28th November 2025
7mins
The ink is just drying on Black Brick’s most dramatic price cut negotiation of the year – we have just helped a client shave £750,000 off the asking price of their dream family home in Maida Vale.
The 2,700 sq ft duplex apartment on sought-after Randolph Avenue was on the market for £5.25m when we showed it to our clients, a European family who needed to be within a half-hour commute of the British Library. They loved the stunning light-filled flat, awash with period features, and with its own garden and access to a communal garden. But they were slightly less enamoured of the £5.25m price tag.
We began a delicate negotiation with the selling agent.
“We always consider who the seller is, why they are selling and what the comparable sales data is telling us about the current market for similar properties in the area,” explained Tom Kain, a partner at Black Brick. “In this instance the vendor had a need to sell before the end of the year for tax reasons.”
This strategy, combined with the slow and uncertain state of the prime property market plus Black Brick’s reputation and longstanding track record, worked. We secured the property for £4.5m – a discount of more than 14 per cent. Once the sale had completed we also introduced our clients to a team of tried-and-tested experts, including architects and contractors, as they now plan on upgrading the property.
It is no secret that many of London’s very best properties never hit the property portals – instead they are sold in a discreet grey market based very much on networks of contacts.
Black Brick went underground to source a fabulous mansion flat on fashionable Mount Street, Mayfair, for Swiss clients who wanted a family flat they could share with their children who are living in London for work and study.
They wanted to buy in two of London’s most popular neighbourhoods, Mayfair or Marylebone. Security was important, and since one of the clients is an interior designer she had a keen eye for layout and light.
Nothing on the open market fitted the bill but we were able to help find a stunning first floor flat in a newly-renovated building. Supply on Mount Street, prized for its carefully curated range of bars, shops, and restaurants, tends to be low, so the circa 1,000 sq ft apartment was a real find.
In fact, said Camilla Dell, managing partner at Black Brick, the owner was hoping to sell the entire building but was persuaded to sell this trophy flat separately in a deal that took a year to put together. “Our clients’ requirements were tough hence we had to look beyond what was just openly available for sale,” said Dell. “We are able to think outside the box and patiently wait for the right opportunity.”
Once the deal was agreed we steered our clients and helped them navigate the unfamiliar buying process, and they paid £5.95m for the flat in May – before rival buyers were even aware it was available. Our private client property management team is now taking care of the flat, so it is ready whenever our clients want to use it.
A really special property can override underlying market conditions, and this Grade I listed villa in Hampstead was certainly special. The Grade I listed Georgian villa, once home of the a fashionable portrait artist, was being quietly sold off market by a boutique agent.
Used variously as an assembly room, complete with ballroom and tea room, and an office over the years, the six bedroom weatherboarded house was stylishly redesigned in 2012. Our clients fell in love with its mix of traditional period features and contemporary finish. With a young family they were on the market for a larger London house with a spacious garden and parking – but they didn’t want to go deep into the suburbs to find it.
The property was originally listed for £25m, but the asking price had been dropped to £20m by the time we viewed it. We were still able to negotiate a substantial seven figure discount.
Because this landmark property is close to 300-years-old, and restoration of a Grade I building is complex and expensive, it was crucial we did our due diligence during the sales process. “We therefore engaged a heritage specialist to look at the work done and check it complied with the necessary heritage requirements,” said Dell. “The property was also in close proximity to a pub so we undertook specialist surveys to give our clients comfort that they would not be disturbed.”
Despite all the work involved we also got the deal completed in double quick time, taking less than a month to get the keys into our clients’ hands.
Tall, slim, and elegant, a classic London townhouse never goes out of fashion.
Our clients live in the country but wanted a base in the capital when they came to us having struggled to find anything suitable on their own. They wanted a freehold house with at least 3,000 sq ft of living space, and some outside space, ideally within a one mile radius of Soho.
We found them a beautifully renovated five bedroom Georgian townhouse in Manchester Street, Marylebone, which comfortably exceeded their need for space, and had a sweet courtyard garden and is a short stroll from the bars, restaurants, and boutiques of Marylebone High Street and Chiltern Street. We helped them shave £250,000 off the asking price and they paid £7.5m for the property in May.
Our clients wanted a stylish London crash pad close to Paddington Station, and in a secure well-run building with a porter. Since they planned to bring their dog with them the building needed to be pet friendly, and they wanted a flat with good natural light, period features, and a porter for security.
Our choice was a smart second floor flat in a lovely white stucco building on Lancaster Gate, a 15 minute walk to the Station and seconds from Hyde Park for long dog walks.
Our clients concurred and gave us the go-ahead to negotiate. They bought the flat in July for £4.6m, which was less than £2,000 per sq ft and £350,000 less than the asking price.
Although Black Brick is known for its expertise in buying property, it can also help clients sell their properties.
A former client, who Black Brick assisted with the purchase of a loft-style apartment in Gloucester Studios, Primrose Hill, back in 2008 (a year after we opened) got in touch earlier this year. After almost 20 happy years in the apartment, she was moving to Bath and wanted our help to sell the flat.
In a tricky market pricing is everything – buyers are extremely nervous of over-paying – and we encouraged her to list the property for a sensible price. As a result, she found herself fielding multiple offers and sold the flat in September for £2.49m, £200,000 above the guide price.
London’s sales market has been treading water for much of 2025, but the rental market is running hot, with far more potential tenants than properties, particularly at the top end of the market.
Nonetheless we were able to help a family of five, relocating from Singapore, find their perfect family house in London. They wanted a smart house in a family-friendly neighbourhood with great amenities, which brought us to St John’s Wood, close to their children’s schools and handy for their respective offices. The property found was a fully renovated villa on Blenheim Road, had not yet been listed, and with our clients’ approval negotiated a three year tenancy at £16,466 per month.
We would be delighted to hear from you to discuss your own property requirements. For a non-obligatory consultation, please contact us.
