By Emily Mee, Money teamThe cost of living crisis has not slowed London's prime property boom. A total of 54 properties in the capital sold for £15m or more last year, costing their billionaire or multibillionaire buyers a combined £1.3bn. Many of these properties are 'invisible' to the average buyer - never making it to sites like Zoopla or Rightmove, and instead becoming part of an almost underground market accessible only to the super rich and in-the-know.
In some cases, estate agents might be asked to approach the owners of properties to find out if they're willing to sell - and while this works 'infrequently', it can help if the potential buyer is well-known.Specific requests 'I've had a request recently from somebody with a car collection who wants to house that underground,' Mr Schneiderman says. This isn't too easy to find in central London, but he says there are a 'few houses' in the Hampstead area.