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Brits brush off the Brexit dust

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Tiles may be rattling on the roofs of the City's most stable institutions as the EU referendum vote sinks in but London's estate agents and developers remain resolutely positive about the future of British bricks and mortar.

Agent Jeremy Leaf says that the north London property market has proved resilient in recent months. Following the Brexit vote, he says: "We are receiving fewer inquiries but those who are looking to buy seem much more serious. Although we were concerned there would be a reduction in market confidence following the referendum, resulting in some indecision at the very least, we have been pleasantly surprised so far.

"Almost immediately after we opened on the day after Brexit, terms were agreed at a very good price on a family house locally and developer clients refused to be rushed into accepting a fairly realistic offer on a commercial building nearby.

"Some people are a little nervous about the likely stance of lenders but not sufficiently to withdraw from transactions to date."

Another London seller whose hopes of a property sale are unaffected is David Shilling, Ascot milliner to the illustrious. He now lives in Monaco and has put his period London home on the market. The Marylebone pied à terre is for sale through Beauchamp Estates at £1.95 million.

Paul Smith, at estate agent Haart, believes the UK has every reason to be confident about the long-term success of the property market, though he expects some short-term turbulence.

"The underlying strength of property is sound, and it will remain a great investment because more people than ever are looking to get on to the ladder," he says. "Last month Haart saw 10 buyers chasing every property on the market and we know that around 80 per cent of young renters want to buy a house. This won't change any time soon."

Stephen Matthews, director at agent Greene & Co, says: "The property market is often driven by need - families have to move because of schools, jobs and changing circumstances and those factors will always override economic uncertainty. It may take a little longer for the uncertainty to die away but in the long term the UK property market will return to its position as a bastion of strength."

Simon Deen, Aston Chase's director of new homes, says that, in the short term, buyers will see the market as being in their favour.

Alex Newall, managing director of Hanover Private Office, says: "Stay calm; there is still a property market. We all need somewhere to live as a family or a business - the world will not stop."

Traditionally, property slumps follow six months behind City crashes. However, Benham & Reeves does not believe there will be a property crash. "In the medium to long term, the UK will remain one of the world's strongest and most secure economies, with London as the world's leading financial centre," says B&R's Anita Mehra. "We believe the longer-term trajectory for the London property market is upward but with some turbulence in the immediate term."

Stuart Law, chief executive of Assetz Property, is one of the few who sees difficult times ahead.

"We still expect prime London prices to continue falling and many of the tens of thousands of luxury homes in the pipeline to be mothballed, as demand fails to meet that potential supply," he says.

Law advises buy-to-let investors to look instead at the Northern Powerhouse market which "remains a strong contender for those seeking to protect capital and produce an income well above bank interest rates".

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