Client testimonials

If you are based abroad and wish to buy a property in London, I highly recommend that you ask Jeremy at Mercury Homesearch to help you.

I first requested information from Mercury Homesearch several years ago and they provided some excellent material.  They then continued to send me useful information including Jeremy’s book, The Insider’s Guide To Acquiring £1m to £100m property in London, and regular market updates and insights.  Unlike other firms however, the material was geared towards helping to educate buyers rather than just try to achieve a quick sale.

When I was ready to buy a London property, I didn’t hesitate to contact Jeremy.  Although I had bought several properties in Australia, it was clear that we would need help and he had a depth of market knowledge and expertise that an international or domestic buyer would find difficult to replicate.

We talked through our requirements and he helped us clarify those areas we weren’t clear about and things we hadn’t thought of.  It quickly became obvious that Jeremy understood what we were after.  He didn’t send us dozens of properties in an attempt to “make a quick sale”, instead we received only a handful of properties that matched our requirements.

As we couldn’t travel because of the pandemic, Jeremy shot a video of the first property he recommended explaining the pros and cons of the apartment.  It had views and access to a wonderful communal garden in Holland Park.  We bid on it but took too long as it was the first property we had “seen”.

Jeremy started with a low offer which was rejected.  However, I was somewhat surprised that the apartment sold quite soon afterwards because I thought we’d have more time considering the turmoil and uncertainty from Brexit and COVID-19.

Fortunately, Jeremy soon found another apartment with period features and high ceilings in Chelsea which was clearly a good match with what we were after.  Despite the attractive guide price, Jeremy negotiated a further discount and then helped co-ordinate the transaction which was more longwinded than I had expected. This assistance was important as I needed to concentrate on my business and not waste time and suffer the stress of dealing remotely with the bureaucracy involved in property transactions.  He even continued to help us post the sale.

I admit that it was a new experience buying a property “remotely” but I had complete confidence in Jeremy’s expertise and, more importantly, trustworthiness.  At no stage did I feel pressured, the properties he recommended were exactly what we wanted, the advice was always clear and well researched and he more than delivered on everything he promised!  Jeremy’s client service is excellent and a level above that I’d expected.

As we went through this process, it became very clear that there was no way we could have mastered the required market knowledge to be confident of getting the right property at a good price.  There are just too many nuances and pitfalls especially for an international buyer.

I’m certain that we would not have found such a good property even if we had been able to fly to London and do it ourselves.  I will use him again and recommend that you ask him to help you if you are buying a property in London

I wished to acquire an investment property in London to take advantage of the opportunities created by Brexit uncertainty. I had previously bought my own home in London and that had highlighted what a time-consuming process acquiring a property really is; time I simply don’t have to spare calling estate agents and then having it wasted viewing properties that are frankly average or worse.

I had requested Jeremy McGivern’s book a couple of years ago and have been receiving his market reports and updates, so knew that he had not only an exceptional understanding of what was happening in the market day to day, but his understanding of the history of the London property market and the property cycle gave him and his team an additional edge.

Having become a member of Mercury Homesearch, buying a property became a completely different experience. Instead of being constantly sold to by the estate agents, Mercury spent most of their time advising me not to bother seeing any properties as they felt they were not of the requisite standard. They eventually found one particular opportunity for me, which also involved renting the property back to the owners thus avoiding any “rental void”, they negotiated a favourable price and also handled the elongated purchase process – there were legal issues on the seller’s side that complicated matters – co-ordinating the solicitors & surveyors to ensure a successful outcome.

I now have an excellent investment property bought at a good price. If you are thinking of buying a property in London, you should contact Mercury Homesearch to help you.

Mercury was recommended to me by a number of people. I had bought property before in London, but it was clear from what our friends had told us, that we would find a better property if we had Mercury represent us due to their network of contacts and expertise in valuations and negotiations.

