London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is located in the south-east of the country. It straddles the River Thames and is the country’s most populous city, with approximately 8.3 million inhabitants, rising to more than 15 million when considering the wider metropolitan area.

London is a leading global business and cultural centre and in 2012 became the first city to hold the Summer Olympic Games for the third time. London is also one of the financial capitals of the world and generates 22 percent of the country’s GDP, of which the largest contributors are the financial and professional services sectors, followed by information technology, communication, media and R&D. In addition to the numerous global and European corporate headquarters located in London, the city’s leading economic position is supported by 45 higher education institutes.

Real estate overview

The UK economy rebounded mildly in Q1 2013 on the back of a