Muppets out, Rosemah in: PropertyGuru schools Malaysians on homebuying

PropertyGuru Malaysia is bringing heart and humour to the journey of purchasing one's first home, with the introduction of Kak Rosemah, a no-nonsense and sharp-tongued puppet, in its latest social-first series, #BelajarBersamaRosemah ('Learn together with Rosemah').

Rosemah, despite being a puppet, has a big dream of owning her own house. In the first episode of the series, she is seen experiencing a tinge of jealousy as she scrolls through videos of first-time homebuyers celebrating their property purchases online. 

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Within seconds of the video, Rosemah sets the record straight with viewers, that yes, even a puppet can lead them through a property-buying journey, with a witty line: "Apa? Ingat puppet tak teringin nak beli rumah ke?" ('What? You thought a puppet won't dream of buying a house?'). Upon finding a suitable listing on PropertyGuru's mobile app, Rosemah sets out to buy the place by calling up an agent. 

However, just like the 44% of Malaysians who told PropertyGuru’s H2 2024 consumer sentiment study that they feel ill-prepared for the process, Rosemah quickly learns that buying a home isn't just about picking tiles and collecting keys.

Launched last week, the #BelajarBersamaRosemah campaign is set to run until 25 June across PropertyGuru Malaysia’s TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. The weekly series is set to unpack the tricky world of property through Rosemah’s eyes, tackling typical homebuying concerns from loan eligibility and document prep to scams, jargon and the all-too-familiar confusion between a serviced apartment and a terrace house.

Rather than lecture first-time buyers with technical facts, each episode breaks things down into manageable, bite-sized chunks, PropertyGuru said in a release. Viewers will be follow Rosemah’s missteps and meltdowns, often sprinkled with deadpan humour and wide-eyed disbelief, whether it’s over rising costs or convoluted bank forms.

With #BelajarBersamaRosemah, PropertyGuru aims to position itself not just as a property marketplace, but as a relatable guide for every Malaysian navigating the complicated path to homeownership, whether you’re house-hunting or dreaming about “one day”.

"Rosemah might be a puppet, but she brings very real emotions, curiosity, confusion, excitement, and the occasional meltdown when the paperwork piles up," PropertyGuru said.

"What makes the campaign stand out is its tone: educational but playful, informative but never overwhelming," it added.

PropertyGuru is not the only one who has tapped a puppet to be the face of its brand, as Vinda Malaysia recently introduced Kak Vinda — a blue, musical, and excitable character which sings to share about Vinda's kitchen towel benefits. The character has also been used for its promotional materials, such as for its Raya social posts. The videos featuring Kak Vinda were also spotted in digital out-of-home screens in shopping malls by A+M recently. 

As for the use of social-first series, Jasmine, one of Malaysia’s longest-standing rice brands, launched two digital-first content initiatives for Ramadan. The show follows a fictional billionaire’s hunt for a successor. Each episode runs for two to three minutes, in line with short-form viewing habits. 

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