We wanted a house with access to communal gardens and the first property they recommended was obviously a good deal from a financial perspective but was not quite right for us. However, the second property pretty much matched our wishlist with the exception of the first floor which had been altered by the owners.

Fortunately, Mercury has a huge archive of property data and they were able to show us a historic floorplan and photographs which showed the first floor of the house in its previous layout – an exceptionally large and wider than average room with fantastic ceiling height. In fact, the room is unique as planning had somehow once been agreed to remove walls that normally have to remain.

In addition, they were able to provide me with reams of data and detailed information of several other similar properties that had sold in the area, so I had an accurate list of comparators and could see what represented fair value and what would represent an excellent purchase price.

I was surprised by how quickly they found the property but at no time did I feel pressurised to buy. Indeed, Mercury devised a couple of negotiating strategies and advised us to delay making an offer if we wanted to achieve the lowest price possible.

We followed their advice and, in short, we acquired the property for significantly less than the asking price and also 7.5% below a previous offer that they had accepted. Mercury then co-ordinated our solicitors and the surveyors to ensure a smooth and stress-free transaction.

So, I strongly recommend that you become a member of Mercury Homesearch if you are planning to acquire a property in London. They have delivered on their promise and we now have our ideal home, acquired at a great price and we avoided all the wasted time, hassle and stress normally involved with buying a property in London.

I had been planning to acquire a property in London for some time, but the combination of being based in the Middle East and having an exceptionally busy work schedule meant that I simply never had time to focus on this. 

I then heard about Jeremy McGivern at Mercury Homesearch who seemed to offer the solution: he would speak to all the agents and use his large list of “off market contacts” to find the best opportunities both on and off the market. This meant that I would avoid being pestered by agents who would call or send me properties that were simply not suitable. 

In addition, as he would represent me, he would give objective advice on valuations, unlike the agents who are legally obliged to achieve the highest price possible for their clients, the sellers. 

The first property that he recommended was a great apartment in Holland Park with exceptional views. Although, it wasn’t quite right for us, it was a good start and clearly a good opportunity because it sold soon afterwards. 

He then suggested an apartment in South Kensington which wasn’t right although for reasons that we hadn’t discussed previously and which helped us clarify the exact size and layout of property we wanted. 

He then found a property in Marylebone which had exceptional views over a garden square and was a rarity in that it spanned the width of two buildings, so we were able to acquire an apartment which is an excellent size, on one floor, in a highly sought after address and we acquired it on favourable terms. 

In addition, I avoided all the normal wasted time, stress and frustration that I would otherwise have had to endure which allowed me to focus on my work; throughout Jeremy was always on hand to answer any questions and resolve any issues that arose. 

So, I would highly recommend that you ask Jeremy to help you if you are planning to acquire a property in London. He did everything he promised, so we now have a wonderful apartment in a great location which we simply wouldn’t have managed to acquire without his help.

Acquiring a fantastic investment property in London would have been impossible without Mercury Homesearch.

I live in Canada so trying to acquire an investment in London was not going to be easy. I looked at various websites to try to get a feel for the market, but it was clear that I was neither seeing good opportunities nor able to truly understand valuations.

I felt many of the photographs on the websites were probably misleading and, of course, estate agents are trying to sell the properties for the highest price possible so the descriptions of each apartment were overly optimistic.

I knew that if I relied on the websites I was almost guaranteed to make a hugely expensive mistake. So in search of more information, I requested a report and book on acquiring property from Mercury Homesearch.

The strategies and tactics revealed in the book showed me exactly what I needed to do. Nevertheless it seemed clear to me that I would find a better property, achieve a better price and avoid all the hassle involved if I asked them to represent me.

I was not disappointed. Indeed it was refreshing to have someone advise me not to rush into buying a property. They shortlisted only a small number of properties, organised tours for when I was in London and were very clear about what they felt were the drawbacks of each property. There was no ridiculous sales pitch or attempts to pressure me. I was simply given honest and clear advice.

