Real Estate Blog

Photographers, beauty bloggers, and yes, dogs can all buy a home sooner than the average person if they command a serious social following.

If Nashville-based influencer @itsdougthepug posted one sponsored post a day, every day, to his Instagram feed, he could buy a median-priced home, in cash, in about 10 days. 

That’s right, a dog brings in more income than the average person, and could purchase a home in just over a week.

For most of us, that feels, well, ruff.

Experts at CPC Strategy and Hootsuite both estimate Instagram influencers earn roughly $1,000 per each 100,000 followers for paid posts sponsored by brands that seek to engage with that influencer’s following. The same figure has been reported in outlets such as Vox and Mic. For an influencer with a million followers, that’s $10,000 a post, potentially.

With over 3 million followers, @itsdougthepug could potentially rake in $30,000 for one sponsored post. The median priced home in his hometown of Nashville is $310,000. Meaning, all Doug has to do is complete about 10 paid posts to make the money needed to purchase a home outright, like this light and bright, move-in ready home for $310,000 with three bedrooms and large yard that’s perfect for a pug.

If he (well, hopefully his owners) wanted to purchase a luxury home priced around $2 million, he’d need to post paid content approximately 67 times. In other words, a dog can buy a mansion like this exquisite stunner for $1,750,000 with an elevator, designer finishes and spa touches, in under three months.

And let’s not forget celebrities like Kylie Jenner, who makes $1 million per post thanks to a whopping 143 million followers. While Doug and Kylie are at the upper echelon of social media success, even influencers with fewer followers have the opportunity to earn more than most might make in their lifetime. That influx of cash might could very well help purchase a dream home.

As such, we decided to look closer at housing affordability for Instagram influencers who aren’t bona fide celebs, but command at least 1 million followers. They’re not Kylie or Doug, but they’re not the most recent person voted off The Bachelor, either. 

Below, we calculated how many posts select Instagram influencers from around the country would have to create in order to purchase a median-priced home in their metro, in cash, assuming they earn $10,000 per post. 

Full disclosure: you might feel inspired to spruce up your Instagram feed by the end of this.

 @thiswildidea Nashville, TN

Theron Humphrey is a lauded photographer known for shots often starring his coonhound Maddie. He gained notoriety for a project visiting all 50 states with the goal of meeting one new person a day, every day, for 365 days. Since then, he has made Nashville his base.
Median home sale price in Nashville: $310,000
Instagram followers: 1.3 million
Number of posts to purchase a home in cash: 31 

@rachparcell Salt Lake City

Rachel, known on social as ‘Rach,’ Parcell is a lifestyle blogger-turned-designer, who teamed up with Queer Eye’s Tan France to turn her Pink Peonies blog and brand into a clothing, beauty and jewelry label that is exclusively carried at Nordstrom.
Median home sale price in Salt Lake City: $400,000
Instagram followers: 1 million
Number of posts to purchase a home in cash: 40 

@evachen212 New York, NY

Eva Chen is the director of fashion partnerships at Instagram, and former editor-in-chief of Lucky, and beauty and health director at Teen Vogue. Her million followers flock to her feed to see her daily selfies documenting each day’s outfit in Instagram’s now infamous mirror wall at their HQ in Manhattan.
Median home sale price in Manhattan: $6,350,000
Instagram followers: 1.2 million
Number of posts to purchase a home in cash: 635

@juliahengel Charleston, SC

Julia Engel started her Gal Meets Glam blog in college to share her personal style. Since then, she was named one of Forbes’ top influencers, and has worked with brands including Tory Burch, Tiffany & Co., and Nordstrom, in addition to launching her own line.
Median home sale price in Charleston: $340,000
Instagram followers: 1.2 million
Number of posts to purchase a home in cash: 34

@patrickta Los Angeles, CA

Patrick is a makeup artist and stylist to the stars, who has worked with the likes of Chrissy Teigen and Gigi Hadid. He posts daily about his celebrity clients and engages with followers to answer questions about products and tips.
Median home sale price in Los Angeles: $746,000
Instagram followers: 1.5 million
Number of posts to purchase a home in cash: 75

@ellarie Atlanta, GA

Ellarie got her Instagram start after being laid off from her job. She made a hobby her main hustle, becoming one of the first content creators to turn beauty video tutorials into a viral phenomenon. Today, she works with brands like CoverGirl.
Median home sale price in Atlanta: $335,000
Instagram followers: 1.3 million
Number of posts to purchase a home in cash: 34

This post first appeared on Redfin.com. To see the original, click here.