How much are former MAFS stars actually making now? Apparently, a lot.

We all know that finding love on Reality TV is rare, but acquiring an Instagram career is almost certain.

In fact, some would go as far to say that a few contestants only go down the reality path to become Insta famous. Shock, horror!

But how lucrative exactly is the Instagram career path?

Well it would seem, very. But only for a limited time.

On Friday Married at First Sight 2019 contestant Jessika Power revealed she is now the proud owner of her first house.

“As some of you may know I’ve recently done some adulting and proud to say I have just received the keys to my FIRST investment property in Perth!” the admin officer-turned-reality TV star revealed to her 210,000 followers.

“It was a big step for me, but I had to do it at some point, while the market is good!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Hey guys! As some of you may know I’ve recently done some adulting and proud to say I have just received the keys to my FIRST investment property in Perth! It was a big step for me, but I had to do it at some point, while the market is good! I would like to thank Chris Moore @riceyyy88 from @moorehousingwa for helping me with the entire process, he made it super simple even though I was between states over the last few months. He got me a great deal and sorted out my finances for me. It was pretty nerve racking picking out all the finishes, but if anyone needs some suggestions I used Pinterest a lot of and a few insta inspirations from the team at @perthhomecentre To celebrate I have partnered up with them and will be putting on an exclusive meet and greet event at the Crown! Dinner and drinks at a place of your choice. Think Rockpool or Nobu ???????????????????????? This will be an in all inclusive event. All you need to do is show up and put it on the gram ???? Follow the above accounts and visit @moorehousingwa for the details! ???? #firsthomebuyer #happy #investment

A post shared by Jessika (@jessika_power) on Jun 13, 2019 at 1:26am PDT

Fellow MAFS contestant Martha Kalifatidis shared on the same day that she is casually in possession of a Lamborghini.

And whilst some questioned whether she actually owned the luxury car, she certainly didn’t deny it.

“It’s gemini season… and we don’t play,” Martha, who married Michael on the show, wrote as the caption.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It’s gemini season… and we don’t play!

A post shared by Martha Kalifatidis (@marthaa__k) on Jun 13, 2019 at 3:55am PDT

So, how much do they actually earn?

Max Markson, who represents several Married At First Sight alumni including Jessika Power, Ines Basic and Cyrell Paule, claims his clients can earn up to $10,000 for one social media deal.

Appearing on the Mumbrellacast podcast recently, the publicist said: “I’m getting people ringing up, wanting to spend money.

“I’m charging $5,000 for three posts and three [Instagram] Stories, or $10,000.”

There is also of course nightclub appearances, which are similarly lucrative.

Daily Mail Australia revealed after the Channel 9 show aired that Cyrell made $27,000 for nine days work in night club appearances around the country.

Oh. That’s… a lot.

Influencer Fee is a social analytics website that estimates how much influencers and celebrities can charge for a post, based on their followers and engagement.

Here's their estimates for the MAFS contestants.

• Jules Robinson, who has 275,000 followers, can charge $730 per picture.
• Cyrell Paule, who has 245,000 followers, can charge $665 per picture.
• Jessika Power, who has 210,000 followers, can charge $590 per picture.
• Elizabeth Sobinoff, who has 206,000 followers, can charge $581 per picture.
• Hedi Latchem, who has 182,000 followers, can charge $528 per picture.
• Ines Basic, who has 162,000 followers, can charge $483 per picture.

Considering prior to appearing on MAFS they could charge.. $0 for a picture, it certainly was a profitable move.

Markson further shared that Jessika Power once received "12 million impressions" in a single week on Instagram.

"These are phenomenal numbers," he claimed.

"Might only be 12 months"

However, as Markson points out, the lucrative side of being a reality TV contestant often doesn't last long.

The publicist explained there is only a small window of time to leverage the fame.

"It might only be 12 months and then there will be another fresh set."

Some former stars have spoken how their appearance on reality TV has actually prevented them from getting jobs.

Apollo Jackson, who appeared on Sophie Monk's season of The Bachelorette, revealed in May this year that his 196,000 followers on Instagram has not translated into reliable income.

"The last few months have challenged me intensely,” Apollo wrote in an Instagram post.

"Work's dried up, I’d had just 2 paying gigs this year, my phone, subscriptions both entertainment and work cut off for the last few months, my stage show I worked my ass off for 6 months on only sold 11 tickets so I had to cancel it." [sic]

He admitted he has been "unable to afford a dentist [so] a nerve exposed broken tooth has made me unable to sleep most nights while I’ve worked my butt off developing new skills and chasing work, applying for jobs that I had no luck getting."

His struggle is not an isolated case: money woes can often hurt former reality stars, especially as many leave their ‘normal’ jobs to appear on television.

So it seems reality TV is lucrative in the short-term, but not so much in the long-term.

Want to know more? Listen to our The Quicky podcast to see what life is really like after reality TV.