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We helped Cortus Advisory Group upgrade their office spaces in Manchester, London, Leeds and Birmingham, becoming their nationwide workspace partner.
Their transaction services team handles due diligence, and the corporate advisory side offers turnaround and transformation support where they step into underperforming businesses and help them return to profitability.
They also handle integration, separation and financial modelling with tools that help businesses forecast five, eight or even 10 years into the future based on different strategic decisions. Finally, they help businesses find buyers and guide them through the sale process.
Their previous office space in Manchester had served the company well, but it no longer met their needs. LEVEL was called in to help with the search following a recommendation and ended up supporting the company with four office moves across the UK – in Manchester, London, Leeds and Birmingham.
Helen Johnson, Head of Operations at Cortus, said: “LEVEL was recommended to us by Claritas, who we work closely with through their Deansgate office. They had brought LEVEL in to support on a project, and when [Cortus CEO] Nikki saw the quality of the work, she immediately asked, ‘Where did you find this?’ That’s how LEVEL came onto our radar.”
Cortus Advisory Group had spent years jumping between offices as they grew the team and figured things out.
Helen said: “Part of it was about having our own space, meeting rooms, offices, areas that were fully ours. There were also small frustrations with the old setup, nothing major, just the usual issues that come with shared or temporary spaces.”
Their space in London was designed for six people and will be almost full in October. In Manchester, they had space for 24 and there were already 20 people in each day.
For Cortus, that meant the need for a new space wasn’t just about future growth. The company is scaling so effectively that it was also about catching up to the reality of where they already were.
Helen said before the move:
“If the space was full, it felt too full. It got noisy, cramped and lacked flexibility. So it wasn’t just about a fresh start. It was about creating a base we could truly grow into, rather than constantly jumping from office to office.”
Cortus had clear priorities for their new Manchester office space. They were already in Spinningfields and wanted to stay there as it was close to transport links, easy to get to and a good spot socially.
It also worked for them practically when it came to meeting clients. Helen said: “Nikki comes to Manchester once a week and she needs to be somewhere central to easily meet people for coffees and hold meetings throughout the day.”
In addition to location, they also wanted somewhere which felt professional and welcoming as soon as you walked in. A space which just felt like any other basic serviced office wasn’t going to be enough – they wanted a base to be proud of every day.
The Cortus team also contributed a range of smaller needs that would turn the office space from good to great. Helen explains how they kept everyone happy:
“I had a bit of a strange checklist when looking around, things like, “Can we open the windows?” or “Can we control our own air con?” Those little things mattered."
The process of finding Cortus new office space to rent in Manchester actually began a year before the move. They were tied into their previous contract at that point and needed to see that lease through before making their next move. However, they wanted to be ready.
The LEVEL team started putting the work in ahead of time so everything could start moving quickly when the end of their existing lease came into view.
A key condition that informed the shortlisting process was Cortus’ desire to avoid a long-term lease. They didn’t want to be locked in for a decade or on the hook for a large capital outlay. This is a growing company and they needed their space to be scalable without having to pay for lots of empty desks or unused floor space in the meantime.
Helen said: “In hindsight, we probably could have gone even bigger. We’ve only been in since March and it already feels like we’re pushing the limits. But Manchester is an expensive city, second only to London in terms of our office locations, so we had to be smart about the space we committed to and how quickly we’d grow into it.”
The ABC Buildings are one of Manchester’s most instantly recognisable offices. It ticked all the boxes for Cortus and was the clear choice out of all the options viewed. It has proven such a hit that the company is now using it as the benchmark for their other locations around the UK.
Helen said: “Once we got everything set up, it instantly felt right. Everyone commented that when you walk in, it just looks and feels like a professional business. Not that we weren’t before, but when you're based in a serviced office, it can feel a bit temporary or generic. This space gave us a clear sense of identity.
“And now, amusingly, we’re in a building where BBC Breakfast is just above us, and Morning Live films a few floors up. I actually once stepped into the lift heading home mid-afternoon, and there was Gethin Jones, just standing there smouldering.”
