North Americans accounted for a “record” 19 per cent of all overseas-based applicants looking to buy property in the UK during the first quarter of the year, analysis from Hamptons has revealed.
The analysis, which examined Connells Group buyer registration data, found that buyers from the United States and Canada are the fastest growing international buyer group in Britain, having made up 15 per cent of applicants in Q1 2025.
This also represented an increase of 11 percentage points when compared to the same figures a decade ago.
While this group is the fastest growing, Hamptons specified that European buyers remain the largest single overseas group, accounting for 54 per cent of international applicants.
Hamptons head of research, Aneisha Beveridge, said: “While international buyer demand has eased overall, Americans are bucking that trend.
“For many, London is starting to look like relatively good value again, and we’re increasingly seeing people buying with a view to living here, not just investing.”
Regions
Additionally, the analysis pointed out that, while international demand declined across most of Great Britain, London was the only region to experience growth in overseas buyer interest in the first quarter of the year, rising by 8 per cent on an annual basis.
This means that 25 per cent of all international enquiries were focused on the capital, an increase from 21 per cent last year.
“London continues to stand out as a compelling destination, with its culture, lifestyle and world‑class education drawing people here for more than just financial reasons,” Beveridge explained.
This stood in contrast to the fall in interest that all other regions experienced ranging from the East of England, which saw a 4 per cent decrease, to Wales, which saw a 27 per cent decrease.
As a result, overall buyer interest across the country fell by 10 per cent in Q1.
Buyer profiles
The analysis also showed that the profile of international buyers continues to shift away from investors to owner-occupiers.
It detailed that, over the past decade, the share of overseas-based applicants looking for a buy-to-let property has fallen from 17 per cent to 12 per cent, while the proportion seeking a second home has more than halved, falling from 6 per cent to 2 per cent.
Hamptons suggested that, together, this reflects the cumulative impact of higher stamp duty surcharges and less favourable tax treatment for overseas landlords.
At the same time, first-time buyers accounted for 23 per cent of all international applicants in Q1 2026, nearly three times the share recorded a decade ago.
It added that, among North American applicants in particular, 27 per cent were first time buyers and only 10 per cent were seeking an investment property.
tom.dunstan@ft.com
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