The common assumption is that first-home buyers are “priced out” and passive. But Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee (pictured) says the data tells a different story.
“The prevailing narrative about first-home buyers suggests they're simply ‘priced out’ of the market, but our analysis reveals a different story,” Conisbee said. “While coverage typically focuses on affordability challenges, young Australians are being strategic, informed, and actively building their knowledge. Most significantly, they're approaching property not just as shelter, but as the foundation of their wealth-building strategy.”
The Ray White analysis tracked TikTok’s trending landscape over 30 days, reviewing the top 100 hashtags in financial investment and home improvement. The findings highlight a generation deeply engaged with property education and investment strategies.
This comes at a time when financial literacy gaps are widespread. Research by non-bank lender MONEYME found thousands of Australians are Googling the most basic finance terms each month, including “mortgage meaning” (3,600 searches) and “what is interest?” (9,590 searches). CEO Clayton Howes said a lack of understanding can lead to costly mistakes, but also represents an opportunity for brokers to step in and educate clients.
Meanwhile, affordability challenges hit harder than ever. Domain data shows the “deposit gap” has now stretched beyond eight years for a median-income household to save a 20% deposit, while new mortgage repayments consume around 54% of disposable income – the highest in at least two decades. Younger Australians are far less likely to own homes than earlier generations, underscoring why many younger buyers are turning to strategy and education first.
TikTok audience demographics reveal 30% aged 18–24 and up to 40% aged 25–34 engaging with property-related hashtags—the very segment considering first-home purchases.
Four of the top 10 financial investment hashtags directly targeted first-home buyers:
Additional content included #homeloansaustralia, #rentvesting, #firsthomeguaranteescheme and #propertygrowth.
In the home improvement category, city-specific hashtags dominated, such as #sydneyrealestate (405 posts), #brisbanerealestate (278 posts), and #perthproperty (200 posts). Engagement also extended to #buildingahouse, #homebuyingjourney, and #hotproperties.
Overall, 11% of financial investment and 12% of home improvement hashtags were directly relevant to first-home buyers.
The most popular content revolves around property as a wealth-building tool. Hashtags like #propertyinvestment and #rentvesting highlight strategies such as rent-vesting and building generational wealth.
Unlike traditional marketing that emphasises aspiration, TikTok content prioritises technical knowledge. Hashtags such as #propertytips, #homeloans and #firsthomeguaranteescheme deliver process-focused education.
City-specific hashtags show that buyers want information tailored to their markets. The popularity of #sydneyrealestate and #perthproperty suggests buyers are drilling into local price movements and opportunities.
Conisbee said the trends reflect a generation that sees property ownership differently:
“This represents a shift from homeownership as a lifestyle goal to homeownership as an investment strategy. Content focuses on property as a wealth-building tool rather than simply shelter.”
Combined with MONEYME’s findings, the picture is clear: younger Australians are seeking out information wherever they can find it – from TikTok to Google – before stepping into the market. For mortgage brokers, this reinforces the importance of being both an educator and a trusted adviser, helping clients navigate complex terms, schemes and strategies with confidence.
While whether this digital behaviour translates into transactions remains to be seen, the data signals a more sophisticated, strategy-led generation of first-home buyers – one actively preparing for property investment rather than waiting for conditions to ease.
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