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Buying agency ‘seal of approval’ seeks to help home-buyers pick trusted advisors

By PrimeResi.

Buying agency matching platform ‘First In The Door’, has introduced a new accreditation mark — the Prime Property Seal of Accreditation™ — designed to help homebuyers identify trusted advisors in the prime property market. The badge is awarded exclusively to firms that pass a rigorous vetting process by the First In The Door team, with founder Claire Whisker noting that over 90% of firms are turned down.

Black Brick is among the first firms to receive the accreditation.

Camilla Dell, Managing Partner at Black Brick, welcomed the initiative, emphasising its real-world value for clients at the point of making a critical decision. She noted that unlike industry awards — which tend to be retrospective or marketing-driven — this accreditation is designed to support clients when they are actively selecting an adviser. Camilla highlighted that in an increasingly complex prime market, independent signals of trust, transparency and professional standards are more valuable than ever.

First In The Door was founded in 2023 by Claire Whisker following her own experience navigating prime property purchases in London and the countryside.

Camilla Dell: On the ‘extremely delicate business’ of negotiating in a buyers’ market

By Camilla Dell for PrimeResi.

Vendors are ‘on the ropes,’ says buying agency boss, as she reports ‘record discounts & exceptional value across Prime Central London’. But buyers still need a deft touch to secure a good price.

For optimistic thinkers, London’s market in mid-2026 represents a real opportunity to acquire best-in-class property at realistic prices — a view we wholeheartedly share (writes Camilla Dell, founder of Black Brick). Our team has been achieving record discounts and uncovering exceptional value across Prime Central London.

Vendors on the ropes – but it takes skill to land a knockout blow

The American politician Jacob Lew was White House chief of staff for Barack Obama and later the US’s ambassador to Israel. Safe to say he has had his fair share of difficult conversations. His advice on how to horse-trade is especially pertinent in London’s prime property market right now: “The most critical thing in a negotiation is to get inside your opponent’s head”.

London is certainly a buyers’ market right now. Whilst house price analyst LonRes reports that transaction numbers have increased by 2% in the past year, indicating buyers are inching back into the fray, average sale prices are down 5%.

This is naturally frustrating for vendors, many of whom started out with over-ambitious ideas about what they think their properties are worth and have had to trim back both their expectations and their asking prices. Others have given up on selling altogether – LonRes found that the number of homes withdrawn from sale in the capital has jumped by almost 60% in the last year.

Given the fragile sensibilities of these bruised homeowners negotiating discounts is an extremely delicate business.

I always advise clients to avoid making an insultingly lowball offer on a property they have their heart set on. In reality, the majority of central London homeowners own their homes outright, and can afford to wait for a sensible offer.

I always advise clients to avoid making an insultingly lowball offer on a property they have their heart set on

Starting off negotiations on the wrong foot can backfire. You have to think beyond just: “Is this property a really good deal?”. If it is something which is rare, which really suits you, and which won’t come up all the time, then we have buyers who will decide that although a property isn’t a steal, they love it and want it, and will own it forever.

Tom Kain, a partner at Black Brick, says that the added value a buying agent brings is their ability to glean as much information about the vendor’s situation as possible, and pitching bids accordingly. “Sometimes we will make a low offer and then just leave it on the table for a week or two,” he said. “The psychology of buying is a very delicate thing.”

A taxing problem

Fears that the Government would impose a draconian “Mansion Tax” on high value homes put the brakes on the prime market for months as buyers awaited clarity about how much they might have to pay to own a home in London.

The reality, announced in November, was considerably better than many had feared. But its implementation may prove to be a longer-term headache.

From 2028 owners of homes valued at £2m-plus will pay an annual surcharge on their Council Tax. The levy will range from £2,500 p.a. for homes worth up to £2.5mn up to £7.500pa for homes worth more than £5mn. The vast majority of those properties are, of course, in central London.

As ever with these sort of root-and-branch changes the devil is in the detail.

Current Council Tax valuations are woefully out of date. Before charges can be made the government will have to carry out a wide-ranging valuation exercise. It has confirmed those charges will increase annually in line with inflation, with revaluations will happen every five years going forward.

