‘A good opportunity to buy’: Berkeley Group says cash-rich buyers should snap up London property amid market chaos
London’s embattled housing market is presenting a rare window for wealthy buyers to scoop up prime property, according to one of the UK’s leading housebuilders.
In a trading update released on Friday (13 March), Berkeley Group Holdings described the current environment as a period of “market dislocation” – driven by factors including the emerging conflict in the Middle East, persistent inflation risks, and elevated interest rates – that has weighed on consumer confidence and broader sentiment.
Yet the company struck an optimistic note for those with ready liquidity. “For customers with liquidity, the current market dislocation presents a good opportunity to buy,” the group said.
The FTSE 100-listed developer, known for its focus on high-end and regeneration projects in and around London, highlighted the capital’s enduring appeal despite short-term challenges.
“In the long term, the outlook for London is positive,” the statement read, highlighting the city’s “tremendous resilience,” status as Europe’s largest financial centre, leadership in attracting tech headquarters over the past five years, and strengths in security, heritage, innovation, time zone advantages, and language.
Berkeley noted that sales enquiries have remained good, with the value of underlying reservations recovering toward levels seen in summer 2025, before a pre-Budget slowdown.
However, the group acknowledged that geopolitical events and macro uncertainty continue to constrain the trading environment.
Financially, Berkeley reaffirmed its guidance for pre-tax profit of £450 million in the current financial year (ending April 2026) and a similar level in FY27.
The company is targeting a strong net cash position of around £300 million by year-end, after settling over £250 million in land creditors, returning approximately £190 million to shareholders year-to-date through buybacks and dividends, and investing in its Berkeley Living build-to-rent (BTR) platform.
The housebuilder is navigating regulatory hurdles, including delays with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) that have constrained new home supply in London.
It welcomed the recent “Homes for London” package from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Greater London Authority (GLA) aimed at improving housing viability, and called for the BSR to adopt a more “enabling” approach.