Although the initial properties exactly met my requirements, they felt they could find a better opportunity. I followed their advice and then they discovered a newly refurbished apartment in a fantastic location where they felt there may be some flexibility with the price.

The developer played hardball in the negotiation but the team at Mercury devised a negotiation strategy which meant that we got a discount on the asking price and they also negotiated the full suite of designer furniture and appliances to be included.

They then co-ordinated the surveyors and solicitors to ensure a smooth transaction. I now have an excellent property bought at a great price and have avoided all the wasted time, stress and other problems I had anticipated. I strongly recommend you ask Mercury to help you if you are planning to acquire a home or investment in London.

London is a renowned international city, yet the difference in prices between each street, style of building and what floor an apartment is located can be confusing and complex to a new comer thus tricky as well.

Due to tight flight schedules, time is of essence to me.  After being bombarded with properties that did not meet my requirements or indeed just an illusion of meeting my requirements, I realized I need a sincere local agent who is serious at his job, proficient at sourcing properties for buyers, not just focus at meeting business quota.  This agent shall be solely represent my interest and have the ability to DELIVER a meaningful shortlisted properties for my considerations.  Jeremy is a match.  I purchased my property within my budget, exceeding expectations as well.  Our investment in Mercury more than paid for itself.

To be honest, the house hunting tour were a pleasure. When I inspected everyone of them on the shortlisted properties, I can tell they contained most of my core requirements, correct adjustments were also made in the process after Jeremy listened to my comments.  I felt grateful my time was not wasted. 

In fact, it was refreshing to be told not to visit properties and agreed to it even I did visit one of them  – I sent a number of apartments before and after arrival to London, which I had found on the internet, Jeremy explained why they were unsuitable – normally because they were overpriced or there were better opportunities elsewhere as Mercury proved.  I read another testimonial from Jeremy’s client with similar story before getting to know him, I hoped I would have this experience during my distance house hunting and it did happen !

Once our apartment was found, Jeremy advised on price and provided comparators and transaction records of same properties to explain what he felt represented fair value. Jeremy then negotiated a price which was lower than my expectation.  At later stage of negotiation, I felt comfortable to let Jeremy take the lead, which is not my usual practice but somehow I did and did it right.

Jeremy coordinated all the solicitors, mortgage brokers and surveyors to ensure as smooth a transaction as possible. Nevertheless, there were issues because the Land Registry had failed to record certain documents, so this needed to be rectified by the seller in a very short time frame. Mercury ensured that this was all handled correctly so we did not have to waste time or suffer the stress of all the bureaucracy involved in acquiring an apartment in London.  Stress free is important in acquiring overseas properties.

So, if you are planning to acquire a home in London and are based abroad then we cannot recommend Mercury Homesearch highly enough. They have the knowledge and contacts to find properties that you will otherwise miss and their understanding of valuations and expertise in property negotiation will make your investment pay for itself several times over.

I wanted to acquire a home in Knightsbridge or South Kensington. However, being based overseas, I faced various challenges: I was worried that I would not see the best opportunities and might overpay for a property because all the information seemed to be provided by the estate agents who are employed by the sellers. Therefore taking advice from them was not necessarily deemed a sensible option.

I wanted to be represented by an expert and having read The Prime London Property Puzzle, it was clear that Jeremy McGivern was the stand out specialist in acquiring property in central London. I am very pleased that we chose to work with him.

Instead of sending us details of dozens of potential properties, we were presented with a handful of carefully selected opportunities. Not only did he explain the positive aspects of each property, he was also very clear about what he thought might be the potential drawbacks for us – these happened to be minor but it was refreshing to have such an honest appraisal.

I also quizzed him about numerous properties he had not sent us but which I had seen on the internet. He knew them all and explained why they were unsuitable – poor views, photographs that made the properties look much better than they were, noisy roads, poor addresses or the fact that they were simply overpriced. He saved us days of wasted viewings.

