The advent of Spring marks the beginning of a strategic expansion for United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty. The brokerage is known for its ties to London’s five “golden postcodes”. This exclusive list comprises W8 (Kensington), SW3 (Chelsea), W1K (Mayfair), SW1X (Knightsbridge), and SW1W (Belgravia). However, increasing numbers of High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) are moving along the wealth corridor to South West London and out to the Cotswolds countryside.
United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty is therefore launching in key neighbourhoods across these two areas. The announcement comes alongside seven principal hires of expert property advisors with granular knowledge of their respective communities.
South West London
South West London is a patchwork of neighbourhoods, each with a distinct character. As well as an increased appetite from HNWIs in PCL, the area enjoys an existing prime property market characterised by communities, schools, and families’ primary homes. United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty has now launched in this area.
A Team of Local Experts
The new South West London territory covers Fulham, Clapham, Wandsworth, Putney, Barnes, Wimbledon, and Richmond. Defined by their collective passion for the area, United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty has hired six esteemed property experts to serve clients in their communities and advise those moving to the area.
Having spent 25 years in property, Senior Director Sam Sproston joins the agency with two decades of experience selling homes in South West London. For the majority of his tenure at Knight Frank, he was office head and oversaw record-breaking sales in areas such as Wandsworth, Clapham, and Richmond, amounting to over £800M of property. He arrives with impressive contacts and a considerable social following.
James Williams has significant experience in prime and super-prime property markets. Leaving after 18 years, he was the longest-serving partner in Knight Frank’s London Sales business. Meanwhile, Peter Norgrove has set various selling records. With experience at Hamptons International and Knight Frank, he also spent eight years at Savills. Both James and Peter specialise in Richmond-Upon-Thames and join as Senior Directors.
Working in real estate since 1993, James Morrison spent 25 years at Savills, where he launched an office in Wimbledon Village. He generated record revenue and profit for the company during his tenure as Head of Office. He joins United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty as Senior Director.
Senior Director Drew Zendra has 14 years of prime property experience, having worked both at Savills and for a boutique agency. His accomplishments include the highest-value sale in Wimbledon Village. Drew also has experience in the Coombe, Wandsworth, Clapham and Battersea markets.
Completing the team, Director Alex Philo has almost 22 years of property sales experience in prime and super-prime markets from Wandsworth to Weybridge. In 2020, he took over Knight Frank’s Wimbledon team, dealing with some of the most prestigious houses in SW19, and broke the record for the highest fee in the agency’s southwest division.
The South West London Market
Leafy South West London has gradually become an enviable alternative to more central parts of the city. The area is known for its green, open spaces, elegant Victorian architecture and outstanding local schools. Proliferated by enviable enclaves, its neighbourhoods often have a villagey feel and distinct personalities originating from a time before London spread so far beyond the City walls.
The market here is characterised by local agents, word-of-mouth recommendations and clients who are likely to stay in South West London for the duration of their children’s education. Schools, close-knit communities, and the availability of sufficient outdoor space all serve to anchor families to the area.
Across the UK, recent political and economic developments have made for a slightly dampened property sector. However, as an area defined by cash buyers and secondary homes, PCL’s prime and super-prime markets are relatively buoyant. Nonetheless, the ultra-wealthy can afford to wait for a more optimal time to buy or sell. By comparison, South West London has a less discretionary market. Clients’ immediate requirements – for more bedrooms, a larger garden, or proximity to specific schools – have all driven continued movement.
It is predicted that South West London’s property sector will continue to show resilience. This expectation is grounded by a needs-based market and families with deep emotional ties to the area as well as increasing interest from HNWIs and the investability of heritage property in characterful, quintessentially English neighbourhoods.
Prime Cotswolds
As the wealth corridor expands, more HNWIs are considering a Cotswolds country house. United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty has an established Country division, based in Cobham, that covers desirable neighbourhoods in Surrey and Berkshire. However, the Cotswolds property market makes for fertile ground.
A Country House Aficionado
The Cotswolds represents a new opportunity for United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty. Prime country property specialist Andrew Barnes is the principal hire for the fledgling territory. He joins as Senior Director, bringing 37 years of experience and valuable market insights.
Andrew’s property career has taken him from Prime Central London to the South of France and back. In his first managerial role, he oversaw the top-performing branch of the company’s 300 UK offices and became the youngest director in its history. As Commercial Director, Andrew later rebranded and expanded a London-based business that is now one of the largest developers of private clients’ super-prime homes. He also has experience working in Knight Frank’s Country House department.
Andrew specialises in the area north of the A40, above Oxford, with Kingham, Soho Farmhouse, and Daylesford Organic Farm forming something of a golden triangle of super prime addresses. Living and working in the Cotswolds, he is passionate about the area and its property market. “It’s gratifying to sell people homes that they live in,” Andrew reveals. “I have a local, boutique agent mentality, but now have a corporate engine room behind me. From my point of view, this makes us the most complete brokerage.”
Around 90 per cent of Andrew’s business comes via recommendations from former clients due, in part, to his decade of experience selling country homes. He is uniquely positioned to advise on all components – including costs, timings, planning and listed building issues – involved in buying and selling unmodernised property.
The Cotswolds Market
Spreading across Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire and touching on surrounding counties, the Cotswolds is known for its rolling hills and charming villages of limestone cottages. It is home to the country’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which stretches almost 800 square miles.
Life in the Cotswolds is truly seasonal. Just as the farmers sow crops in the spring and harvest in the summer, the property market also has an annual cadence. Most properties have sizable gardens if not acreage and local vendors understand that a property’s land and location constitute half its appeal. Houses are therefore marketed in spring and summer when their exteriors will look their best.
Last year, however, the selling season was bookended by an election announcement and the autumn budget. This made for a hesitant marketplace, meaning there is pent-up interest this year that should see the beginnings of a resurgence. Two years ago, it was a market defined by sealed bids and homes sold at high prices.
This uptick in the local property market was fueled by an increased interest in the area. Previously frequented by an older visitor, the Cotswolds is now attracting a different demographic. Investment in members’ clubs and leisure facilities has driven interest both from visitors and buyers. As a result, the Cotswolds has gradually adapted to cater to this market. Farm shops have become artisanal delis while sleepy drinkers’ pubs have been restored and reinstated as charming coachhouses.
“There’s now a young, London crowd here including lots of media and tech people,” Andrew explains. “Only 20 years ago, you would be hard-pressed to find this even in a cool Cotswolds pub. I believe we’re at the beginning of an exciting resurgence driven by accessibility, the quality of local schools and a change in perception. There’s never been a better time to come to this market.”
Expanding Interests
News of the expansion follows a year in which United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty achieved £1.2B in total sales value. The agency is also redoubling its efforts in its Country division, which covers Surrey and Berkshire, including the additional hire of local expert James Phillips.
From its ancient roots in the namesake auction house to growing international property interests, United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty represents bespoke service, elevated advice and local knowledge underpinned by a global network.
Find out more about buying a home or selling your property with United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty.
