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Early signs for 2026 are good.

13th January 2026

The 2025 Budget, crassly pitched on the 26th November last year, produced a stagnant Autumn market. One agent I spoke to yesterday said their activity stopped in April 2025. The only silver lining was that some of the scaremongering proved an empty threat, so at least homeowners and buyers alike could wipe the slate clean and plan ahead. Decisions often made over the Christmas period. Pent up supply and demand is likely to produce an increase in Spring activity, beyond the norm.

Hanslips agreed an off-market deal last week, in the first week in January, which shows promise. Many assume that the off-market theatre is focused on properties in excess of £2m. But this was not the case, being around the £1.5m mark.

Estate agents will continue to try to save money. They have their own agenda as well as their clients’ best interests, so better to call the buying agent representing a known buyer in an excellent buying position rather than go through the hassle of a full marketing regime, with all the time and money that inevitably costs. Whatever the asking price.

Hanslips acts only for buyers and helps position them as the favoured option when sellers need to choose which buyer to run with. Repeat business from a trusted source equals less risk. Isn’t this how most business works?

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Fees…more than covered by the savings we made in the price paid
Francis has an expert understanding of real value and quality. The cost of his fees are more than covered by the savings we made in the price. I strongly recommend Francis to anyone considering seeking a property.

Mr and Mrs Peter Fox-Linton, Chelsea.

An oasis of calm
Having made the decision to move to an area we were not familiar with, Hanslips offered professional advice and support. They quietly steered us through the house hunting maze and helped us avoid making panicked decisions. We are thrilled with our new home and would thoroughly recommend their services.

Mr and Mrs Simon and Lesley Howell, Henley-upon-Thames

Negotiation skills saved us at least £20,000
Hanslips’ advice was invaluable and their negotiation skills saved us at least £20,000 more on the purchase price than we could have saved on our own.

Mr and Mrs Richard and Tina Long, Tunbridge Wells.

Stress free and effortless
Hanslips made our house purchase stress free and effortless. Their knowledge of the market, attention to detail and dedication were exceptional and so reassuring as we embarked on the most significant purchase of our lives. They found us the perfect home.

Alan and Penny Richmond Newnham, Hampshire

Hanslips has come to our rescue
This is the second time Hanslips has come to our rescue, as well as being in the timeline and within budget. From the first meeting the service was efficient, helpful and took the worry away. We would not think twice about highly recommending Hanslips.

Luke Ridley & Mary Eustace, Hammersmith

Expert advice
Nobody pays fees without thinking twice, but one would not make any other investment of this size without expert advice, your services not only helped us get the house, but also gave us the necessary comfort that we got the right house.

Mr & Mrs Alexander Newman, Newbury, Berkshire

The perfect birthday present
Thank you so much for finding our home (we would have never found it ourselves) and for negotiating the deal when it stalled yesterday! What a relief! Very exciting. Thank you very much for the perfect birthday present!

Christopher and Sandy King, Oxfordshire

Exactly to the specification
I have worked with Hanslips in the purchase of two properties in the last three years. The properties have been exactly to the specification that I gave in our initial meeting. Hanslips listen to and understand their clients, I would not consider using anyone else to find my home.

Mr Robert Butler, Notting Hill

Hard working
Hanslips worked hard in what has not been the easiest of markets and we have always been impressed with their commendable thoroughness and professionalism. We particularly liked the way Hanslips handled working down the final price – this alone has more than earned their fee.

Mr and Mrs Jerry Brunning, Chelsea

Exactly what we wanted
It was an excellent experience and greatly reduced the time we would have had to spend traipsing around different flats with different agents. Hanslips quickly understood exactly what we wanted, and having someone both efficient and trustworthy on our side took all the stress out of the process.

Viscount & Viscountess Trenchard, Pimlico

Minimised the stress
Buying a flat all by myself without knowledge of the market or much time to spare was a daunting thought. Thankfully Hanslips minimised the stress by doing all the legwork and providing sound advice, all with great professionalism and courtesy. I would not hesitate in recommending the service to anyone.

Miss Jennifer Chen, Hampstead

Extremely grateful
I am extremely grateful for Hanslips’ help in my recent search for a flat. I had complete faith that they grasped my requirements and matched my determination to find the perfect flat. The perfect flat is what we found and I definitely could not have done it without them. Thank you once again.

Miss Isabella Anstruther-G-Calthorpe, Holland Park

We had almost given up hope
After months of fruitless househunting we had almost given up hope. And then we were recommended Hanslips. In a matter of weeks they found us the perfect house which was not yet even on the market. We simply would not have found our house without them!

Peter & Sly Bailey, South Kensington

Very thorough in their approach
Francis came highly recommended by friends. He was very thorough in his approach and gave us a real appraisal of the market. We gave him our budget and he got the house for us, he more than justified the fee that he received.

Mr & Mrs Karim Souki, Fulham

The right house
We are very happy to have bought our house and very happy with your help in getting it. It must be unusual that you did not have to look for the house, I am convinced that we would not have been the winning bidders without your help.

Mr & Mrs Alexander Newman, Newbury, Berkshire

Wisest investment
Francis’s help was invaluable. Initially he offered clear guidance on the type of property that would be the wisest investment, visiting and vetting several inappropriate properties saving me making costly poor choices. Throughout the buying process he made the process pain free, with his co-ordination ensuring a fast turn around.

Rosie Hodgson Kentish Town, London

Thought out for our benefit
Hanslips were extremely efficient, all queries were fully followed up and answered, and advice was thought out for our benefit rather than ‘getting a sale done’. It was a pleasure receiving their service even if a bit short-lived as they found our property so quickly!

