Over the past decade, overseas company ownership of UK property has increased exponentially, with the number of properties almost doubling and the value of those holdings rising by close to 700%.
Analysis by legaltech provider Search Acumen shows that the number of properties in England and Wales registered under overseas company ownership rose from 47,787 in 2015 to 91,791 in 2025. Over the same period, the total value of those assets increased from £15.9bn to more than £125bn, reaching its highest level on record.
The strongest growth in overseas ownership occurred in 2017, when overseas companies added 6,955 properties to the register, one of the largest annual increases by volume over the past decade. In value terms, 2018 marked the peak year for new registrations, with £16.2bn worth of property added in that year alone.
Company ownership has continued to rise
More recent data shows that while the pace of new registrations may have moderated, overseas company ownership has continued to rise. By 2025, the total number of properties held by overseas companies reached 91,791. Over the same period, the overall value of those holdings continued to increase, rising by 44% since 2022 alone, equivalent to £38.5bn.
The data also highlights where overseas-held UK property wealth is concentrated. Jersey has overtaken the British Virgin Islands as the leading jurisdiction by both volume and value, with Jersey-based companies holding £57bn worth of UK property assets. The British Virgin Islands account for 21% of overseas-owned UK property, with Guernsey and the Isle of Man holding 13% and 11% respectively.
The figures come from HM Land Registry, with Search Acumen using the live register of land and property in England and Wales and comparing records from 2022 and 2025.
Overseas-held property wealth remains significant
Andrew Lloyd, Director at the firm, says the scale of overseas-held property wealth remains significant. “The size of property wealth currently under ownership by overseas companies is eye-watering, doubling in a decade,” he adds. “Whilst there are some gaps and inconsistencies in the data from its source through government records, it is widely indicative of investor trends and a system that can and does protect the world’s most wealthy.”
Lloyd says the moderation in new overseas purchases reflects changing conditions rather than a loss of interest in UK property. “It is telling that the number of properties purchased by overseas-based companies is falling, currently at a ten-year low,” he says. “This tells us two things: that either investors and the wealthy are buying assets and storing capital outside the UK, or that our property transaction system is becoming more stringent.”
He points to a combination of economic and regulatory factors influencing behaviour. “The likely answer is a bit of both,” Lloyd says. “We know that the UK’s exit from the EU had huge economic consequences, including on the property industry. New taxes and rules for overseas investment have played a critical role in the change seen since 2022.”
Lloyd also highlights the impact of tighter compliance requirements. In August 2022, the Register of Overseas Entities began requiring overseas companies owning UK property to declare their beneficial owners. “This move indicated to the wider market a tighter grip on compliance by the government,” he says.
Growing stock of UK property
Alongside higher interest rates, increased borrowing costs and slower capital growth, the data shows overseas investors continuing to hold a growing stock of UK property, with total ownership and asset values still rising, albeit at a more measured pace than earlier in the decade.
