London’s real value is as one of the principal global capitals of the world.

The eyes of the international community are firmly fixed on the prime Central London property market, and demand from overseas is the single biggest contributor to determining the health of the market, driving the prices up and keeping the supply line extremely tight. The most important driver behind price growth this last year has been the growing demand for London property from the international buyer. London is seen as economically and politically stable, a safe deposit for international wealth, which continues to benefit from favourable exchange rates.

This buyer profile is also reflected in Strutt & Parker's own figures. Of the buyers we registered during the last six months, only 40% were British - the remaining 60% were Swiss, Hungarian, Egyptian, Libyan, Russian, Indian, Chinese, Indonesian and Americans. Knightsbridge and Belgravia were the most popular locations among our international buyers, accounting for 75% of sales. In Kensington and Chelsea, 60% and 48% of sales respectively were bought by international buyers.

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