Big Six office leasing led by finance, accountancy and education in 2025
Largest deals agreed in the media and utilities sectors
Leasing activity across the Big Six office markets has been broad and varied by sector during the opening months of 2025.
High borrowing and building costs drive UK office construction starts to a record low
Construction activity has fallen by more than 3 million square feet over the last year, but forward-looking data suggests a turnaround may be imminent
New office construction starts have fallen to their lowest level for at least 15 years, as developers pause for breath amid economic uncertainty and the persistently high cost of d...
Oldham tops industrial leasing table across Greater Manchester
Big shed activity knocks Rochdale and Trafford from the top spots
Oldham has topped industrial leasing volumes across Greater Manchester’s 11 submarkets, breaking the dominance of Rochdale and Trafford, which have traditionally had the busiest le...
Big Six office investment slumps to lowest quarterly total in 16 years
Long remaining lease lengths and change of use dominate activity
Investment in the Big Six office markets reached a 16-year low during the first quarter of the year, as a lack of large deals severely impacted volumes. Of the handful of small- to...
Edinburgh leads UK office markets, while London climbs CoStar’s ranking
Divergent performance across the Big Six and London submarkets
Tenant demand for office space has improved in many markets in recent quarters. Edinburgh has led activity and demand has improved markedly in Central London. However, the picture ...
The CoStar Market Activity Tracker: Which UK markets stood out over the 12 months to Q1 2025?
CoStar index shows central London offices, retail warehouses and Scottish hotels among the best relative performers
The UK occupier markets have shown positive signs of recovery over the 12 months to the first quarter. Leasing remained resurgent in some major office markets and national retail t...
Dominant sectors to power Leeds office job growth above the national average
Double-digit employment growth forecast in professional and admin sectors
The two dominant office employment sectors in Leeds are expected to see the strongest growth over the next five years. According to Oxford Economics, the "administrative and suppor...
Leeds industrial vacancy is lowest across Yorkshire markets
Balanced net demand and supply keep vacancy rates in check
Contrary to most UK industrial markets over the past two years, the vacancy rate across the Leeds market has remained low. Steady leasing activity and balanced net absorption have ...
I came, I saw, iPort: Doncaster industrial springs back to life
Several big box lettings lift the market from a two-year slowdown
The Doncaster industrial leasing market has sprung back to life this year after a two-year lull that followed the boom during the pandemic.
Birmingham’s office market supported by upbeat employment growth forecasts
Professional services, administration and knowledge sectors to drive growth
The momentum gained in Birmingham’s office leasing market over the past few quarters is expected to be supported by continuing growth in office employment over the medium term.
Two art deco gems lead Manchester’s office renovations
Both 1932 buildings are set to hit the grade-A market over the next 12 months
With the slowdown in new development completions across Manchester city centre, two substantial renovations are set to be at the forefront of refurbished grade A space. Once delive...
Education sector is an increasingly important demand driver in Birmingham
Universities and schools accounted for nearly 50% of office take-up in 2024 but TMT is bouncing back
Education providers dominated office take-up last year in the Birmingham central business district, accounting for almost half of activity. There was a return to robust activity fr...
The occupier dynamic in Manchester’s Spinningfields is changing amid rising vacancy
Large corporates are being replaced by a broader range of occupiers
The construction of Spinningfields almost 20 years ago offered Manchester corporate occupiers with bigger buildings, larger floorplates and greater prestige. Banks, lawyers and acc...
Record gap in asking rents between Birmingham’s city centre and out-of-town markets
The spread between the City Core and Solihull submarkets has doubled since 2018
The gap in market asking rents between Birmingham’s leading city centre and out-of-town submarkets has increased to its highest level on record. The spread in asking rents between ...
Spotlight on Liverpool industrial: Investors undeterred by occupier market slowdown
St Helens’ big boxes account for the lion’s share of Merseyside's investment
While industrial leasing across CoStar's Liverpool market has slowed down, particularly big-box lettings in the motorway corridors of Knowsley and St Helens, this has not deterred ...
Large lettings in Manchester mean the best office space is in the shortest supply
5-star buildings have the lowest years’ supply in Manchester's central business district
Office leasing activity has been very strong in Manchester over the past few quarters, with the most significant occupiers continuing to take the best space. The five largest letti...
Sharp vacancy rise in Manchester’s most dynamic industrial submarkets
Trafford and Rochdale vacancies increase to 8%
A combination of slowing demand and a raft of new completions in the Greater Manchester industrial market has pushed the vacancy rate to a 10-year high. It has risen sharply over t...
Big Six office investment jumps to 12-month high in the fourth quarter
Bristol and Glasgow lead activity in 2024
Office investment volumes across the Big Six regional markets hit a 12-month high in the fourth quarter of 2024, as several large transactions wrapped up in the traditional end-of-...
Spotlight on Leeds industrial investment: Key deals of 2024
Volumes ahead of 2023 activity but well below the five-year average.
Industrial investment in Leeds was supported by several substantial transactions in 2024, including the largest portfolio deal for two years, a sale and leaseback, a deal with stro...
New entrants grow flex market share in the regions
High-end operators challenge more established providers
The increasing popularity of flexible workspace continues across the Big Six regional cities. Over the past two years, while leasing activity from the larger established providers ...