Mr & Mrs Christopher Wilmot, Sevenoaks, Kent

Extensive network of contacts
With their extensive network of contacts, Hanslips provides an excellent insight into the world of property investment. They deliver an honest and objective appraisal.

Rupert and Caroline Tyer, Belgravia

Experience & expertise
Without the benefit of Hanslips’ experience and expertise, we would undoubtedly have been thwarted by the difficult technicalities we encountered, in particular regarding rights of way. It has been invaluable to us, relocating to Britain for the first time.

Mr & Mrs Christian Haar, Henley, Oxford

They took infinite trouble
Hanslips worked tirelessly to find me the right flat at a price that I could afford. They took infinite trouble in keeping the vendor’s agents and solicitors informed of progress at all times, their considerable experience helped with every aspect necessary to secure my flat.

Miss Lucinda Glyn, Marylebone

Thank you for finding our flat
Thank you for finding our flat in Kensington. It was definitely a service worth having, especially for people like us with no time to spare beyond our daily jobs. I don’t believe that we would have had the patience to go through it all if you weren’t there to see it through!

Mr & Mrs Ramzy Rasamny, Kensington

Excellent knowledge and a brilliant service
Thank you so much Francis for finding us a stunning property in a beautiful Chelsea garden square. The house you helped us purchase was off market and we would never have found without your help. You negotiated a sale price and helped facilitate a rapid process from first viewing to completion. Excellent knowledge and a brilliant service though the whole process.

Clive and Lynne Sykes, Chelsea

Far less stressful
I found that using Hanslips made purchasing a property in a strange area a far less stressful experience than expected. They took full account of our requirements and advised us of the best areas and those to be avoided. We now own a very desirable flat after a short search and an uncomplicated completion.

Mr & Mrs David Lockett-Smith, Chelsea

Great professionalism
We are delighted with our new home which eluded us for over a year. Hanslips interpreted our requirements precisely, represented our interests with great professionalism and remained calm and supportive throughout the buying process. They found us just what we were looking for, in a very tricky market.

Charles and Ruth Hicks, Rogate, West Sussex

The only possible ones
I was finding flat-hunting a very depressing business until I was introduced to Francis Long of Hanslips. He never dragged me round unsuitable properties, only ‘possible’ ones, and in no time had found me the perfect flat.

Mrs Rosemary Brann, Chelsea

Managed to find a dream property
Working with Francis was a real pleasure, he made a genuine effort to understand the type of property and the areas that I was interested in, remaining totally impartial. He took all of the stress out of the house-hunting process, and with his experience and connections managed to find a dream property, unlike anything I could have found without his help!

Mr and Mrs Richard Tonks, Islington

Guiding us through the labyrinth
Thank you for all your help in sourcing the house and guiding us through the labyrinth of issues such as what to buy, where, what to bid, how to secure the property etc. We were also thrilled with the after-sale service and felt you really were on our team.

Mr & Mrs Michael Lavelle, Wimbledon

Protecting our position during negotiations
Francis Long was a huge help in finding what we were looking for, protecting our position during negotiations and he also remained involved after our offer was accepted to ensure things ran smoothly. He took a lot of pain out of the process of buying a flat for us.

Mr and Mrs Andrew Ross, Ashley Gardens, Westminster.

No hesitation recommending
Hanslips’ knowledge of the area and investment potential was invaluable. We are now settled and living in a beautiful home, in a situation that allows access to the City and the West Country. We would have no hesitation in recommending their services for both rental and purchase properties.

Mr & Mrs Keith Harrison, Odiham, Hampshire

1st class service
A totally stress free way to find the perfect house. First class service from our initial brief (which we changed several times!) through to signing on the dotted line. Hanslips worked extremely hard for us in ensuring we got the right house. Many thanks.

Andrew and Kate Brooks, West Sussex

Great development opportunity
Hanslips was instrumental in ensuring that we purchased a property that offered a great development opportunity, ensuring that we got the best value for money by always providing us with a comparative analysis.

Constance Long Term Holdings, Belgravia

Full of the right advice
Hanslips were always even-voiced, helpful, full of the right advice and at the end of a telephone. I think we were fortunate that Hanslips knew the owners as well as the estate agent from way back. Many thanks.

Mr & Mrs Nick Addyman, Wandsworth

Very fortunate to have Hanslips
Being overseas buyers and therefore not familiar with the tricks of the trade, we were very fortunate to have Hanslips on our team. They took care of, and supported us in all aspects of the purchasing process, including the after-sales service.

Mr & Mrs Wilhelm Rooders, Hampstead

Made a stressful decision a lot easier
Just wanted to personally thank you for all your help over the past months. You have been wonderful throughout it all and a huge help. It made a stressful decision a lot easier. Especially trying to do this with two babies, you have taken the pressure off me to do the research, as all those things are so time consuming.

Mike and Louisa Pummell, Haywards Heath

Timely and apposite
Your advice was timely and apposite and the work you carried out, especially regarding the private water supply prior to exchange, not only reduced our work and stress levels but also has put us in a good position to manage the property over the coming years.

Mr & Mrs Simon Beale, Burford, Oxfordshire

Tremendous hard work
It was only through Hanslips’ tremendous hard work that we’ve now finally bought a property. I think it’s unlikely that we would have considered a house needing renovation, but for your encouragement, and your practical assistance with the planning authorities, in finding a surveyor, and your recommendation of a local builder.

Mr & Mrs Andrew Fyatt, Stratfield Saye, Hampshire

A most patient and available search agent
Hanslips proved to be a most patient and available search agent. Our requirements and regular changes of heart were all understood with great professionalism. Nothing was ever too much effort, their advice was sound and the after sale service is excellent. I recommend Hanslips to anyone, whatever their circumstances.

Richard and Philippa Slatter, Chiswick