Manchester has topped the list for the most office lettings in Q1 2026 among the UK’s Big Nine cities.
Manchester’s office market saw over 446,200 sq ft of space snapped up, boosted by the Government Property Agency taking the full 110,000 sq ft Havelock building. This comes before plans for a huge 800,000 sq ft digital campus set to launch in 2032 in Manchester near Ancoats, a short walk from Vita Living Circle Square North.
Prime office rents in Manchester have remained flat since the beginning of 2026 at £45 per sq ft, still 8% greater than the Big Nine average.
The usage of office space in Manchester has also remained closely matched across the three main sectors:
- 25% – Professional Services
- 20% – Government Services
- 17% – Creative Industry
Guy Spencer, director and head of national capital markets at Avison Young, said: “The first quarter has set a strong tone for the year, with confidence building across regional markets such as Manchester.
“Appetite for prime, centrally located assets with secure income remains resilient, particularly where supply and demand imbalances are most acute, continuing to place upward pressure on rents. At the same time, constrained development pipelines across the Big Nine are reinforcing competition for high-quality office space.”
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