Cortus isn’t a strictly regional business and their teams move around. That makes it important for every office to offer the same high level experience whether someone is coming from London, Leeds or anywhere else. Every space needs to have that consistent quality, and their new Manchester site in the ABC Buildings has raised the bar for Cortus nationwide.
Helen said: “We used to joke about Leeds being in the basement. It wasn’t quite as bad as it sounds, but it didn’t reflect who we are as a company. Then you walk into Manchester and it’s modern, it’s got space, meeting rooms, breakout areas. Everything we need.
“That moment really solidified our vision. It wasn’t about Manchester being the best, it was about raising the standard across the board so every team feels equally valued and supported.”
The LEVEL approach prioritises detail at every stage. There are no cut corners and no easy routes taken if it’s not the right choice for the client. That showed up throughout the process with Cortus.
Helen said: “The process was really smooth. From the outset,we were clear that we didn’t want to be locked into a long-term commitment, nothing like a 20-year lease, and that was respected throughout. The flexibility we were given on the contract length made a big difference. It wasn’t a struggle; we were able to set terms that suited us. You guys did a brilliant job negotiating that.
"We said what we wanted, and it was delivered. It was just refreshing not to be pushed into a five- or 10-year deal. I mean, 10 years in one place feels like a lifetime these days!”
We also made sure to go above and beyond in other areas so Cortus knew exactly what they were getting. For example, they had experienced phone and internet connectivity issues in their previous space which weren’t acceptable in a business environment.
Helen said: “In our previous office, the internet was surprisingly poor. Nikki was very clear that we wouldn’t be signing anything unless the internet was up to standard. We also had issues with phone signal in the old space, everyone’s on EE and it just didn’t work.
“You worked with the building to allow us to test the internet and arranged for us to test calls in the new space ahead of time. Those details really mattered, and you made sure we were confident in the setup before committing.”
Going from one office search to being appointed a company’s nationwide workspace partner is something we’re extremely proud of. We have now supported Cortus Advisory Group through four moves in Manchester, London, Leeds and Birmingham, and are their go-to for future moves.
Helen explains that LEVEL’s service was the key factor in trusting us with additional searches:
“Without a doubt, LEVEL has been brilliant, professional, friendly, and genuinely helpful from start to finish.The team were always available and incredibly responsive, even when they probably shouldn’t have been!
“Even when we were being a bit particular it never felt like we were being difficult. The team handled everything with patience and professionalism, kept things moving and made sure we were always in the loop, even when delays cropped up.
“It’s incredibly reassuring to know we’ve got LEVEL as our trusted UK workspace advisor, ready to support us wherever we go next.”
“More than anything, they’re just great people to work with. As you get older, you realise how much that matters. With LEVEL, we’ve always felt in safe, capable hands. I’d absolutely recommend them to anyone.”
Working with Cortus Advisory Group has been a personal and professional milestone for the LEVEL team.
Sam Harris, Workspace Advisor at LEVEL, said: “Helping Cortus expand across four cities has been a great journey. No matter the location, the goal stayed the same: find the right space, secure the best deal and keep the process smooth. We are proud to be their trusted partner as they scale across the UK.”
Joe Averill, Managing Director at LEVEL, said: “Over the past six months, partnering with Cortus Advisory to secure their new offices in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London has been a brilliant milestone for both Cortus & LEVEL.
“Each search challenged us to combine rigorous market data with on-the-ground insight, ensuring every space reflected Cortus’ culture and growth plans. I am incredibly proud that what began in Manchester just a few years ago has already grown into a nationwide service, helping ambitious firms find the right workspace in every major UK city.
“This project proves that our impartial, tenant-first approach delivers results, and I’m excited to keep pushing boundaries for clients as we expand into even more locations."
Want help finding a serviced office space to rent in Manchester or anywhere else in the UK? Book a free discovery call with LEVEL Workspace today to get started!
Want to find your next leased, managed or serviced office space to rent? Book a call with our team today.
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