The economic effects of social networks: Evidence from the housing market

Authors Bailey, Cao, Kuchler, Stroebel
Journal Journal of Political Economy
Year 2018
Type Published Paper
Abstract We show how data from online social networking services can help researchers better understand the effects of social interactions on economic decision making. We combine anonymized data from Facebook, the largest online social network, with housing transaction data and explore both the structure and the effects of social networks. Individuals whose geographically distant friends experienced larger recent house price increases are more likely to transition from renting to owning. They also buy larger houses and pay more for a given house. Survey data show that these relationships are driven by the effects of social interactions on individuals' housing market expectations.
URL https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/700073
Tags Archival Empirical  |   Experimental / Survey-Based Empirical  |   Financing- and Investment Decisions (Individual)