Number of overseas buyers looking to purchase UK property slumps

The number of overseas buyers looking to purchase properties in Britain has hit a record low, new data shows.

The proportion of foreigners who registered to buy a home in the UK fell to 1 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, according to the estate agency Hamptons International.

The figure is the lowest since Hamptons began recording the data in 2008 and marks a decrease from 1.2 per cent in 2024.

This was because of higher stamp duty costs for international investors as well as broader tax changes, including the abolition of the non-dom regime, the agency said. The share of foreigners registering to purchase a property in central London, traditionally a magnet for overseas buyers, also fell to an all-time low.

“Tax