Mortgage Lenders Are Checking LinkedIn: Here’s How Your Social Media Could Affect Your Chance of Being Approved

You’ve checked your credit score, you topped off your savings account, but the thing you missed on your pre-mortgage application to-do list was tidying up your social media presence.

And it may cost you.

With high mortgage rates and home prices, lenders are scrutinizing borrowers with increased intensity. While your bank statements and tax returns still carry the most weight, some lenders are starting to look elsewhere for insights.

One of those places? Your digital footprint.

Are lenders actually looking at social media?

Yes—at least in some cases, says Kevin Leibowitz, president and CEO of Grayton Mortgage, Inc.

“We don’t have an official process for looking at a borrower’s social media,” Leibowitz says. “It is helpful to look at LinkedIn profiles during the application process. It can give a clearer picture as to the job history, description, length of employment, locale, etc.”

In other words, while lenders may not be scrolling through your Instagram feed or Facebook posts, they are increasingly turning to professional platforms like LinkedIn to verify employment details and spot inconsistencies in a borrower’s financial narrative.

“Sometimes, a borrower doesn’t provide a full picture of what they’ve done for the last few years; this isn’t necessarily ill intended or an avoidance,” he adds.

Beyond basic employment verification, some lenders or loan officers might take a closer look at a borrower’s digital footprint if there’s a red flag in the application or missing documentation. While this type of scrutiny isn’t part of standard underwriting practices yet, it’s a reminder that your online presence, particularly professional profiles, can influence how a lender perceives your reliability and stability.