Research shows nearly half of buyers feel pressured by social media during property search
More than 45% of first-time buyers in the UK say they always or often feel pressure or influence from social media when looking for a property, according to new research published by Mojo Mortgages.
The Mojo Mortgages First-Time Buyer Sentiment Survey 2026 polled 1,000 active and recent first-time buyers across the UK. It found that platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have become central to how younger buyers approach the housing market, shaping both inspiration and anxiety in equal measure.
Researchers said the data point to a generation that is highly engaged online, using social media not only to browse properties but also to gauge affordability and track market movements.
According to the survey, 52% of first-time buyers browse properties on social media at least once a week as a form of “digital window shopping”, with the figure rising to 58% among those aged 25 to 34.
Three in four respondents (75%) said seeing peers or influencers celebrate buying a home triggered feelings of envy. Despite this, the survey found that such posts often prompt buyers to take action: 46% said they logged onto property apps immediately after seeing someone else’s “We Got the Keys” post on social media.
Half of all respondents said they used social media as a prompt to look up the price of a property they had seen on their feed. Women were more likely than men to do so regularly, with 19% saying they always checked a property’s value after seeing it online, compared with 14% of men.
The survey also found that 47% of buyers regularly recalculated their mortgage affordability in response to economic news, while 78% admitted to comparing their own budget with the “perfect” homes shown on social media.
Kayleigh Jackson, mortgage sales manager at Mojo Mortgages, said the platforms could distort buyers’ sense of what is realistic. “Social media is a fantastic tool for inspiration, design ideas, and celebrating major life milestones,” she said. “However, it creates a highly curated gallery that rarely reflects the compromise, grit, and financial realities it takes to get onto the property ladder.
“It's completely natural to experience 'house envy' when looking at flawless home tours, but it’s important to remember that every buyer's starting line is different, and many have unseen financial help behind the scenes.
“Instead of letting comparison dishearten you, use that digital energy as fuel. A mortgage advisor can take those aspirations and ground them in reality, looking at your specific financial situation to show you exactly what is achievable, safe, and genuinely affordable for you. You can absolutely achieve your property goals, independent of what an influencer is doing.”
Mojo Mortgages has issued guidance for buyers seeking to manage expectations while preparing to purchase a first home.
“There is no need to compare your journey to others or feel discouraged; buying your first home should be an exciting milestone,” Jackson said. “Social media rarely shows the years of sacrifice it took to get there, or the financial assistance received behind the scenes.”
The firm advised buyers to limit exposure to accounts that prompt unfavourable comparisons, and to mute or unfollow them where necessary. It recommended that buyers focus on their own finances and savings targets rather than measuring progress against others, including by applying filters on property portals to avoid browsing homes beyond their budget.
Buyers were also encouraged to separate essential requirements, such as location and number of bedrooms, from preferences that could be addressed later, such as kitchen design, in order to enter the market sooner. The firm further advised buyers to budget for costs beyond the deposit, including survey fees, solicitor charges, mortgage broker fees, removal costs and initial buildings insurance.
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