High net worth clients and the changing role of advice
By Barclays
Wealth is no longer built in one clear way, nor is it managed through a single lens. In the past, many high net worth (HNW) individuals held senior roles with reliable income and long financial records. Today, a growing share of wealth sits with entrepreneurs, business owners and those who have experienced rapid liquidity events.
According to the Knight Frank Wealth Report 2025, the global HNW population continues to rise, with a clear increase in younger wealth holders and first-generation wealth creators. This shift brings more varied income patterns and more complex asset structures. Some may hold significant assets but show modest or irregular personal income, while others may be new to high-value property purchases, despite strong overall wealth. As a result, judgement, context and clarity play a far greater role throughout the advice and lending process.
Despite changes in how wealth is created, property remains central to long-term planning. The same report shows that 40% of wealthy individuals view real estate as a core long-term investment, driven by capital preservation and lifestyle needs. A strong proportion of internationally mobile clients also retain UK property, often due to the high cost of re-entry, including stamp duty and wider transaction costs, should they return.
Prime and super-prime homes in London continue to attract strong interest. Areas such as Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia remain popular due to schooling, legal certainty, privacy and global connectivity. At the same time, other UK cities are seeing rising demand, often linked to lifestyle choices, family needs and regional business growth rather than investment alone.
With multiple routes to wealth, it’s important not to treat HNW clients as a distinct group as each brings diverse priorities and pressures. Within certain elements of this group, discretion can be critical, with property finders often used to access off-market opportunities and manage trusted legal and valuation teams.
For younger clients, expectations can differ with many placing greater value on speed, access and clear communication. Some may choose to rent first to better understand location and lifestyle fit before committing to buy, while others are purchasing primarily for family security rather than long-term return. What links these individuals is the need for advice that looks beyond a single transaction. Business income, retained profits, cross-border assets and longer-term plans often sit at the heart of decision-making, shaping both structure and timing.
For brokers, this means focusing less on product fit and more on understanding how each client’s wealth is held, generated and likely to change, supported by lenders able to consider complexity with care.
In response to these changing needs, Barclays has introduced a number of policy and service enhancements designed to better reflect how high net worth clients structure their finances. This includes greater recognition of business income, with profit after tax now considered in affordability assessments for higher-value cases. We have also introduced direct access to underwriters for larger loan sizes, enabling brokers to discuss complex income and asset structures at an earlier stage. In addition, increased flexibility around interest-only borrowing, where supported by sufficient equity, reflects how a number of HNW clients manage cash flow and assets over time.
As wealth becomes younger, more international and more varied in structure, demand for relationship-led advice will continue to grow. For brokers who are willing to adapt their approach, this remains one of the most complex, and most rewarding, areas of the market to support. And we are here to support you at every stage of that conversation.
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