Charles Curran: Forget the hype, this is reality
Boutique estate agency boss (and former private equity banker) rails against misplaced optimism - calling for honesty, realism and tough love in today’s Prime Central London market.
Prior to setting up Conster Capital Ventures, the parent company of Maskells Estate Agents, Charles held senior positions at Bear Stearns, Bank of Scotland and Societe Generale where he specialized in Mortgage Backed Securities (Residential and Commercial), Asset Backed Securities and Structured Credit. Charles assists the teams with market data analysis, asset valuations and deals with the company’s financial institution clients. Charles also looks after White Circle Collection (www.whitecirclecollection.com), the multi-family office sister company to Maskells. Charles is bilingual French.
‘This could be the moment to act for global investors’: Evaluating the UK’s prime residential markets in an era of uncertainty
Middleton Advisors & Yolande Barnes explain why the stage is set for a renewed influx of overseas investment in PCL & country markets.
Reality bites in Prime Central London as buyers step back & sellers cut prices
Recent tax changes have led to falling sales and downward price pressure across the capital's top postcodes, reports Knight Frank.
Prime London sales market ‘bursts into life’ with best October since 2013
LonRes reports 'substantial turnaround' as transactions jump 55% year-on-year, while a significant rise in under offer numbers bodes well for Q4.
Companies in this article
MaskellsMost read
Lomond recruits Druce & Foxtons alumnus as new COO
Neil McGimpsey succeeds Lucy Jones, who is stepping down after a five-year stint.
Strutt & Parker brings in Madison for PCL expansion drive
Heritage estate agency recruits top-end operator - the latest in a run of high-profile hires - to extend prime market coverage as part of 'ambitious' growth strategy.
Deal sealed on £17.5mn Cadogan Square restoration project
Rare unmod opp on the famous garden square could become one of RBKC’s finest residences, say agents.
Barnes joins UK Sotheby’s International Realty as Senior Director
Well-known dealmaker Simon Barnes has signed to George Azar & Alex Isidro's team in PCL.
By PrimeResi
Investor-developer acquires 86-unit PCL portfolio for £28mn
'A few years ago, you simply wouldn’t have seen assets of this quality and in these locations pricing at that level,' said Leufroy, which has exchanged on a quartet of buildings in Notting Hill & Kensington.
Expert Panel: Prime Central London has hit a ‘critical inflection point’
Property & HNW industry leaders unpack the volatility, policy churn & changing buyer geography defining a new era for ultra-prime London.
Harding Green acquires boutique NW London agency
Laurence Leigh Residential has been running since 2007.
By PrimeResi
Luxury brokerage flags tight supply & strong deal flow in Mayfair
UK Sotheby’s International Realty reports unusually competitive conditions in the historic neighbourhood after completing £172mn of transactions.
Hefty Marylebone mansion flat heads to auction
First floor lateral on Portland Place is the priciest lot being offered at Allsop's final resi sale of the year.
Prime London buyers resurface after Budget clarity – but vendors beat a retreat
Property sales spiked as uncertainty lifted in November, according to LonRes, though supply-side trends point to a cautious year-end.
LATEST ARTICLES
Prime London property market heading for ‘worst year since Covid’
18% fewer £5mn+ sales have been recorded in London this year compared to 2024, while no deals have gone through above £50mn.
By PrimeResi
Investor-developer acquires 86-unit PCL portfolio for £28mn
'A few years ago, you simply wouldn’t have seen assets of this quality and in these locations pricing at that level,' said Leufroy, which has exchanged on a quartet of buildings in Notting Hill & Kensington.
Agency lists 1/8th share of Mayfair penthouse for £1.05mn
Fractional ownership is catching on with PCL buyers, says Russell Simpson, as a share in a 'sublime' duplex on historic Queen Street goes on the market.
‘Momentum shows little sign of slowing’: Branded resi sector records another year of ‘exceptional growth’
Fresh analysis by Savills suggests the global branded residential development niche expanded by nearly a fifth in 2025.
By PrimeResi
Overseas company ownership of property nearly doubles over decade
The total value of overseas-owned property in England & Wales has continued to climb in recent years, but more slowly than in the late 2010s.
By PrimeResi