London flex office demand hits decade low amid market shift and tech sector caution
Rolling annual take-up falls to 87% below peak, though long-term growth in AI and fintech could revive demand
Demand for office space in London from flexible workspace providers has reached one of its lowest levels for at least a decade. Rolling 12-month take-up by flex providers fell to j...
Croydon office take-up hits post-pandemic high as pipeline tightens
Leasing activity jumps 54% year-on-year, while shrinking office stock and limited new developments tighten the market
Office take-up in Croydon has reached its highest level since the beginning of 2021, as demand from the private and public sectors strengthened. At the midpoint of 2025, 12-month r...
Retail vacancies surge in ULEZ expansion areas as reduced traffic hits sales
Leasing volumes plummet as changing shopping habits and policy affects shop vacancy in outer London
Vacancy rates for retail space in the London boroughs included in the 2023 ultra-low emission zone expansion have risen sharply over the last three years compared with the boroughs...
UK economy contracts unexpectedly in May amid production and construction slump
GDP data for May was weaker than anticipated, but positive sentiment surveys suggest a more positive second half
The UK economy unexpectedly shrank in May, as output in the production and construction sectors declined. Many analysts had anticipated a modest 0.1% growth for the month rather th...
Oxford retail vacancies hit a 15-year high amid traffic curbs and shifting shopping habits
Retail parks reap rewards as city centre suffers
The amount of vacant retail space in central Oxford has risen to its highest level for at least 15 years, as the rise of online shopping, stubbornly low consumer confidence and the...
Portsmouth Property Association conference: A challenging year, but optimism is returning
Solid market fundamentals and returning confidence will drive market performance
The Portsmouth Property Association gathered at the newly refurbished auditorium at Lakeside North Harbour for its annual conference last week, with over 70 delegates sharing their...
CoStar Bristol offices round table reveals a slow start to the year, but signs of improvement ahead
Key industry players joined CoStar analysts this week to discuss the Bristol office market
The latest in a series of round table breakfast events hosted by CoStar took place in Bristol this week. The events, which follow similar events in Manchester, Glasgow and London, ...
UK economy contracts for the first time in six months amid global and domestic pressures
April GDP falls 0.3% as US tariffs and tax changes take toll
The UK economy shrank in April for the first time in six months due to the effects of the US trade tariffs and the Chancellor’s tax changes.
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...
Inaugural CoStar London offices round table reveals areas of strength and weakness in a challenging market
CoStar analysts caught up with leading industry figures this week to discuss the London office market
Following similar events in Manchester and Glasgow, CoStar this week held a London offices round table with leading figures in the sector, as part of a series of discussions to try...
Strong jobs growth and a dearth of new development drive down prime Bristol office vacancies
Vacancies for Grade A space are expected to fall below the five-year average by year-end
Vacancies for 4- and 5-star-rated, or Grade A, offices in Bristol have fallen to their lowest level since 2023 amid a tightening development pipeline and improving tenant demand.
UK economy posts strongest quarterly growth in 12 months
Gross domestic product grew by 0.7% in the first quarter, outperforming the rest of the major economies
The UK economy grew by 0.2% in March, pushing quarterly growth to 0.7%, the strongest since the first quarter of 2024, according to initial estimates released by the Office for Nat...
Office vacancies fall in London’s eastern fringe after peaking at record high
Falling construction activity helps ease pressure on vacancies, although leasing remains weak
Vacancies in London’s Eastern Fringe submarket have peaked after six years of upward pressure.
London office market recalibrates as large-lease activity slows
Corporate caution and shifting space needs drive a 40% drop in large office take-up, but landmark deals remain in play
Over the last six months, rising corporate borrowing costs and an uncertain economic outlook have impacted business confidence. During that time, the 12-month rolling take-up figur...
UK economy posts surprise gains in February
0.5% growth is the fastest in nearly a year as manufacturers accelerated production in anticipation of US tariffs
UK gross domestic product rose by 0.5% in February, well above analysts’ expectations of 0.1% growth, as all main sectors posted increases. The acceleration in growth comes after e...
City outperforms rival London office submarkets in post-pandemic demand recovery
But leasing activity remains below pre-pandemic levels
Demand for office space in London’s City office market has been stronger than in any other area of the capital since the beginning of the pandemic. Office take-up in the City over ...
How has the arrival of the Silvertown Tunnel affected local real estate markets?
London’s new £2 billion shortcut should spark a real estate revival in Greenwich and Newham
Infrastructure projects in London have traditionally profoundly affected local commercial real estate. In 1999, the opening of the Jubilee Line extension connecting Green Park to S...
Office vacancies in Docklands Core rise to the highest on record
Exodus of office tenants and weak leasing activity intensify demand losses
Vacancies in London’s Docklands Core submarket, which includes Canary Wharf, rose to record heights in the first quarter of 2025 as demand continued to weaken. Docklands Core has o...
Life sciences boom returns as laboratory leasing trebles
Demand soars in the Golden Triangle and strengthens in the North
Over the last year, the expanding UK life sciences sector has driven a strong recovery in laboratory space leasing. Rolling 12-month take-up grew to more than 1 million square feet...
Spotlight on Oxford offices: Six key trends
Vacancies start to fall as occupier demand rebounds
Vacancies peaked at 6.4% last year and have started to fall