Exactly how this can be achieved remains to be seen. Late last month the Government launched a consultation on its proposals, confirming it intends to use AI, alongside “professional valuer judgement” to assess individual properties, based largely on recent local sales data.

But I am a million per cent certain that a simple comparison with other nearby home sales will not produce an accurate valuation on a PCL property. What it would have to do is actually physically go into those comparison properties and actually compare them – everything from their ceiling height, to their condition, to their aspect and views. These little nuances can make a massive difference.

I am a million per cent certain that a simple comparison with other nearby home sales will not produce an accurate valuation on a PCL property

The tax is also likely to have a major impact on London’s prime rental market, since the Government expects the owner of the property to pay the surcharge. For landlords it means an extra up to £625 per month to find at a time when London rents have begun to plateau after years of inflation-busting growth during the pandemic. According to the Government’s Office of National Statistics, London rents increased 2%in the year to March.

The shockwaves of conflict

Property consultant JLL has downgraded its forecasts for Prime Central London property prices, blaming the war in the Middle East for damaging buyer confidence.

Pre-war the firm had expected 2026 to “usher in a new phase of the housing cycle”, with cuts in interest rates underpinning the plateauing of prices in Central London after several years of annual falls.

But central London is a discretionary market which is hugely impacted by sentiment, and on that basis JLL believes that prices will fall by 5.5% in central London by the end of 2026.

The picture elsewhere is more positive. Beyond central London buyers tend to be more needs-based – first time buyers keen to get out of the rental trap, families upsizing, relocators looking for a home in a London village. But JLL forecast that a combination of rising inflation and higher-than-expected interest rates means that it will also experience a price fall this year, of 2.5%.

Far from being deterred by the prospect of further price falls, our buyers appear to be excited by the opportunity the current market affords them. What is coming up is that lots of clients feel that the current market is a good buying opportunity. We have a European client who has always wanted a PCL property and has been watching the market for years. He thinks that it is now good value.

Although the wider PCL market is generally sluggish, with buyers not feeling a huge sense of urgency to move, there are also sweet spots where buyers need to be on their toes. Kain said freehold houses in the £2mn to £5mn bracket, in good condition still attract considerable competition and sell well in PCL. “The market is very nuanced,” he said. “I have a client currently looking for a mews house in Mayfair or Belgravia in that price bracket, and it is surprisingly active out there. The key to success is gaining access first to compelling deals, such a receivership deals, before they reach the open market. This is where working with us gives buyers the edge and a first mover advantage.”

For the article, click here.

Behind the UK’s blue plaque obsession — and do they boost your house price?

By Carol Lewis.

Black Brick: Blue Plaques Make for Good History — But Don’t Move the Needle on Price

When it comes to the question of whether historic blue plaques add meaningful value to London properties, Black Brick’s Camilla Dell offers a clear-eyed verdict: for serious buyers at the top end of the market, they rarely feature in the decision at all, according to reporting in The Times.

Dell drew on direct experience to make the point. “The most recent blue plaque property we bought for clients was in Hampstead — an off-market deal of almost £20 million,” she told The Times. “I can honestly say that the blue plaque did not feature at all in the decision-making process for my clients. They were far more interested in the house, the condition, and the fact that it was grade I listed — a feature they wanted and valued.”

It is a characteristically grounded perspective from an agency whose clients are focused on the fundamentals: location, quality, condition and value. At the level at which Black Brick operates, the presence of a plaque — however distinguished the former resident — is unlikely to move a sophisticated buyer’s calculus in either direction.

The article, which explores the history and application process behind the UK’s 19,000-plus historic plaques, acknowledges that there can be exceptions — particularly where a property has a strong cultural association and the right buyer happens to share that passion. But as Dell’s example illustrates, for high-value prime London transactions, the substance of the property itself will always take precedence over its historical theatre.

As featured in The Times

Read the full article here.

Housing market may be worse than price indices show – warning

By Graham Norwood.

Some property experts have suggested that optimistic house price figures may be masking a deterioration in market conditions.

