Investors strengthen grip on prime London property

Investors have strengthened their grip on the prime central London property market and are now responsible for more than four out of 10 purchases.

That is a rise of 8% year-on-year and is starting to force prices up again after months of stagnation.

The latest London property monitor from estate agency Marsh & Parsons shows that prime London property has risen 0.8% in the last three months, the first increase since September 2014.

Pimlico saw the strongest price growth with values up 5%, or £66,000, compared to the second quarter of last year.

Today, 42% of all prime central London property sales are made by investors, against 34% one year ago.

They are now the most common type of buyer across prime London as a whole.

There has also been an upswing in foreign nationality buyers, who were responsible for one in three of all sales.

Peter Rollings, chief executive of Marsh & Parsons, said he was encouraged by the return of investors to prime central London.

"Investors are a good gauge of the overall health of the London market. If there was any cause for concern, they would be upping sticks and moving elsewhere.

“But that fact they are still putting down roots in the capital shows how fertile current conditions are.

“While there may not be much action to see at the moment, prices are still growing, and the foundations for fruitful capital returns are strong."

Property in Prime Central areas costs 27% more per square foot than across city as a whole.