An estate agent to the rich and famous is celebrating after selling £3 billion worth of property – on the same street.
Trevor Abrahmsohn has cornered the market on one of the world’s wealthiest roads, The Bishops Avenue in north London – known as ‘Billionaires’ Row’.
Over the last 35 years he has handled 150 house sales on the street at an average value of £20million at today’s prices.
His clients have included Bernie Ecclestone, Ringo Starr, Joan Collins and Britain’s richest man Lakshmi Mittal.
Trevor, 58, has just sold a 1.5-acre plot of land with planning permission on the leafy street for a staggering £25 million.
It takes his completed deals on The Bishops Avenue to 150 – having sold a number of the 66 homes and plots numerous times over.
The flamboyant entrepreneur, who runs property firm Glentree International, says the inflation-adjusted total of these sales has now topped £3 billion.
He says The Bishops Avenue is a must-have address for ultra-rich foreigners wanting to tell the world they’ve arrived on the main stage.
“The Bishops Avenue is probably one of the best-known addresses in the world, ranking alongside Beverly Hills,” he said.
“It is the address which says you have arrived, one of the ultimate statements of wealth.
“Whenever there has been an explosion of wealth from natural resources or if there is a political uprising people look to buy in The Bishops Avenue.
“This has happened with the oil and gas booms in Nigeria and Eastern Europe and when there was the Islamic uprising in Iran.
“The road is perfectly located, has two golf courses, you can land a helicopter in the garden and you’re only 20 minutes from the centre of London.
“It helps that London is the best city in the world, as it has all the centre of excellences in one place.
“This is attractive for the wealthy buyers from overseas as they want the best of everything.
“Over the years I have dealt with royal families, politicians, leading industrialists. I’ve sold 95 per cent of the houses on the street and 98 per cent of sales come through us.
“In the 1980s, I sold one home to a blind Sheikh who would walk around the property while his nurse carried a glass of whisky for him.
“It is the sort of sale you pray for. I just had to convince his entourage it was the right property and he bought it.
“When I sold Toprak Mansion in 2008 for £50 million, we threw a party and former Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev flew in for it. That was one of the best properties I have ever sold.”
Despite his success, Trevor doesn’t arrive at properties in a Rolls-Royce or Mercedes, instead zipping to viewings in his trusty little Smart car.
He is currently marketing five homes on The Bishops Avenue including the £100 million Heath Hall and another, Jersey House, which is available for #40 million.
He said: “Heath Hall is probably my favourite property on the road.
“I love the fact it has been lovingly restored, it is not vulgar at all and is one of the largest homes in the city.
“It has taken seven years to restore and is like a country house in the middle of London. It’s perfect for an oligarch.”
Trevor also sold Polly Peck fraudster Asil Nadir’s home in the 1980s, saying the tycoon was “fine to deal with, although it took him a while to pay”.
Despite its exclusivity, the road is no stranger to controversy – with a couple of grisly murders taking place there over the years.
In 1985 Trevor was tasked with selling the home of retail magnate Aristos Constantinou who was murdered in his mansion.
“As I was conducting viewings there were silver bullets in the wall,” said Trevor.
“There was another home on The Bishops Avenue where an owner was killed by his mistress when she hit him over the head with a champagne bottle.
“It is such an interesting road that if it didn’t exist then it would have to be invented.”
Trevor’s career, which has seen him deal with some of the planet’s most secretive individuals, began in the 1970s when he quit dental school after a chat with his estate agent next-door neighbour.
He set up Glentree International from a posh hotel room in the capital and went about contacting wealthy individuals to try and sell them a new home.
But now the rich and famous come knocking at his door when they want to find a multi-million pound property in North West London.
He claims his estate agency – which employs 18 people – accounts for 98 per cent of the sales on The Bishops Avenue.
Trevor also estimates to have a 20 per cent hold of the £10 million-plus super prime London market – typically charging two to three per cent commission on each home.
On top of The Bishops Avenue, Glentree has also sold more than 120 homes on the equally affluent Winnington Road which sits adjacent to Billionaires’ Row.
He added: “It’s well known that Mark Twain once said you should buy land because they aren’t going to be making anymore of it.
“Prices in London are only going in one direction and that’s up. There have been a few dips but it always recovers.”
