No matter what part of the world you’re from, the phrase ‘celebrity endorsement’ or ‘brand ambassador’ reminds you of a distinct face. For many, it’s Serena Williams for Nike, Bollywood star Alia Bhatt for Pepsi, and countless others. However, hiring a celebrity endorser to promote brands is a trend-turned-tactic that dates back centuries.

Out of all the intellectual ideas, creativity, and abstract thoughts, it’s a face that sells. What was once the Roman Gladiators’ role in donning a particular gunsmith’s weapon is now more sought-after. The whole Middle East adopted the tactic with open arms, and now every major billboard along Sheikh Zayed Road features a star.

But it’s not just about putting a face to the brand, especially in real estate. As a timeless attention grabber, they bring forth a lot of thought. It’s not an easy streak, and things can go south in no time (like the controversies surrounding celebrities such as Kanye West or Johnny Depp). 

You must have seen enough celebrities selling apartments, villas, and lifestyles in the UAE. Shah Rukh Khan’s associations with Palm Jumeirah, David and Victoria Beckham’s Dubai properties, or Amr Diab’s 2024 collaboration with ONE Development are no coincidence. If you’re planning to get a celebrity endorser for your real estate brand too, here’s a handy guide to help you out. PRO TIP: It doesn’t (always) have to be your favorite actor, athlete, or Morgan Freeman!

Factors To Consider When Hiring A Celebrity Endorser

Real estate developers and brokers often fall back on a famous face, but the question is: why? The likeness to a particular person isn’t enough for people to splash their hard-earned cash. But the values that they behold need some corroborating with the property in hand. Keeping that in mind, here’s the holy trinity of real estate celebrity endorsement to consider:

• Your brand’s vibe
• Celebrity dossier
• The brand-endorser mix

Let’s delve into the details. 

Your endorser decides your brand and project vibe.

As an enterprise, your real estate company can’t be just a hollow idea. Au contraire, it can’t just be a collage of what your developments look like. As an entity, your company’s ethos emanates your developments’ vibe, which is why there are two ways to go about it. Most projects are linked to a particular ambassador. 

You must have seen the Spanish football coach, Pep Guardiola endorsing a particular development in Dubai, and comedian Kevin Hart prompting another from the same developer. It’s because these developments resemble the values of their respective ambassadors. The same applies to Amr Diab, who now fronts a boutique UAE developer, creating a recognizable tone for the brand.

TL;DR take: You can hire an endorser for your enterprise as a whole, or just a particular project or community. However, it should resemble your brand’s values and ethos.

Every celebrity has a portfolio that helps you sell the idea.

A person’s personality defines what you think of them-and who follows them in the first place. 

Take Leonardo DiCaprio, for instance, who’s a well-known environmental activist. If he endorses a sustainable community in Dubai, it would ensure his seal of approval on sustainability levels.

Similarly, Zendaya can prompt a chain of branded residences as she’s a symbol of style, while up-and-coming local athletes like Amna Al Qubaisi can appeal to younger audiences. These three factors can appeal to a celebrity’s particular followers:

• Attractiveness: A certain David Beckham or Rihanna can appeal to their target audience’s aspirations to live in a stylish community.
• Credibility: Names like Shah Rukh Khan, Leonardo DiCaprio, or Huda Kattan resonate with values of integrity, sustainability, and strife.
• Life path: We all know the struggles of Kris Fade, Lewis Hamilton, and Malala Yusufzai, their rise to fame, and their life principles that leave a mark.

TL;DR take: Your celebrity endorser’s followership will sell your product, which is why putting out a ‘famous face’ whose followership doesn’t round up your target audience makes no sense.

The brand-endorser mix rounds up your brand ambassador.

Once the two sides are done with, just tally them out. Your ambassador’s background in the market, their personality, and your project round up to the perfect endorser. Ensure that this relationship must be for the long run since these partnerships don’t die out in a single day. 

A brand is known for its relationship with a celebrity, just like Nike, Accenture, and PGA themselves were known because Tiger Woods was their poster boy. But it can backfire and cost millions because….

News flash: You can’t control human behavior, even if you pay them in buckets of gold.

Tiger Woods cost the companies he endorsed over $12 billion after his personal scandals. More recently, the Kanye West and Adidas debacle highlights how quickly things can go wrong. Keep an eye out for the past behaviors of an influencer or celebrity you hire to endorse your brand, from content they post on social media to the type of work they did in the past.

If you see any defunct patterns, stay ready with a plan B and someone up-and-coming. A fresh face always lights up the market, provided that they’re known just as well among your target audience. 

Most crucially, remember that the brand or your project is the real priority. While it can be a community where Kevin Hart lives, it can’t be a brand that only endorses the property that he owns. Your project, company, or brokerage should always be a priority to the endorser.

TL;DR take: Endorsers, as  humans, have the potential to take your company’s image to  the ground. Be wary of their behavior.

To Sum It Up

Hiring a celebrity endorser is a bold move and a winning one.

What seems like a promotion gimmick has the potential to take your development, community, and enterprise to the masses. Not only will it get you in the good books of the ones who actually can afford your projects, but it will also unlock amazing PR among everyone seeing that person besides your brand’s colors.

Now that you’re all set to hire your real estate celebrity brand endorser, we can’t wait to see it on the big boards! Or we can do you one better and plan the campaign ourselves. Drop us a message, and we’ll get back to you promptly. Happy branding!