Over the weekend the Nationwide Building Society released its latest monthly index, showing price rose 3% in the year to April, up from 2.2% in March. And it said that on a monthly basis, prices increased by 0.4% – bucking many analysts’ expectations.

Meanwhile Zoopla’s latest index released at the end of last week shows prices up 1.3% on the year across the UK.

However, some experts suggest an analysis of house prices may not show the market exactly as it is today.

Gareth Lewis, deputy chief executive of lender MT Finance, says in response to the Nationwide data:  “One wonders where they get these figures from when we are seeing values under pressure and a significant volume coming in lower than anticipated. 

“As these prices were negotiated a few months ago, this may be why the figures aren’t reflecting a softening market. But from a lending perspective we are seeing valuers cautious on value while buyers are looking for a steal and prepared to negotiate on price.”

Chris Hodgkinson, managing director of House Buyer Bureau, says there is a “disconnect” between prices and market activity.

“While house prices have edged up, the reality on the ground is that the market continues to stagnate. Buyer demand has cooled, sellers are sitting on the market for longer and we’re seeing more transactions fall through as uncertainty continues to weigh on sentiment.

“This disconnect between price growth and market activity highlights the fragile nature of current conditions and, without a meaningful improvement in affordability, it’s likely that this subdued level of performance will persist in the near term.”

And Charlotte Harrison of the Skipton Building Society comments: “The resilience we’re seeing in the housing market is encouraging, particularly given ongoing economic uncertainty. However, this headline stability masks very different realities depending on where people live and their stage of life.

“While there are signs that affordability is improving slightly, the latest Skipton Group Home Affordability Index shows that many first‑time buyers remain under significant pressure. 

“… Regional differences are increasingly stark, with average first‑time buyer deposits equivalent to 140% of household income in London, double the level seen in the North.”

Camilla Dell, managing partner at London-focussed buying agency Black Brick, says: “It may be happening thousands of miles away, but the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is making itself felt in London’s housing market – deals are down, reductions up.

“Experts believe that the long-awaited revival of Prime Central London (PCL), has been kicked into the long grass.”

Many responses to recent house price figures suggest that at best, they reflect UK housing market activity in the first weeks of the Iran War, well before it became clear that the conflict will be lengthy.

Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank, sees it this way: “The impact of rising mortgage rates on house prices will be more gradual than sudden, as offers that pre-date the conflict work their way through the system.

“[This] is why we have downgraded our price forecasts for this year marginally. 

“Borrowing costs have been volatile in recent weeks, underlining the high degree of uncertainty that exists over how long the war lasts, to what extent it escalates and the impact of second round effects on inflation.”

The weekend’s figures from Nationwide show that UK annual house price growth picked up to 3.0% in April, from 2.2% in March. Prices increased by 0.4% month on month, after taking account of seasonal effects.

Even Nationwide’s chief economist, Robert Gardner, seems surprised at the data. He says:  “Despite the uncertainty caused by developments in the Middle East and the subsequent rise in energy prices, the UK housing market has continued to regain momentum following the slowdown recorded around the turn of the year.

“This is somewhat surprising given that indicators of consumer confidence have weakened noticeably. 

“GfK’s headline index has fallen to its lowest level since late‑2023, reflecting households’ more pessimistic views of the economic outlook and their own financial position over the year ahead.

“Measures of housing market sentiment have also deteriorated. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reported a sharp fall in new buyer enquiries in March, taking the index to its weakest reading since 2023. This softening is likely to have been influenced by higher market interest rates following the onset of the conflict, alongside a more uncertain backdrop.”

Buying agency Black Brick boosts team with trio of hires

Black Brick has strengthened its London team with three new appointments as demand continues to grow across its buying, rental search and property management services.

Alex Oliver returns to the business, bringing extensive experience across Prime Central and Outer Prime London and a strong track record advising high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients on residential acquisitions. Lorraine Germaix joins to support rental search and property acquisition clients, particularly international buyers and tenants, while Emma Soanes strengthens the property management team with her experience across Prime Central London properties.

The appointments reflect increasing demand across Black Brick’s expanding service lines, which include buying, investment advice, rental search, managed sales and property management across London and beyond. Since launching in 2007, Black Brick has sourced more than £2 billion of residential property.

