Taking your brief

Your search is unique. That is why we place so much importance on our first meeting, when we take your brief. The meeting is also an opportunity for you to get to know us. We set out our game plan, we establish your time line, and we discuss your search parameters. We will also go through the terms of the contract and give you a written copy to take with you. There is no obligation for you to commit until you are ready.

We specialise in helping Continental buyers find the right property in London. Our services are available in several languages, including, English, French and Spanish.

Sourcing the right property

During your search, we will be at your full disposal and in touch at the frequency of your preference. At this stage, we will do the following:

• Preview each and every property that matches your brief
• Use professional resources to source off-market properties, in addition to viewing those on-the-market
• Distribute personalised leaflets in your chosen areas
• Summarise for you every previewed property with photos, key data points, pros, and cons
• Set up appointments for viewings and accompany you to each one, at times suitable to you (including in the evenings and on the weekends)
• Send to you information from all stages of the search, from the preview to the viewing to the offer, via email. All of this information will also be available on our secure client portal

Negotiating the deal

Deciding upon the right offer price for a property is difficult business. Factors that come into play include the transaction history for similar flats in the neighbourhood and how much post-completion work is needed. While more an art than a science, we use the following resources to arrive at the right offer price together:

• A professional database to find the history of past transactions on the same street, as well as in surrounding areas. This gives us a ‘first sense’ of comparables, and as such, the range within which our offer should fall
• An independent surveyor, as a supplement to the bank-appointed surveyor. We bring in the expertise of Robert Hamilton, the head surveyor at Central Surveying, a Knightsbridge-based firm. The company has a strong reputation and is independent to Harcourt Properties
• A builder to give an estimate for the cost of any works you might be considering

Once we put forward the offer price, we handle the negotiation from start to finish. Given our high success rate at closing deals, we have a strong relationship with vendors and vendors’ agents, who know that any client of ours is a motivated buyer. This means that when the competition is fierce, your offer stands a better chance at being accepted.

Ensuring completion

Typically, only 30% of accepted offers reach completion, but our success rate is considerably higher. We have a full suite of professional contacts at our fingertips to facilitate completion. As we have worked with each of these contacts on numerous successful transactions, we feel very comfortable recommending their services and expertise to you. At this stage of the process, you can expect us to:

• Advise you regarding the instruction of solicitors, surveyors, and any other professional service in order to ensure completion
• Coordinate all necessary procedures until exchange of contract and completion
• Keep you informed daily with a clear conveyance report

We are proud to say that over 95% of our agreed offers have reached completion.