Mount anvil tempts luxury flat buyers with Aston Martin tie-up

Forget discounting properties — landlords of high-end flats should be tempting prospective buyers with luxury experiences such as Aston Martin racing, the boss of a major London housebuilder has said.

Mount Anvil’s Killian Hurley said a mixture of stamp duty hikes and concerns over a possible Brexit meant developers “had to work harder” to sell London flats.

The firm, which plans to build 1100 homes, has become a partner to the Aston Martin racing team. It will give new buyers tickets and experience days at Silverstone, as well as at Le Mans, Austin in Texas, Bahrain and Shanghai.

“It will make sure our company name stands out around the world, and help entice new UK and overseas buyers,” Hurley told the Evening Standard.

The firm, which is building apartments in Islington and at Keybridge House in Vauxhall, made a pre-tax profit of £25 million in 2015, up 25% on the prior year. It also made £41 million for its joint venture partners.

Sales rose to £252.1 million from £216.2 million, and the average selling price climbed 34% to £867,000.