Commenting on the appointments, Managing Partner Camilla Dell said she was “thrilled” to welcome Alex, Lorraine and Emma to the business, adding that the firm has seen “significant growth and demand” across both its rental search and property management divisions.

Click here to read the full article.

Can London win back home buyers from the UAE?

By Camilla Dell.

The effect of the Middle East war on Dubai’s property market has been instant. But better financial incentives are needed for wealthy expats to choose the capital over Monaco or Geneva.

I judge how well the property market in London is going to perform by how much the telephone rings in the new year with clients wanting help to find a new home. This January, inquiry levels were up 19 per cent compared with the previous year. Half a dozen new clients began a search. It looked very much like confidence was finally returning to the London market after a couple of difficult years.

The war in the Middle East changed all that.

Now UK-based clients are hesitating; routinely asking me what the implications of war will be on inflation, on interest rates and on their own finances before moving ahead with any plans to buy. They want to get on with their lives, but now find themselves with a dilemma. Carry on, or take a pause?

But on the flip side, I have had calls from clients in the Middle East who had been somewhat nonchalant about buying in London and who now want to spring into action.

Dubai has been the big boom market of recent years. Prime villa prices increased 94 per cent between the start of 2020 and the end of 2024, according to Knight Frank. The effect of missiles and drones on the property market was instant. Transaction numbers dropped almost 24 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Dubai Land Department. War has sent shockwaves through the market and has brought home to wealthy expats the importance of diversification of their property portfolios — and the luxury of having options. 

Those of my clients who did not sell or rent their homes in London before moving to Dubai have told me they feel very relieved that they have been able to swiftly and easily return. Those that had been considering relocating to Dubai have put their plans on hold. And those who want to return, but don’t have a foothold in the capital, now face a choice: whether to rent or buy. 

If they want to wait for things to settle or breathing space to decide where to land, I’m advising them to rent. Savills forecasts that Prime Central London (PCL) prices will fall two per cent this year, and only stabilise in 2027; it expects outer prime London prices to flatline this year, and increase by 1 per cent in 2027. So there will be no capital growth to offset the extortionate cost of stamp duty, currently set at 12 per cent for the portion of the purchase price above £1.5mn or 17 per cent if the property being purchased is a second home or investment. 

But if they plan to stay in London, or want to invest in a bolt-hole, now is a good time: it is very much a buyers’ market. The stock of available homes for sale in PCL in March this year was 14 per cent above inventory levels in March 2025, according to market analyst LonRes, so there is choice. And prices are 22 per cent per below the August 2015 peak, according to Knight Frank. Motivated buyers have the ammunition to negotiate on price. 

Of course, it is never as simple as that. There is not an endless supply of quality property, and not all sellers have to act. If they don’t get an offer they like they can just wait for better times. We are not in a fire-sale situation.

But it is curious indeed that UK chancellor Rachel Reeves has waited until now to proclaim that Britain is a “safe harbour” for those leaving the Middle East. When war began it was soon clear that there was going to be some movement of people — why didn’t she immediately welcome expats to Britain? Having eventually done that, but having only recently dismantled the non-dom tax system, she needs to offer them a solid financial incentive to come — rather than go to Monaco, Italy, Switzerland or Bermuda, where some tell me they are considering. 

If Reeves wants to “bang the drum for UK plc”, she should reinstate the investor visa for the very wealthy, which offered residency in return for a £2mn investment in UK share or loan capital. And get rid of unlimited inheritance tax on assets held in worldwide trusts — a main driver of the wealth exodus we have seen. 

I’d also like to see the Treasury make the terms of the Foreign Income and Gains (FIG) regime, which allows eligible new residents to pay zero UK tax on foreign income and gains for four years, more generous. Increasing the scheme to 10 years would be a good start.

Many residents of the UAE who are currently considering their futures want to come to the UK — we would do well to make it an attractive prospect.  

Read the article here.

