British Vogue - 11.2019

PROPERTY | PROMOTION

F

or JLL, property in central London is

about more than bricks and mortar. It’s

about building links between people

and their surroundings, and recognising

the nuances of streets and properties

that will ensure purchasers and tenants find

their ideal home, whilst giving unprecedented

advice to vendors and landlords. Fortunately,

owing in part to its 2014 merger with WA Ellis,

a leading boutique agency, the team has a

wealth of experience to draw on. Five WA Ellis

partners, Lucy Morton, Daniel Wiggin,

Richard Barber, Tim des Forges and Simon

Godson, have over 150 years’ pooled experience

in London’s demanding property market, and

their passion comes through loud and clear. As

Lucy says: ‘We have re-sold and re-let the same

properties over many years and are proud to be

working with generation after generation of

our loyal, long-standing clients.’

Their fine-grained understanding of the

exclusive postcodes of Chelsea and Kensing-

ton, Mayfair, Westminster and Knightsbridge

means everything. No one doubts the chal-

lenges. Market conditions have been tough, in

part due to political uncertainty. In particular,

George Osborne’s 2014 hiking of stamp duty

for higher-valued property proved ‘a game

changer’, according to Tim. But, as Lucy

points out, ‘a good agent can work through any

market conditions’. JLL Residential, with its

‘lower turnover, higher value’ offering, is well

placed to deliver a discreet, highly bespoke

service: adept at arranging off-market transac-

tions, communicating with their clients 24/7.

The directors are confident that with prime

property prices having fallen, high net worth

individuals, thinking longer term, are now

back in the market once more. After all, the

capital’s fundamentals – be it

language, schooling or quality of

life – remain unchanged. JLL’s

Prime Collection brings together

some of the most exclusive properties

in London, everything from stunning

apartments to substantial, beautiful

family homes. A classic draw would

be the elegant Egerton Crescent,

which the company has been letting

for 25 years and recently brought to the market

for sale. Its books feature various outstanding

properties in the prime prominent squares.

The benefits of ‘a smaller family becoming

part of a larger family’, in Lucy’s phrase, are

clear: JLL covers the whole property spectrum

• commercial, retail, development, land,
  investment – along with a wealth of advisory
  teams with a presence in 80 countries. That
  means a far wider web of contacts, from China
  to the Middle East. Such an international reach
  helps JLL grasp the evolving way people want
  to live in prime central London. Lucy puts it
  succinctly: ‘We know we can find the right
  property to suit anyone’s lifestyle.’

JLL Prime Collection. Ring 020 3873 0220,

DIRECTORS PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE PENTHOUSE AT 21 YOUNG STREET, DEVELOPED BY GRAINGER PLC. or visit jll.co.uk/primecollection

From left:

Daniel Wiggin,

Richard Barber,

Lucy Morton,

Kate Flynn,

Tim des Forges,

Simon Godson

HOT

PROPERTY

Right: JLL let this house

in Egerton Crescent

for 25 years, but recently

sold it for the same client.

Below right: a typical

flat available to rent

JLL Residential’s directors have a deep understanding

of property in central London – allied to a global web of contacts

PARTNERS IN PRIME

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