Behind closed doors: Saul Empson on the strange business of super-prime deal-making
In a new series for PrimeResi, seasoned buying agent Saul Empson reveals the absurdities and dramas that unfold behind the scenes of high-end property sales, from Notting Hill townhouses to country estates...
What to read next
Saul Empson: What the Dickens is going on in the prime property market?
If we all stopped in our tracks every time the papers rang a bell to call the onset of the next property crash, none of us would have bought homes since 1998, says buying agent Saul Empson...
The developer’s view: Why delivering super-prime homes in London is getting tougher
Andri Chanturia examines the challenges facing the capital’s top-end projects - from planning bottlenecks to rising build costs and global supply chain delays - and how delivery strategies are adapting…
London Super-Prime Market Survey: What changed in 2025 – and what lies ahead in 2026
Non-dom exits, international bargain hunters and a raft of trophy listings reshaped the £15m-plus sector over the last 12 months, reports Beauchamp Estates,
Most read
Savills consolidates flagship PCL teams
Big-brand agency is relocating its Knightsbridge operations to Sloane Street.
Full-floor shell penthouses atop Park Lane ‘Grande Dame’ building seek £50mn
Agents instructed on 19,000 sq ft with planning for four big laterals in Art Deco landmark overlooking Hyde Park.
High-profile buying agency toasts 20 years in business
Sloane Square-based firm reveals acquisition record and says industry shifts have made the market 'increasingly difficult' for buyers to navigate.
Veteran sales director joins Douglas & Gordon
Former Aspire, KFH and Fine & Country operator joins London agency's self-employed network.
What do the wealthiest want? Four questions, 32 experts, ten key findings
'Something has shifted at the very top of the market,' declares LPF boss Priya Rawal after consulting a panel of luxury property insiders.
High-profile developer wins £1.9mn SDLT battle over Chelsea mega-mansion
Upper Tribunal dismisses HMRC appeal in long-running tax dispute.
Developer offers £42k private school sweetener to homebuyers
Two years of fees are on the table at a north London scheme as firms look to tempt purchasers with increasingly inventive incentives.
Super-prime construction firm builds leadership team
Knowles makes trio of senior appointments amid ‘increasing demand’ for top-end services in London and further afield.
‘2026 likely to prove one of the lowest years for London transaction volumes on record,’ warns Foxtons boss
Major estate agency's profits hit hard by 'materially lower' sales volumes and 'short-term volatility' in the lettings market.
Burnham ‘rules out’ scrapping Stamp Duty in the next Budget
But other reports suggest the new government is 'actively looking' to replace council tax & stamp duty with a new system.
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In Conversation: William Bles on the changing HNW client & the new rules of super-prime design
HBA Residential's new EMEA Principal discusses the dramatic shift in expectations among global buyers over the last decade - and what it means for luxury designers and developers.
Required Reading: What the Royal Lodge saga tells us about subletting
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's recent example highlights how crucial it is to get the rules in writing, explains Kate Stockdale.
London is the slowest-moving region as new research highlights torpid home-buying process
The average time it takes to move home in Britain has increased by nearly a third since the pandemic, says Rightmove.
Trophy estate on Mexico’s Mayan Riviera offered with plans for a private palace or luxury resort
Beauchamp Estates is marketing the remarkable 140-hectare property, with two development options devised by London-based Casa E Progetti.
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