In 2010, at age 25, Gary Linton founded The Linton Group, a company specializing in the acquisition and development of residential and mixed-use property in prime central London.
The Linton Group’s newest project, in Kentish Town, London, is called the Maple Building, which will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, plus penthouses. Prices will begin at £525,000 ($687,000). We checked in with Mr. Linton about the meaning of luxury, Brexit’s impact on London and more.
Mansion Global: Describe your dream property.
Gary Linton: I tend not to have a preferred property type. I find that when looking at a property, various features pop out, and it is upon those features that I develop a liking for that property. New-build luxury is incredible. I particularly enjoy seeing the ever-more luxurious details and technology used within schemes. Large-period London townhouses have always held a special debonair glamour, especially if features like original ceiling cornicing or original fireplaces have been retained.
MG: Do you have a real estate property that "got away"?
GL: Working in the property industry has very much given me the confidence and compulsion to snap up any gem of a property that I would personally like to live in. Therefore, whenever I have seen a property for myself that is perfect, I have been decisive and purchased it thanks to the confidence that comes from my experience of dealing with much larger property development deals.
MG: What does luxury mean to you?
GL: Luxury is the harmonious combination of design and detail; when something is incredibly well designed and beautifully detailed, especially when the designer has accurately mapped out exactly how the end user will use the product.
MG: What’s your best piece of real estate advice?
GL: Always consider the end user of a development you are constructing or property that you are refurbishing. Don’t be afraid to do things differently, but whatever you choose to do, don’t sacrifice quality.
MG: What area do you think is the next hub for luxury properties?
GL: We have seen areas around London’s parks becoming prime luxury property hotspots in the last few years—whilst the areas around Hyde Park have now perhaps become a touch too heated, I think that we will see more and more luxury properties being developed around the other large green spaces in London, such as Hampstead Heath, Parliament Hill Fields, Battersea Park or Clapham Common.
MG: What’s the most valuable amenity to have in a home right now?
GL: It very much depends on who is living in the home and what the home will be used for. If the owner is someone who is only in London for a short time each week, say, they frequently work overseas or have a family home in the countryside, then a concierge service is invaluable. Something that is often overlooked, and something that can add real value to a home, is simple: storage.
I have often seen beautiful new developments—the architecture is good, the fit-out high quality—but the developers have neglected to think of the people that will eventually live there, not included any form of storage, and so the property is near useless for everyday life!
MG: How will Brexit impact the luxury real estate sector?
GL: The European referendum is one of the largest events to have struck the property market, and indeed, the British economy as a whole. The property industry has little to worry about from the actual decision to leave. Rather, it is the decisions of the politicians in the coming months that will leave their mark.
Luxury property in London is popular the world over, and there will always be a large group of people who want to live in London, but politicians must be careful that neither mortgage availability nor development finance suffer. Moreover, the inherent supply/demand imbalance within the London property market means that the underlying fundamentals of the luxury sector are strong, and so good values will always be able to be achieved.
More From Mansion Global: