Is the tide turning for Manchester’s office market? We reported in March that 2025 has been a tough year for building operators and businesses in the offices sector – but the tone appeared to change in April and a more positive note has been struck by many outlets.

In this month’s office market summary we’ve taken an in-depth look at whether the challenging times really are coming to and end, as well as:

·      More government departments choosing Manchester

·      The latest news on fresh spaces and planned refurbs in the city centre

·      The most notable office moves from the last month

Is Manchester’s “best start to a year since 2020” the whole story?

The headline this April was the Manchester Office Agents Forum revealing that 2025 has been the best start to a year in terms of office transactions since 2020. This seems like good news, especially following Q1 where the reality on the ground was that building operators and businesses had endured a challenging start to 2025.

MOAF reports that the 320,000 sqft let in the first quarter of 2025 is the first time Manchester has recorded more than 300,000 sqft of take-up in January, February, and March since before the pandemic.

However, it’s worth noting that the Auto Trader deal at Circle Square – covered in our January 2025 update – makes up more than a third of that total. When that is taken into account, the figures aren’t quite as strong.

Matt Shufflebottom, director in the advisory and transaction team at CBRE, said: “The first quarter of the year has started strongly, and we expect this to continue across the remainder of 2025.”

So, overall it’s good news, but cautious optimism is the way forward until we can see a clearer picture developing over the rest of the year.

Manchester Campfield opening announced

Department has announced that their new development – Campfield – will be opening on 7^th May. It’s located just off Deansgate and will be a next-generation mega campus for the technology and creative industries, built to accelerate innovation, fuel business growth, and tackle global challenges. 

Originally built in the 1880s, the Campfield market hall buildings have been reimagined to include media studios, an atrium, a café bar, a mezzanine, a weekend market and a range of workspaces for media and creative firms.

It’s backed by the government and will be the perfect “future-focused environment for deep tech, media, and social progress where industry, talent, and entrepreneurship converge to shape what’s next.”

Bev Craig, Manchester City Council leader said: "Campfield is a much-loved historic site that has sat empty and underutilised for so long. It's great to see this scheme come to life."

New spaces announced at The Tootal Buildings

The Tootal Buildings is one of the most popular workspaces in Manchester for good reason – and it’s getting even bigger. The operators announced this month that they will be opening brand new studio spaces, meeting rooms and a bar in the building to enhance its appeal even further and provide even more flexible workspace options to meet market demand.

The space will be operated by Orega and adds to their portfolio within the city. They’re another popular workspace operator in Manchester that serves dozens of growing businesses in the city – including several placed by LEVEL Workspace in the past.

We’re looking forward to the launch and will make sure to share more information and photos on our Linkedin page!

New developments announced by Bruntwood, Lenrose Ventures

Manchester always needs more office space, and that need is only going to increase in the years to come thanks to a booming economy. Here’s some new developments announced this month that are sure to be great homes for businesses in the future.

South Central by Bruntwood

Bruntwood is responding to market demand for flexible workspace inManchester by adding five new suites at its South Central building. This follows a £1m refurbishment of the space which refreshed the building while respecting itsexisting heritage.

The new fitted and furnished flexible workspace options arelocated on the second floor and range from 1,000 – 3,000 sqft. They share kitchen and social amenities, with the breakout space doubling as a communal coworking and social space. Seating areas, greenery and artwork are featured to encourage interaction, alongside a meeting booth.

Current occupiers of South Central include CTI Digital who moved recently and saved £221,000 in rent payments thanks to the LEVEL team.

CIS Building

The CIS Building was Manchester’s first skyscraper and is an icon in the city. A refurbishment has been in the pipeline for four years, and now Lenrose Ventures have announced plans to see it through.

The building was once the third tallest in Europe and it is estimated that a significant investment will be required to bring it up to standard. As the ‘flight to quality’ continues, businesses are keener than ever to find office space to rent in Manchester which offers quality amenities, strong environmental credentials and more.

If theCIS Building can be brought up to this standard, it will become an extremely attractive place to rent office space in Manchester city centre for start-ups, scale-ups and enterprises alike. You don’t often get a combination of heritage and quality like this, so we’re excited to see this project progress!

More government spend in Manchester

The Government Property Agency has been making its presence felt in Manchester in recent months. Following practical completion at First Street and the reveal of plans for Ancoats Retail Park, April brings news that the Office for National Statistics is also upgrading its space in Manchester.

The agency has signed a 10-year lease at Heron House to replace its previous office space at the Tootal Buildings. It comes against the backdrop of the changing nature of work and ongoing negotiations with staff, but it is encouraging for Manchester that the agency has made a long-term commitment in the city centre.

Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, said: “Wewelcome the Office of National Statistics to Heron House and it’s another greatexample of an important national organisation expanding their footprint inManchester, taking 13,000 sqft of prime office space as part of the Council’spublicly owned estate in the heart of our Civic Quarter.

“Manchester once again shows its strength in attracting keybusinesses and organisations. This takes confidence in the city as a supplierof quality office space alongside an envious talent pool of potential employees– which is also good news for our residents who can take advantage of greatjobs coming to the city.”

J3 Advisory chooses Manchester for its first office outside London

J3Advisory announced this month that it has leased space in Spinningfields as it begins an expansion outside of London. While this is a small move to start with just two team members initially, it is the latest move in an ongoing trend of London-based firms choosing Manchester.

The move made sense as J3 already provide insurance to some big names in North West development, including Capital&Centric, Beech Holdings, Torsion Homes, BLCP and Cert Property.

Jack Bristow, Managing Director at J3 Advisory, said: “The expansion into Manchester allows us to deliver even more personalised support to developers and lenders across the region.”

AspinallVerdi opens Manchester office on King Street

Joining them is AspinallVerdi, another new entrant to Manchester. The company specialises in property regeneration consultancy and has chosen Manchester as its next location to complement other offices around the UK.

The space at 82 King Street is operated by Regus and AspinallVerdi’s headcount will increase to 31 with the addition of the new team. They have already made an impact in the region with viability advice on the evolving Stockport Design Code, commercial advice to a BDP-led masterplan in Blackburn and strategic land advice in Bury.

Director, Andy Delaney, who leads AspinallVerdi’s North West business, said: “AspinallVerdi has been growing its presence in the North West region and with our growing portfolio of work, it is only right that the next phase of our growth is a permanent base in in the heart of Manchester.”

Are you looking for new office space in Manchester? We have helped more than 100 companies secure space that helps their companies grow and our team of experts is available to help you, too. Get in touch today to take the next step!

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