Prime central London's property market, battered by successive tax raids and a broader flight of international capital, is showing its first credible signs of life. Estate agents across Mayfair, Kensington, Chelsea and Knightsbridge report a pickup in viewings and offers over the past quarter, following what most in the sector describe candidly as one of the most subdued periods for high-value transactions in over a decade. Average prime London values have fallen by roughly 15-18% from their 2014 peak in real terms, and transaction volumes above £5 million have been running at less than half their historic norm. The current uptick, while modest, matters far beyond Zone 1 postcodes because prime central London has historically acted as a bellwether for confidence in UK real estate more broadly, and a sustained recovery here typically precedes renewed appetite further down the value chain.