Can I mention my product if I do not link it?
No. The rules ban selling and promotion, and linking to anything you are affiliated with counts as self-promotion that gets you banned.
Subreddit guides
r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.
By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.
Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.
Current public stats
- Members
- 1,026,286
- Verified
- September 30, 2026
- Category
- Homeowner and construction communities
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- Be nice: Be nice to your fellow Redditors! Do not be rude, insulting, racist, homophobic, etc. Violating this rule might result in a ban.
- No Politics: This isn't a political sub.
- No selling/promotion: Do not attempt to sell or promote in this subreddit. This includes, but is not restricted to, home listings, financing, goods or services, or linking out to websites, other platforms or subreddits. Linking to any content you're affiliated with in any way is self-promotion. Requests to DM, call or email are not allowed. Failure to follow this rule will result in a ban.
- No posts by industry professionals: The subreddit is for prospective home buyers and home owners to post and comment. Industry professionals (i.e. realtors, loan officers, insurance agents, etc.) cannot post without prior mod approval. Professionals are encouraged to provide advice or contribute via comments as long as they are not promoting.
- No doxxing: If the original poster has not included a link to their listing, or an address, do not post it in the comments, or post any personal identifying information that will allow others to find the information.
- No trolling: Trolling will get you banned.
- No memes: Memes are not allowed on this subreddit.
- Use the correct title format: "Got the keys" posts must use the defined format for the post title below. They also need to be assigned the "Got the keys" flair. We did it! [Location] [Price] [Rate] Any additional info should be in the submission text or a comment, not the post title (for example, your age, marital status, down payment amount, etc. DO NOT belong in the post title). Brackets aren't needed. "We did it!" can be replaced with "Got the keys!" or some other variation.
- No low-effort, karma farming, engagement bait, or AI-generated posts: This community is for first-time home buyers to ask for and receive advice. Posts and comments that are low-effort engagement bait or primarily AI-generated will be removed.
- Moderator discretion: Moderators have the ability to remove content that does not fit within this community's purpose.
Works well
- A first-person post from a founder who is genuinely buying their first home, asking for advice on a specific step like inspections or offers
- Helpful comments answering buyer questions about mortgages, closing, or inspections with no links and no pitch
- A Got the keys celebration post using the exact title format with location, price, and rate, plus the Got the keys flair
- A detailed story post about a lesson learned during the buying process, written by an actual buyer or owner
Avoid
- Posting any link to your website, product, or landing page, since linking out is banned and affiliate links count as self-promotion
- Asking people to DM, call, or email you, which the rules name as a bannable offense
- Posting as a realtor, loan officer, or insurance agent without prior moderator approval
- Dropping a listing link or address in the comments when the original poster did not share it
- Using AI-generated posts or comments, which get removed here
- Sharing memes or low-effort engagement bait like simple polls or reaction posts
What r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer Is For
This is a community for people buying their first home. The description says members ask questions, share stories, and celebrate wins, and it welcomes window shoppers, house hunters, experienced buyers, hobbyists, and pros. The rules draw a hard line on who can post, though. Prospective buyers and home owners can post and comment. Industry professionals like realtors, loan officers, and insurance agents cannot post without prior moderator approval, but they are encouraged to give advice in the comments as long as they are not promoting. So the room is mostly buyers helping buyers, with pros allowed to chime in from the sidelines.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule that decides everything here is “No selling/promotion”, which bans selling, promoting, linking out to websites, platforms, or subreddits, linking to anything you are affiliated with, and even asking people to DM, call, or email, with a ban as the stated penalty. The next one is “No posts by industry professionals”, which says realtors, loan officers, insurance agents, and similar pros cannot post without prior mod approval, though they can comment with advice as long as they are not promoting. “No low-effort, karma farming, engagement bait, or AI-generated posts” matters a lot for marketers, because primarily AI-generated posts and engagement bait get removed. “No Politics” keeps the room off political topics, and “No memes” rules out joke posts. “No doxxing” means you never post a listing link or address in the comments if the original poster did not share it. Finally, “Moderator discretion” gives mods the power to remove anything that does not fit the community's purpose.
What To Post
If you are a founder, the honest read of these rules is that you cannot post here at all unless you are a prospective buyer or home owner yourself, and even then you cannot link to anything you are affiliated with. The realistic play is commenting. If you have genuinely useful knowledge about mortgages, inspections, closing costs, or the buying process, share it in the comments with no links and no pitch. If you happen to be buying your first home yourself, a genuine post asking for advice or sharing your experience fits the room. If you celebrate a purchase, follow the exact title format for Got the keys posts and assign the right flair. Keep everything human written, since AI-generated posts get removed.
What To Avoid
Do not promote, sell, or link out to anything, including your own site, because that gets you banned. Do not ask anyone to DM, call, or email you. Do not post as an industry professional without moderator approval first. Do not drop listing links or addresses into comments when the poster left them out. Do not post memes, trolling, politics, low-effort engagement bait, or primarily AI-generated content. Do not put extra details like age or down payment amounts in a Got the keys title, since those belong in the submission text or a comment.
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Common questions about r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer
I am a loan officer. Can I participate at all?
Only in comments, only with genuine advice, and never with any promotion or requests to DM, call, or email.
Can I share that I just bought my first home?
Yes, but the title must follow the defined format with location, price, and rate, and the post needs the Got the keys flair.
Can I use AI to draft my post?
No. The rules say primarily AI-generated posts and comments will be removed.
Can I discuss market conditions or interest rate policy?
No. Politics is banned in this subreddit.
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