LONDON PROPERTY RESEARCH PRESS
64% of London new-build flat buyers lost money when they resold so how did some make substantial profits?
An analysis of 10,000 sales reveals what they did differently
Updated 2026 Edition
They did it by exploiting “loopholes” in standard developer pricing policy and marketing plans to achieve advantageous prices.
For example, in any development there are windows of opportunity to buy a minority of a development’s flats at a significant discount to what will be charged for the rest of the flats. This makes future increases in value far more likely.
The opportunities are available even in both weak and strong property markets.
Another example is that developers tend to underprice a category of developments that possess certain highly desirable characteristics, with the unexpected consequence that some of the best developments in London offer the best value for money prices.
This buyer’s guide is based on an analysis of actual sales transactions from 2015 to 2026 that shows most new-build flats in London are bad investments, but at the same time substantial profits are likely when buyers make the right decisions about factors that are within their control.
Produced by Ramsey Sapper, a property researcher and investor with over 30 years’ experience in the London property market. Former co-founder of a property technology business serving major UK residential developers. [Linkedin Profile]
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Buyers assume new-build flats rise in value over time
An analysis of 10,000 sales from 2015 to 2026 shows that profit outcomes diverged markedly when new-build flats were resold.
Why do resale profits vary so much? The study identifies the factors associated with these differences and shows their chance of profit, average profit and range of profit.
An example of a factor
A simple example of a factor is buying a flat after the first phase of a multi-phase development, which in the analysis was the case for most of the buyers in that type of development.
The effect on profitability of this factor is based on developers initially pricing their flats attractively to build traction in sales. The more flats they can sell in a shorter period of time after the initial launch of a development the quicker they can increase prices and the larger those price increases tend to be. The analysis shows that the effect of this factor on resale profitability is dramatic.
10 out of every 11 buyers that bought in later phases lost money when they resold their flats. Even among those who made money, the upside was limited compared with all flat buyers.
What you get in the study
Same flat resale profit outcomes
Profit after Stamp Duty and adjusted for inflation
The factors that drive increases and decreases in value
The probability the factors will result in profit, their average profit and range of profit
Clear tables you can use
This is not a get-rich-quick guide to property investment but rather a clear, evidence-based examination of a market where expectations and reality often diverge
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About the author
Ramsey Sapper has over 30 years’ experience investing in the London property market. He co-founded IMM Chameleon Ltd, which provided global property-marketing technology and services to major UK residential developers. He holds degrees in Computer Science and Management Science from Imperial College London.
GET THE FULL GUIDE– £24.99
Secure checkout and instant PDF via email
Prefer a printed copy? Buy on Amazon
© 2026 London Property Research Press