Find Property and Real Estate expertise in United Kingdom

British house prices rose more than 200% from 1996-2007 – prices in London alone rose 310%. The market is however quite vulnerable to the economic state of the country. The country has a highly organised property sales and lettings market with tens of thousands of real estate agents; and more than a thousand firms, some operating as networks, and some as franchises, others under one ownership. One will find at least one estate agent firm or branch in every main (high) street in the country. Stamp duty is levied progressively from 0% to 4%. The property and real estate market is very sophisticated, providing complex derivative securities, based on the Investment Property Databank (IPD) Index, which interact fluidly with financial markets. Such products provide an alternative route into property investment without the inconveniences and transaction costs surrounding direct investment in physical real estate.