guarantee, where the guarantor only secures the shortfall needed to reach the lender's required security level rather than the entire loan. This can make the arrangement narrower and may help when planning for a future guarantor release, subject to the lender's approval.
AFMS Group specialises in careful loan structuring and can help families clarify responsibilities for a guarantor loan, including planning for a potential guarantor release once sufficient equity has been built and lender requirements are met.
Not sure which deposit path suits you? Talk it through with a broker, at no cost to you.
Book a ConsultationHow Much Can You Borrow as a First Home Buyer?
A first home buyer's borrowing capacity is typically capped at 90 to 95% of a property's market value. The exact amount depends on your income, living expenses, existing debts and credit history, and deposit amount.
Capacity varies widely between lenders, and interest-rate serviceability buffers may apply. Our expert brokers help you calculate repayments and source a lender that has the appetite for your first home loan.
Book a free 15-minute discovery call to get a realistic estimate of how much you can borrow.
Book a Discovery CallHome Loan Options for First Home Buyers
There are a few first home buyer loan options to weigh up, and we can help you on this journey.
Variable-Rate Loan
A variable-rate loan moves with the market and can increase or decrease over time. These loans offer the most flexibility to make extra repayments, open an offset account, or switch lenders.
Fixed-Rate Loan
A fixed-rate loan may suit those with a tighter budget, as it can lock in an exact repayment amount for a certain period of time, giving you certainty while you settle into homeownership.
Split Loan
Split loans help you balance certainty with flexibility, fixing part of the loan and leaving the rest variable. They may offer a practical middle ground for first home buyers who need both.
The Upfront Costs of Buying Your First Home, and Are Brokers Free?
We see many first home buyers focus solely on the deposit they need to save and often overlook the other costs. We help you plan for these costs so there are no surprises:
- Stamp duty, if you're not eligible for the full exemption
- Lenders mortgage insurance, if applicable
- Conveyancing fees, sometimes required by a lender
- Building and pest inspections, sometimes mandated by a lender
- Moving costs
- A buffer fund to prepare for any unexpected costs
AFMS Group has zero broker fee charges, so you can gain expert advice and loan application management completely free. We make money from the partnerships we have with our lender panel. Under our Best Interests Duty and our company values, we act in the borrower's best interest when choosing a lender and negotiating rates.
Your First Home Journey, Step by Step
- Step 01
Free 15-Minute Discovery Call
We'll discuss your situation, goals, and timeline. No documents are needed at this stage, just a conversation to understand what you're trying to achieve.
- Step 02
Assessment
We'll assess your financial position, property details, and loan types.
- Step 03
Lender Selection
We'll assess which lenders have a suitable appetite and expertise for your first home loan.
- Step 04
Package and Submit
We'll help to handle the preparation, documentation, and submission as efficiently as possible.
- Step 05
Approval to Settlement
We're renowned for fast pre-approvals, so you can get moving on the property. We then manage lender questions through to settlement.
Why Use a Broker Instead of Going Straight to Your Bank?
A bank can only offer its own products, which limits your options if your situation does not fit its lending policy. If a bank says no, that may be the end of the road with that lender. A broker, by contrast, can compare a wide panel of lenders, including banks, non-banks, and specialist lenders, to find a loan that better suits your circumstances.
| Going Straight to Your Bank | Using AFMS Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Loan options | The bank's own products only | A panel of 30+ lenders, including banks, non-banks, and specialist lenders |
| If your application doesn't fit policy | A no may be the end of the road with that lender | We find a lender with the right appetite for your situation |
| Rates | Advertised rates | We can help negotiate rates on your behalf |
| Government schemes | You research and apply yourself | We identify eligible schemes and assist with applications |
| Cost to you | Free | Free; we're paid by the lender, under Best Interests Duty |
Brokers can also guide you through changing market conditions. For the full comparison, read our guide: mortgage broker vs bank.
Why Sydney First Home Buyers Choose AFMS Group
Award-Winning, Director-Led Advice
Our personalised approach and extensive financial experience are why we were named in the Top 10 Mortgage Brokers in Australia (MPA 2025) and won the MFAA Customer Service Award in 2025. Our principal director, Andrew Hadjidemetri, oversees every loan structure, and AFMS Group has settled more than $1 billion in home loans for clients.
Access to 30+ Lenders
We help you get it right the first time. With deep knowledge of our 30+ lenders' serviceability caps, appetite, and products, we can help you find the lenders that suit lower deposits or government schemes.
800+ Five-Star Reviews
We're proud to have helped hundreds of Sydney buyers achieve their property dreams. With more than 800 five-star reviews, our service is built on personalised support, professionalism, and the trust that comes with being ASIC licensed and MFAA members.
No Cost to You, Extended Hours
With extended hours from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and weekends by appointment, we work around your busy schedule. Gain expert advice from an experienced mortgage broker with zero fees.
First Home Buyers Across Sydney
We're located in the heart of the Sydney CBD and know this market inside and out. Our principal director, Andrew Hadjidemetri, has personally built an investment property portfolio across Sydney and brings that suburb-by-suburb knowledge to every client's mortgage process.
Whether you're chasing affordability in the West and South West, a first apartment in the Eastern Suburbs, or a coastal dream on the beaches, our brokers are available for in-person appointments, Zoom calls, or phone calls Monday to Friday. We help first home buyers right across Sydney, including the Eastern Suburbs (Coogee and Randwick), the North Shore and Northern Beaches (Chatswood and Manly), and Greater Western Sydney (Parramatta and Penrith).
What Our Clients Say
Ready to Buy Your First Home?
Start with a free 15-minute discovery call. No documents, no obligation, and no cost to you, just a clear picture of what you can borrow and which schemes you could use.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Deposit Do I Need to Buy My First Home in NSW?
Single-parent households may be able to buy with as little as a 2% deposit under the Family Home Guarantee, while eligible first home buyers who are not single parents may be able to buy with as little as a 5% deposit under the First Home Guarantee and other applicable government schemes.
Is a Mortgage Broker Free for First Home Buyers?
Yes, AFMS Group brokers are completely free for first home buyers. We make money from commissions from our lender panel while complying with the Best Interests Duty legislation.
Can I Buy My First Home With a 5% Deposit?
Yes, eligible first home buyers may be able to buy with as little as a 5% deposit under the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme. The scheme is available through participating lenders and includes uncapped places, no income caps, and no LMI for eligible buyers, subject to property price caps and other eligibility criteria.
Do First Home Buyers Pay Stamp Duty in NSW?
Many first home buyers in NSW can pay zero stamp duty, depending on the property value and eligibility for the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme.
Can I Use My Super to Buy My First Home?
Yes, you can buy your first home under the First Home Super Saver scheme. The initiative only lets you withdraw the voluntary contributions you make, not your employer contributions. It may help you save a deposit in a shorter time period.
Do I Need Pre-Approval Before I Start House Hunting?
No, you don't need pre-approval to start house hunting and attending open houses. However, we strongly recommend you have pre-approval before bidding or formally placing an offer.
The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute advice for your financial situation. Information relating to Government scheme legislation is general in nature, and eligibility criteria and rules may change; confirm current eligibility with the relevant authority. Speak to a licensed mortgage broker for advice tailored to your circumstances. AFMS Group provides credit assistance only. Australian Credit Licence 389087, Credit Representative 523450. MFAA member.