The Super – Prime Dilemma

By Anna Tyzack

For those who have moved their primary residence away from London, a sluggish sales market is prompting them to weigh up their options

Changing tax rules and evolving lifestyle trends are increasing demand for specialist property management services across the Prime Central London market, as more internationally mobile homeowners retain their London properties while relocating overseas.

Rather than selling, many owners are seeking expert support to ensure their homes remain secure, maintained and ready for use throughout the year. Black Brick has seen strong growth in this area, reflecting increased demand from overseas-based property owners looking for trusted advice and hands-on management.

Commenting on the trend, Black Brick Manging Partner, Camilla Dell said: “The majority of our inquiries this year have been from property owners who have decided to become resident outside of the UK and are retaining their London residences.”

While some homeowners are exploring rental opportunities to help offset costs, many prime and super-prime property owners continue to prioritise privacy, flexibility and immediate access to their homes. Against a slower Prime Central London sales market, specialist property management and advisory services are playing an increasingly important role in helping international clients protect and maximise the value of their London property assets.

Please click here to read the full article and Camilla Dell’s commentary.

Nick Candy sells Chelsea mansion for more than £265 million

By Melissa York.

Black Brick Comments on UK’s Most Expensive Ever Property Sale

Nick Candy’s Chelsea mansion, Providence House, has sold for more than £265 million — believed to be the most expensive residential property transaction ever recorded in the UK, and potentially the world, according to reporting in The Times.

The two-acre estate, which boasts the largest private garden in central London and panoramic views of the River Thames, was never publicly listed. The sale was orchestrated by the private office of UK Sotheby’s International Realty, though the buyer’s identity remains unknown.

The deal comfortably surpasses the previous UK record of £210 million, set in 2020, and dwarfs the biggest London sale of 2025 — The Holme in Regent’s Park, which achieved £139 million.

Camilla Dell, Managing Director of Black Brick, offered her perspective to The Times, contextualising the deal within the broader market: “These sorts of deals are one-offs and almost irrelevant to what the rest of the market is doing. The buyer who can afford this is just not impacted by wars or interest rates. It will be a multibillionaire for whom £265 million, plus stamp duty, plus the continuing costs of keeping a house like that, is a drop in the ocean.”

The sale comes despite a challenging backdrop for prime central London property, where prices fell an average of 7.8% last year, partly attributed to changes to non-dom tax status and higher stamp duty on high-value homes.

Please click here to read the full article and read managing partner, Camilla Dell’s, commentary.

Britons flee Dubai ‘nightmare’ for £5,000 a week luxury UK rentals

By David Byers.

Agents say there has been a 15 per cent rise in inquiries from the UAE since the Iran war led to drone attacks and warnings over free speech

Wealthy British expatriates based in Dubai are contacting luxury London property agents in growing numbers, seeking urgent rental arrangements as regional instability and restrictions on freedom of speech prompt a reassessment of life in the UAE, according to reporting in The Times.

Agents across the prime London market report a notable surge in enquiries from UK nationals who relocated to Dubai — drawn by its tax advantages and perceived safety — but who are now looking to return home, some on an emergency basis, seeking luxury short-term rentals at upwards of £5,000 per week in areas such as Kensington, Chelsea and Notting Hill.

Camilla Dell, Managing Partner at Black Brick, offered a frank assessment of the shift in sentiment. She noted that warnings from UAE authorities — reminding residents that sharing unofficial content about the conflict, including footage of drone strikes, could result in prosecution — had proven a wake-up call for many. “People look at the UAE with real rose-tinted glasses and it takes something like this just to bring it all back into perspective,” Dell told The Times. “This is a country which is geographically located in a very, very volatile region, and there is no freedom of speech.”

The potential return of even a fraction of the estimated 240,000 British expats living in the UAE could provide a meaningful boost to London’s prime property market, which has faced headwinds in recent years from the abolition of non-dom tax status and elevated stamp duty rates. Sold property prices in London’s £4.5 million-plus market declined 4.8% last year, according to Savills.

By contrast, Dubai’s super-prime market had surged — with Knight Frank data showing sales of homes at $10 million or above rising 351% since 2021. The current instability may now be prompting a reversal of that trend.

For the full article, please click here.