As the British government tightened its hold on the wealth of UHNWs, the super-prime property market entered a period of turbulence in 2025. Transaction volume dipped, sale prices fell below expectations and deals became harder won. But where sales slowed, lettings surged.
The super-prime lettings market, which had been steadily gaining momentum in recent years, exploded in the face of the uncertainty. Advisers across prime central London, including Ed Woolgar at Russell Simpson, reported ‘record’ years in their lettings practice in 2025, despite a ‘challenging’ sales market.
Behind the numbers, advisers say the motivations of ultra-wealthy clients are shifting. Renting is increasingly being used as a strategic first step as opposed to a temporary compromise. ‘While this tenant might not be purchasing today, they could be purchasing in two years’ time,’ says Olivia McSweeney of Sotheby’s International Realty. ‘They could even end up buying the property they are moving into.’
[See also: Where the super-rich are renting luxury £75,000-a-week London homes]
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The shift is also being felt on the landlord side. With sales proving harder to close, some owners are opting to rent out properties while they wait for conditions to improve. These sellers can become what advisers call ‘accidental landlords’, explains Jessica Bishop of DDRE Global, noting that renting allows owners to generate income ‘rather than having an asset sitting empty’.
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In response to this growing demand for high end rentals from UHNWs, Spear’s has curated the inaugural list of the top super-prime lettings specialists operating across the UK. Those featured are advisers who increasingly sit at the centre of strategic property decisions for both tenants and landlords.
While the industry typically defines a prime letting at £5,000 per week, many of the advisers routinely operate above this threshold, negotiating contracts at up to £60,000 per week. At this level, renting is less a compromise and more a considered strategy.
For some international buyers in particular, that strategy reflects the growing pressure created by UK tax policy. Increased stamp duty levies introduced in April 2025 have given even the wealthiest purchasers pause – especially those uncertain about how long they intend to remain in the UK.
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- Methodology
- The best lettings specialists: some names to know
- The best lettings specialists: the complete list
- Contact us
Methodology
Each year, the Spear’s Research Unit reassesses and refreshes its rankings of the leading providers in each sector by gathering data from and about the advisers and firms themselves, assessing submission forms, collating nominations, carrying out peer reviews, reviewing data from third-party sources, gathering references and recommendations, canvassing experts and conducting hundreds of interviews.
Advisers are evaluated using a proprietary scoring system that assigns different weightings to certain attributes. These scores feed directly into each new set of rankings in the Spear’s Indices. Each of these indices are published first online (according to the research calendar) and then in print. Print publication takes the form of the annual Spear’s 500 directory, which includes the top advisers in every index.
[See also: A guide to The Spear’s 500: Everything you need to know]
Each featured adviser is profiled on spears500.com. The site allows users to search the Spear’s database of more than 4,000 entities to find one (or more) to meet their specific requirements by filtering for specific attributes such as an adviser’s location, their specialist expertise and information about their client base.
The best lettings specialists: some names to know
Mark Tunstall
- Focus: Exclusive super-prime lets
- Position: Founder and director
- Firm: Mark Tunstall Property
Mark Tunstall has made a name for himself as one of the top lettings specialists in London. ‘He’s one of the experts, and a good guy to work with,’ a property industry insider tells Spear’s; ‘my go-to’, says another.
Tunstall worked as a trader at a blue-chip investment bank before making the leap into the property world. Over 20 years later, and after stints at Chesterfield and Savills, he is keeper of the keys to residences in some of the city’s most exclusive and sought-after properties, including One Hyde Park, the Peninsula Residences and the OWO. In recent years, industry observers have dubbed him ‘Mr Super-Prime’ due to his prominence in the industry.
Read Mark Tunstall’s full profile on Spears500.com
Olivia McSweeney
- Focus: Exclusive homes
- Position: Senior lettings director
- Firm: Sotheby’s International Realty
Olivia McSweeney completed her first super-prime lettings deal in 2010 at Hamptons. ‘Off the back of that, I realised that this was the section of the market that I wanted to specialise in, and I have navigated to where I am today,’ she tells Spear’s.
Now senior director of lettings at Sotheby’s International Realty, McSweeney is responsible for super-prime lets across London’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, regularly working with properties starting at £5,000 a week up to £45,000. Clients however may come to Sotheby’s initially looking to sell, or with the intent to let. Either way, ‘we offer a 360-degree service’, she says.
Read Olivia McSweeney’s full profile on Spears500.com
Nick Beckett
- Focus: Kensington and Chelsea super-prime lettings
- Position: Partner
- Firm: Knight Frank
‘Within the super-prime lettings industry, communication is key.’
So says Nick Beckett, a partner on Knight Frank’s super-prime rentals team. Working across central London’s most desirable neighbourhoods, from Kensington and Chelsea to Mayfair, Beckett has a thorough understanding of what appeals to the wealthiest of renters.
‘They expect perfection,’ he says. ‘Clients want air conditioning, huge dressing rooms and bathrooms, a lift and, of course, good architecture.’
Read Nick Beckett’s full profile on Spears500.com
Gabriella Gyngell
- Focus: Exclusive town and country properties
- Position: Lettings director
- Firm: Strutt & Parker
‘Discretion is one of the key things that people look for in us,’ says Gabriella Gyngell, a senior associate director at Strutt & Parker who specialises in super-prime lettings in London – Kensington and Notting Hill in particular.
Her ‘bread and butter’ work is properties ranging from £5,000 to £10,000 a week all the way up to £40,000 a week.
‘The trend we’re seeing is that today’s buyers are tomorrow’s tenants,’ she tells Spear’s. ‘They will be looking for what they want to buy, and they might want to try before they buy.’
Read Gabriella Gyngell’s full profile on Spears500.com
The best lettings specialists: the complete list
Click on the individual names to be directed to more detailed profiles of each adviser on The Spear’s 500 website. The table is ordered by ranking and then alphabetically by surname.
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With additional reporting by Alice Coleman.
