Montreal financial advisor launches OWNI: solution to barriers many face when purchasing real estate
Posted July 8, 2026 5:32 pm.
For a growing number of buyers, owning a home alone just isn’t realistic anymore. One Montreal entrepreneur built OWNI; a platform to match people who want to buy together.
Lin Sok is the founder of OWNI, and she explains what led her to create this company.
“People have a real block when it comes to buying real estate, so they want to buy it. They do all the right things, but then when it comes to taking action, the process is so overwhelming,” said Sok.
“There’s definitely a trend in co-buying, mainly because real estate prices have gone up for a while, for at least the last 10, 15 years. It’s the most affordable way to get into the real estate market.”
Adding, “Right now, who we’re targeting are people who are interested in buying the smaller plexuses. So the duplex, triplex, fourplex, there’s a big demand for that, except that people tend to, they tend to not be able to qualify by themselves, but there’s interest there, mainly because they’ve seen their parents do it.”
While it started off being the Tinder of co-buying, Sok says, it was cute and fun, “and we’ve graduated from it.”
Sok started collaborations with realtors branded as Open House by Owni Connect, and she says, “the goal of these open houses is to attract people who wouldn’t normally visit a triplex. And even if you’re not ready today, well what do you need to do in order to get ready tomorrow?”
She explains, “Not everybody has a mother, brother, uncle, friend who’s willing to partner with them in order to buy real estate. But if we don’t do it as the average people, then who’s going to be left to buy the residential and the commercial real estate out there? That’s what’s really driving up the cost and the value of property.”
Sok continues, “People who own 100 doors (rentals), they’re established, and they ask, well, what’s it to me? If you own a business and you can’t get anybody to come in to work for you because nobody lives in the area, that’s a problem. If you’re a real estate investor and you own X amount of doors, eventually you’ll need to sell. Well, who’s going to be left to buy your properties and at what cost? Real estate is the foundation of every economy, and that’s why we should care. We should care. It’s cyclical. So even if the problem doesn’t affect you directly, 100 per cent affects you indirectly.”
Sok believes in her messaging. She is confident in the solution her app brings to the struggle of owning real estate. She says, “How are we going to solve this and why are we going to be the ones to dominate globally?”
An important tip she offers: “Get a legal agreement in place. Everybody’s happy when things work out, but then what happens when there’s a disagreement, or somebody wants out?
“Any type of investment requires planning ahead of time. It doesn’t happen overnight. So the more you know, the better you could plan, and the earlier you start, the better, because real estate is just going to go up.”
