Max Clifford, best known as an agent for celebrities and reality television stars, has taken on what could prove to be his biggest challenge — property.

A buy-to-let property club that told investors in April 2008 that it was time to get back into the market has hired the public relations guru to spearhead a marketing campaign.

Brett Alegre-Wood, chairman of Your Property Club Group, said that he had enlisted the help of Mr Clifford because: “The market is coming back around. I don’t think this is total recovery, but we are heading back in — and I am also releasing a book in September.”

Mr Alegre-Wood, who is Mr Clifford’s only property client, had told aspiring landlords five months before the collapse of Lehman Brothers that it was a good time to invest, as long as they were in it for the long term. The average property price has subsequently fallen by 17.5 per cent, according to Halifax.

Mr Clifford said: “Brett impressed me with his knowledge and passion and, in these uncertain times, when people are left feeling bewildered and hesitant, he has the experience and know-how to guide them through the process of buying property.”

Mr Alegre-Wood, 36, said that for long-term investors property was even more attractive now that values had fallen by as much as 50 per cent on new-builds. “Property is the new pension — as long as you can hold on to it.”

In the last boom, unscrupulous investment clubs gained notoriety for making promises to investors about future returns that they did not keep, leaving many facing huge losses when values collapsed. Many of these clubs disappeared.