Employers add homebuying help to compete for workers

Petee, 42, said she had thought homeownership was out of reach in San Francisco. The coaching helped the couple understand the local market and find a home, she said. Nestment offers guidance from a personal coach as well as AI tools to help first-time buyers plan a purchase.

Employers have long used healthcare, retirement plans and student-loan assistance to attract and retain staff. Now, as homeownership becomes harder to afford, some are adding housing-related benefits. Nestment founder Niles Lichtenstein said he started the company in 2021 to educate first-time buyers. After customers asked to bring its services into their workplaces, the company launched an employer benefit in early 2026.

Another program, NestSteps, was launched in 2025 by Larry Salazar and his wife, Cheri, to help employees manage the financial strain of buying a home. Salazar said his own attempt to enter Southern California’s housing market in 2000, while working for Boeing, left him overwhelmed; he eventually bought after moving to a more affordable market.

Some employers offer direct financial support. Twitch partnered with Denver-based Multiply Mortgage to provide mortgage-rate discounts. BNY said earlier this year that US employees earning less than $100,000 could receive $6,500 toward a down payment, along with education and mortgage benefits.

Brooks Holtom, a management professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, said such benefits could spread as companies seek to attract and retain workers. He pointed to Mercy Hospital in Miami, which in 2008 offered nurses $10,000 toward a down payment in exchange for a five-year commitment. When one company’s benefit gains traction, competitors may follow, Holtom said, particularly in industries where talent is scarce.