Antony Roberts’ experts are often asked for their opinions on various aspects of the housing and rental markets. Below, is a selection of our comments which appeared in the press in July.
Average UK house prices fell by 0.8 per cent between May and June, according to Nationwide building society. Amy Reynolds, head of sales at Antony Roberts, told The Financial Times: “While many sellers are reducing asking prices to attract interest, we’re still agreeing a strong number of sales.”
Meanwhile, the more dated yet more comprehensive house price survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that values rose by 3.9 per cent in the year to May. Amy Reynolds told Forbes: “The market continues to surprise. While headlines paint a gloomy picture, the reality on the ground is far more nuanced. June was a record month for us in terms of newly-agreed deals, and July has started strongly for exchanges. That said, fall-throughs were also high in June – it’s very much a tale of two halves.”
Antony Roberts has appointed Giselle Geoghegan as lettings manager of the East Sheen office. Amy Reynolds told The Negotiator: “Giselle brings extensive knowledge and insight to our team. Having recently worked from our Richmond office, she has now returned to East Sheen and is looking forward to connecting with landlords and residents in the area.”
A six-bedroom house for sale with Antony Roberts on Vicarage Road in East Sheen was home to a Cold War spymaster and an Olympic medallist during the 1960s. Amy Reynolds, who is the current owner and is selling the property, told The Standard: “Some of the best bits are the privacy of the garden, its unique location, and the layout. We’re moments from Richmond Park, Palewell Common, Mortlake Station and the local shops and schools. It’s well connected, but it also feels tucked away. And we’ve got two private gardens.”
Residential transactions, perhaps a better indicator of the health of the housing market than prices, increased in June following a dip earlier in the year after the end of the stamp duty concession, according to HMRC. Amy Reynolds told PrimeResi: “As this data shows, contrary to expectations, the property market isn’t slowing down for summer. At first it looked as though it might as the final week of the school term was very quiet, and we braced ourselves for a long stretch until September. But we’re already back in full swing: valuing good houses, agreeing off-market sales and running packed diaries of viewings. The general sentiment is that interest rates will come down further, and the Spring market – which never really materialised because of uncertainty around Trump’s tariffs – has left a degree of pent-up demand.” She explained further in Bridging & Commercial: “While there’s not a huge sense of urgency and it isn’t a seller’s market, it is a market. Buyers are pragmatic about what they want and what they’ll pay. If a property is priced correctly and meets the right needs, the buyer will be there – and we’re seeing this play out across all price brackets.”
