Analysis of TikTok trends shows first home buyers approaching property as a wealth-building strategy, not just shelter – challenging “priced out” myth.
The prevailing narrative about first home buyers suggests they’re simply “priced out” of the market, but our analysis reveals a different story. 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.
To undertake our analysis we looked at TikTok’s trending landscape over 30 days, examining the top 100 hashtags in Financial Investment and Home Improvement categories. The results show first home buyers engaging with sophisticated investment content at rates that challenge traditional assumptions about this demographic.
TikTok categorises trends and hashtags based on themes, with Financial Investment and Home Improvement being the most relevant to property buyers. We tracked the top 100 most trending hashtags under each category, identifying which content resonated with first home buyers based on engagement patterns and audience demographics.
The audience makeup for property-related hashtags shows 30 per cent aged 18-24 and 35-40 per cent aged 25-34 – this is the demographic most likely to be considering first property purchases.
Financial Investment category: Four of the top 10 trending hashtags directly target first home buyers: #propertyinvestment (1,000 posts), #australianproperty (521 posts), #homeloans (476 posts), and #propertytips (339 posts). These hashtags alone generated 2,336 posts over 30 days.
Additional first home buyer content included #homeloansaustralia (88 posts), #rentvesting (91 posts), #australiarealestate (111 posts), #firsthomeguaranteescheme (59 posts), and #propertygrowth (26 posts).
Home Improvement category: City-specific real estate content dominated engagement: #sydneyrealestate (405 posts), #brisbanerealestate (278 posts), and #perthproperty (200 posts). Building and journey content showed consistent engagement: #buildingahouse (116 posts), #homebuyingjourney (33 posts), and #hotproperties (36 posts).
Overall, 11 per cent of Financial Investment hashtags and 12 per cent of Home Improvement hashtags were directly relevant to first home buyers, despite the broader categories encompassing everything from cryptocurrency to kitchen renovations.
Investment-focused content drives engagement: The narrative around first home buyer content centres on wealth creation and strategic market entry. #propertyinvestment topped the financial category, while #rentvesting and #generationalwealth content consistently attracted engagement from the target demographic.
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.
Education precedes emotion: Unlike traditional property marketing, which emphasises lifestyle and aspiration, first home buyer content on TikTok prioritises education. #propertytips, #homeloans, and #firsthomeguaranteescheme content provides technical information about processes, schemes, and market conditions.
The popularity of location-specific educational content—#homeloansaustralia rather than generic home loan advice—suggests first home buyers seek information tailored to their specific regulatory and market environment.
Local market research dominates lifestyle content: City-specific hashtags dominate the home improvement category, indicating first home buyers research specific markets rather than general property trends. #sydneyrealestate, #perthproperty, and #brisbanerealestate suggest buyers focus on local market conditions, pricing, and opportunities.
The presence of realistic entry-point content like #apartmenthunting and #tinyhomes indicates pragmatic market assessment rather than aspirational browsing.
The data suggests first home buyers need to approach property differently from previous generations, likely because of how difficult it is to get into the market. Rather than emotional purchasing driven by homeownership ideals, engagement patterns reveal strategic, education-focused market participation.
This demographic seeks investment-grade analysis and are drawn to technical market information rather than lifestyle inspiration. The popularity of #rentvesting content particularly highlights alternative ownership strategies that previous generations rarely considered.
Geographic specificity in content consumption suggests first home buyers understand local market variations and seek targeted rather than general property advice. This level of market sophistication contradicts assumptions about inexperienced or emotional first-time buyers.
Whether this strategic approach translates to actual purchasing behaviour remains unclear, but the engagement data reveals a demographic actively preparing for property investment rather than passively waiting for market conditions to improve.
Analysis based on TikTok trending data from the past 30 days, examining 200 hashtags across Financial Investment and Home Improvement categories.
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