All of the houses he showed us met our requirements, but one in particular stood out as having great potential and at a good price. Jeremy arranged for one of his trusted builders to inspect the property before we made an offer in order to guide us on the cost of the extensive renovations and advise us on what would be possible from a planning perspective.

Jeremy handled the bid process and manged to negotiate a significant discount despite there being other parties bidding on the property. He then co-ordinated the solicitors and surveyors to ensure a swift and efficient transaction. I was surprised at the number of issues that arose but these were dealt with in a very professional manner and he and the solicitors clearly explained why they recommended various courses of action – the UK legal system is not as transparent as I had expected!

Arguably the most impressive part of the entire service was that Jeremy advised us to buy a property that was 30% under our maximum budget. This proves not only his expertise but also integrity as he would have received a higher fee if we had bought a more expensive property.

I cannot recommend Jeremy highly enough. If you are planning to acquire a property in London, he will find you an exceptional property and save you time, stress and money. His fee has already paid for itself several times over.

I was referred to Mercury Homesearch by a friend. Although I already own property in London and have numerous property investments elsewhere, I had been advised that Jeremy could find me a better apartment than I would be able to and negotiate a better price, so I asked him to represent me.

Initially, I was surprised at how few properties he was showing me, but he assured me that he was unimpressed with what he was seeing and that I would have been wasting my time viewing them. This was a refreshing change to being sent all manner of unsuitable suggestions.

However, one afternoon, I spotted a superb apartment on the internet, which looked perfect, and asked Jeremy why he hadn’t mentioned it. He said that it was too noisy and he questioned the quality of the workmanship.

Trusting his advice, I forgot about it until two months later when I discovered that a friend of mine had bought the apartment. I asked Jeremy what he thought. He maintained his view and said that he felt the buyers had also overpaid because of these issues.

As I needed to rent somewhere in London while I waited for my apartment to be refurbished, I asked my friend if I could visit the flat with a view to renting it for a short period. We really liked it and decided to rent it. Obviously I was rather concerned by the advice I was receiving from Jeremy as I would have readily bought the apartment two months before and had clearly missed an opportunity.

However, within a week of moving into the apartment, it was evident that Jeremy had been right. There proved to be a lot of noise in the street late at night and early morning and the standard of the workmanship was average even if everything looked good on the surface.

I would have been livid if we had bought the flat, but Jeremy could have quite easily persuaded me to do so and pocketed his commission. Fortunately he genuinely had my best interests at heart, so not only did he save me a huge amount of time, but I avoided making a dreadful and expensive mistake.

This standard of advice and trustworthiness is rare in the property market. So, I highly recommend you ask Jeremy to represent you even if you think you know the London property market. He has “inside” information and knowledge which is invaluable. If you are new to buying property in London then you would be mad not to seek his advice.

There is one fundamental question I ask when looking for advisers: are they trustworthy?

This is essential as there is invariably an underlying conflict of interest – anyone who is paid only if a transaction completes is incentivised to ensure a transaction takes place. Will this cloud their judgement and/or advice?

Of course, one can never be certain despite researching and interviewing potential advisers, so the proof invariably comes with experience.

Jeremy McGivern at Mercury Homesearch has been advising me and my family on our London property acquisitions for over ten years. In that time he has helped us acquire several apartments and houses.

His advice has always been clear and backed up with sound comparable data. More importantly he is quick to highlight the downsides of any given property. In fact he spends more time persuading me why I should not be buying a property rather than trying to sell properties to me. His conservative nature means that if he is even vaguely positive about a property then I know that it at least deserves consideration.

The fact that we have bought numerous homes for different members of the family through Jeremy highlights the belief we have in his expertise, but also his trustworthiness. The proof is also in the result of each transaction.

Consequently I have recommended him to friends and business acquaintances and I recommend that you ask him to advise you in your property acquisition.