Even Duchesses Can Take a Loss These Days But You Don’t Have To If You Stay Informed.

It’s not every day you hear of someone losing money on a Belgravia townhouse. Yet that’s exactly what happened when the Duchess of York sold hers at a £400,000 loss. Proof, if ever you needed it, that even royal connections don’t guarantee a profit in London’s trickiest markets.

Of course, the headlines are juicy. But the real story is this: prime central London isn’t the one-way bet it used to be. Rising taxes, mortgage costs, and the scrapping of non-dom status have left some of the smartest postcodes feeling a little less shiny. In Belgravia’s SW1, only 13% of properties are under offer, the lowest since the pandemic. In other words, it’s not you, it’s the market.

At Smith & Ericsson, we don’t believe in crossing our fingers and hoping for the best. We arm our clients with The Brief, our data-driven market intelligence tool that reveals what’s really happening street by street. Because in this climate, “gut feeling” won’t cut it unless your gut has access to Land Registry stats and buyer demand analysis!

Then comes the execution. Our tailored selling and renting services mean we design a strategy around your property and your goals, not just the postcode. Whether you want maximum value from a sale, a carefully chosen tenant, or advice on whether to wait it out, we’ll guide you through.

And thanks to our affiliation with The London Broker network, your property isn’t just exposed locally it’s presented to a global pool of investors, buyers, and tenants. In a market where every advantage matters, that’s a big one.

So yes, even Duchesses can get it wrong. But you don’t have to. With the right strategy, the right data, and the right advisors, London’s property market is still a place to win.

Our view: The market isn’t broken. It’s selective. Get the intelligence, get the plan, and you’ll come out ahead without needing a palace to fall back on.

Check out The Brief on our website and get in touch.