International buyers to support prime London home prices

Prime central London property is set to be spurred on this year by overseas buyers.

“Almost every forecast is saying prices in PCL will go up in 2012, albeit at a slower pace than last year”, said Black Brick Founder, Camilla Dell in an article this week for The Edge Malaysia.

“Prices in the core prime areas of London such as Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Belgravia, Kensington and parts of Chelsea will be cushioned from any price falls and are likely to go up due to low supply and continued demand from overseas buyers and investors,” she continued.

Read the full article here.

Live in the present with new-build

Is buying a new-build house a better choice than an older, Victorian or Edwardian home?

In an article for The Times this week, Black Brick’s Founder, Camilla Dell argued that the answer is yes – at least for the prime central London property market, anyway.

“New-build properties priced at £5m or more command a 25% premium over their period equivalents, especially those offering large amounts of the lateral space that is so popular with well-heeled foreign buyers.”, she said.

Read more in the full article here.

Ego Warriors

Prime UK properties are increasingly being sold off-market by professional buying agencies like Black Brick.

We shared our insights into the growing secrecy of the prime property market for a new piece this week in The Financial Times:

“Many rich sellers do not wish the general public to know about a sale, especially if they are well-known, because it may attract window shoppers.”, said Black Brick Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell.

Read the full article here.

Untroubled waters. Can vastu bring health, wealth & domestic bliss as its adherents claim?

Vastu is a growing requirement given by wealthy investors looking to buy prime central London property.

In a new piece for The Financial Times, Black Brick Founder and top London buying agent shared how the phenomenon was quickly becoming a top priority amongst our agency’s Indian client base:

“Many of our Indian clients are into vastu and so we have had to learn the principles behind it to help them with property searches,” she said.

“The critical question for us is the positioning of the front door,” she says. “If it faces south there is no point in us even showing the property to a client. South is the energy point; the belief is that if the door faces south then all the energy will flow out of the house.”

Read the full article here.

Where Russia’s billionaires buy houses

We were delighted to be interviewed for a recent radio programme on The Voice of Russia about why and where Russia’s billionaires are buying property.

The Voice of Russia was the first radio station to broadcast internationally. On the air since October 29th 1929, VOR has been shaping Russia’s image worldwide and introducing Russia to the world and highlighting its opinions on global events. Today VOR broadcasts to 160 countries in 38 languages for a total of 151 hours per day, on short and medium waves, in the FM band, via satellite and through global mobile communications network.

We hope you enjoy the interview and please feel free to email or call us with your comments.

Owning a house at Mayfair is the latest status symbol for India’s nouveau riche

“A home in Mayfair, it seems, is now a must-have status symbol for India’s nouveau riche, as well as a viable investment avenue”, our Founder, Camilla Dell argues.

We are delighted to have been asked to feature our thoughts in a new article for Economic Times this week, focusing on how prime central London property is becoming a growing hotspot for wealthy investors from India.

“We’ve seen a significant shift in the past two years, more people want to buy. When people become wealthy, they like to own overseas property – a home in London is seen as a trophy asset.”, Black Brick’s Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell, shared.

Read more in the full article here.

London luxury-homes price gains accelerate on overseas demand

Luxury homes in London soared at the fastest rate in a year this May, a new report has revealed.

Sharing our insights into this year’s market in prime property, Black Brick’s Founder, Camilla Dell offered her thoughts in Bloomberg this week.

“For many investors and potential owner-occupiers based in fast-growing emerging countries, prices of prime central London property are actually well below the 2007 peak in their own currency terms.”, Camilla shared.

“For international investors scouring the world for unique assets with a degree of safety that aren’t exorbitantly valued, prime central London continues to fit the bill,” she continued. “Prices are unlikely to fall soon because the shortage of properties is fueling competition between purchasers.”

Read more in the full article here.

Wealthy Arabs arriving early in London

With an early start to warm weather and sunny skies this year, Middle Easterners are coming to London much sooner than usual.

Sharing our perspective on the Arabs’ London descent on the UK property market, Black Brick’s Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell offered her thoughts for a new piece in AL Arabiya News this week.

“Enquiries from the Middle East have doubled since the beginning of this year and [we are] seeing interest from a wider range of countries.”, Camilla said.

“We have always had a strong client base from Egypt, the UAE, Saudi and Lebanon. However, since the crises we have noticed an increased diversity and we now have clients from Iraq, Yemen, Jordan and Bahrain.” she continued.

Read the full article here.

Foreigners pounce on top homes in London

Buyers from 51 different nations bought property in London this June, and the Chinese and Vietnamese are among the newest arrivals, a new report has revealed.

In a new article this week for South China Morning Post, Black Brick Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell shared her perspective on why international buyers were so attracted to London as a “safe haven” that offers exceptional education benefits for children.

“We have clients from Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Russia, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt, Lebanon, the US and Australia,” she said. “At the moment, London is particularly popular with those from India and the rest of Asia, where there is a fast-growing high-net-worth contingent and there are strong historical links with Britain.”

Read more in the full article here.

General Election 2010 and house sales: How to avoid a hung property market

As we approach the 2010 General Election here in the UK, experts across the property market are weighing in on how the result may affect house sales.

Black Brick’s Founder, Camilla Dell was delighted to be asked to share her thoughts for the piece in The Telegraph, as a top London buying agent specialising in high-end property.

“If Labour wins, it’s possible that prices will go down. Some high net worth individuals may relocate and move out of the UK as a result of tax rises. But if it’s the Tories, prices may also fall. They are likely to cut public spending more aggressively than Labour. If there’s a hung parliament and the pound plummets, then international investors will pile into the London property market.”, she said.

Read more in the full article here.