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Inside the Business of TikTok Influencer Houses
Posted
November 2, 2020
Views
3,841
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November 2, 2020
3,841
39
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1.07%
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4:30Now PlayingThe 22-year-old woman partially submerged in a bath of milk and flower petals slowly removes the mask obscuring her face. In doing so, Eloise Fouladgar revealed she was a resident of Britain’s latest so-called TikTok house to 53 million viewers.
It was a typically lavish “reveal” clip—a common promotional video used by teenage and twenty-something creators to announce they’ve moved into luxury multi-million-dollar mansions to make content for social media platforms, and promote brands for the marketing agencies that are picking up the bills.
It’s an all-expenses paid arrangement that sees savvy agencies lease aspirational homes on behalf of young creators with existing fan bases. The luxury pads are filled with branded goods, food and drink, cameras and, on request, helicopters, snakes, or whatever else might lead a doomscroller to pause for 15 seconds.
Pioneered in the U.S., British real estate is being snapped up by marketing agencies who want to replicate the successes of their American peers as TikTok rises to prominence to become the social network of choice for fans of short-form videos of dance routines, goofy comedy and pranks.
But it does so against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s proposed ban on the grounds that the app’s Chinese ownership makes it a national security threat. A federal judge in Pennsylvania issued a temporary injunction last week blocking the ban, but supporting creators in other markets will remain important no matter the ultimate outcome. The U.K. is a particularly vital market as any block or sale of the company’s assets to the U.S. won’t include British users.
The creator mansion trend started on U.K. soil with agency Fanbyte's central London Bytehouse in March, and was followed by Yoke Network's Essex county Wave House in September, and WeRmedia's multi-million-dollar west London Icon House in October. It isn’t all spa days and fun, however.
“It may look like they are just there enjoying a lavish lifestyle, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Kelly Levi, who along with Elad Panker co-founded WeRmedia in October 2019. “Working and living under the same roof 24/7 can be challenging.”
L.A.’s original Hype House is often used as a blueprint, having played home to TikTok stars like Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae. Both young women became major celebrities, taking the top two spots in a Forbes assessment of TikTok’s highest earners last year. Rae topped the list with an estimated $5 million.
“If each of our creators can aim to do anywhere near that over the next 12 months, we will all be very happy,” said Levi.
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