Purpose This study attempts to find the response of the real estate market to economic changes by identifying cause-effect relationships between mortgage, residential investment, and Saudi employment. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach to analytically examine the relationship among the variables. To find out the impact of investment, mortgage and Saudi employment on the Saudi real estate growth from 1970 to 2019. All data sets were obtained from the General Authority for Statistics (GAST), Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and World Bank Group. Findings This study reveals a positive relationship between the mortgage and GDP in the Saudi Arabian real estate market. The same results for employment and investment; both have a positive effect on the GDP of the real estate market. Research limitations/implications Analyzing the impact of real estate financing on various industries and the extent to which it is related to employment and unemployment rates is essential for future research. Moreover, this research can be applied to different countries and compared based on similarities and differences in implementing mortgage-related policies. Practical implications The government must encourage investment in various ways and establish a stable structure that ensures market stability and finds a balance between supply and demand. Social implications This study reflects the importance of real estate financing not only to individuals and governments but also to investors and business workers, and it is essential to analyze the impact of real estate financing on various industries, as well as the extent to which it is related to employment and unemployment rates. This research can be applied to different countries and compared based on similarities and differences in the implementation of mortgage-related policies. Originality/value This study contributes to testing this study’s hypothesis: that mortgage positively impacts the real estate market of Saudi Arabia.