Back To Blogs
May 1, 2026
Alex Timperley
5 mins
It has been confirmed by JLL that Manchester has retained its position as the UK’s largest regional office market outside London, being the only Big Six city to record more than one million sqft of take-up last year.
Even better, JLL has forecast 1.8% GVA growth per year in Manchester to 2030. That is once again the highest among the Big Six regional cities and underpins the case for continued occupier and investor interest.
Richard Wharton, director of office agency in Manchester at JLL, said:
“Manchester’s fundamentals remain the strongest of any UK regional market. The demand pipeline for 2026 is robust, but occupiers looking for best-in-class space need to be moving now.
“With the new-build pipeline not delivering until 2027 at the earliest, we expect competition for prime space to intensify and rents to continue their upward trajectory.”
Manchester’s office market has once again been busy this month, continuing the trend identified by JLL. As the start of a new financial year, April is often a time of change for businesses – and 2026 has been no different.
Here are some of the notable moves in the city from April 2026…
Far East Consortium (FEC) is one of the most well-known property developers in Manchester and is busily changing the face of the city with the huge Victoria North development. Their activities in Manchester have been growing so fast that they firm has moved into a bigger space to accommodate its expanding team.
They’ve moved into a 5,000 sqft space covering the whole sixth floor of Bruntwood’s Pall Mall development on King Street. FEC were represented in this move by LEVEL Workspace and are now in a great place to continue growing in Manchester city centre.
Gavin Taylor, managing director at FEC, said:
“Establishing our UK headquarters at Pall Mall marks an important milestone for FEC as wecontinue to grow our presence in Manchester.
“The city is central to our long-term strategy, and this move enables us to bring our team together in a high-quality, flexible environment that reflects both our ambitions and our ongoing investment into Manchester and the wider region.”
Another major LEVEL Workspace deal in Manchester this month involved recruitment specialist, Hubscale. We helped the global cybersecurity recruitment and executive search specialist, expand its Manchester base with the leasehold acquisition of 3,825 sqft at Annex, 15 Quay Street.
This move puts Hubscale right in the heart of one of Manchester’s leading digital and technology hubs, setting the stage for the company’s next stage of expansion as it aims to scale globally. It’s their second move in the last year, highlighting the company’s strong growth journey.
Elliott White, founder of Hubscale said:
“We’re really pleased to be moving into Annex, it’s a natural next step for us as the team continues to grow. Manchester’s been a brilliant place for us so far. There’s a strong talent pool here and a real sense of momentum, which fits how we like to work.
“The new office gives us the room to keep building the team, but just as importantly it’s somewhere people will actually enjoy being day today.”
Valcon, a European specialist in AI and data-driven business transformations, has expanded its footprint in the UK with three new regional offices – one of which is in Manchester city centre.
It’s all part of a broader European growth strategy and the business hopes to provide local support to businesses outside London and gain access to a wider talent pool. Given Manchester’s technology strength, the city was a natural choice.
Laura Casci, Managing Partner of Valcon UK said:
“Since Valcon announced its ambition to become a European powerhouse in AI and data-driven business transformation, we have seen a lot of momentum in the UK as organisation accelerate their investment in these areas.
“This demand is growing across the UK, not just in London, but in major regional hubs too. The move to strengthen our regional footprint reflects Valcon’s commitment to the UK market and our pledge to help our clients realise their transformation ambitions, supported by teams that are co-located across the UK.”
Bermans is a longstanding Manchester law firm which outgrew its space on the third floor of One King Street this year. The company has now expanded into a 4,300 sqft office which occupies the entire fifth floor of the building and has signed a 10-year lease.
Crucially, the new space will allow Bermans to expand staff numbers to more than 60, from their current level of 35 office-based employees. It’s a great example of how workspace can enable growth for scaling businesses.
Jon Davage, managing director of Bermans’ Manchester office and the firm’s head of corporate, said:
“Due to the sustained growth of our Manchester practice areas and in line with our future plans, we needed to expand our space.
“One King Street is a prime location right in the heart of the city centre, so when it came to assessing our needs we decided to expand our presence by relocating to a bigger base in the same building.
“There’s a real desire in our team to be together in the office, and providing a high-spec, modern hub was a priority."
Telecommunications company PHMG has leased 67,000 sqft at Salford this month – the largest office deal in Salford since the Covid-19 pandemic. They have taken on the space formerly occupied by TalkTalk and signed a 15-year lease at the former soap factory.
It’s a strong statement of intent from PHMG and shows that the Manchester office boom is not just confined to the city centre. The Salford Quays waterfront, adjacent to MediaCityUK, is another outstanding business district that provides a exceptional offering to businesses.
Andrew Day, senior director at Bankfoot APAM, said:
“This is a powerful signal of confidence in both Soapworks and the wider Salford market. We are seeing a clear flight to quality, with occupiers prioritising well-managed, amenity-rich environments that support long-term growth.”
Want to find your next leased, managed or serviced office space to rent? Book a call with our team today.
