Manchester office market summary February 2026

The numbers are in and Manchester’s office sector can celebrate a record-breaking 2025. Data from the Manchester Office Agents Forum shows that take-up in the city centre reached 1.14 million sqft in 2025, exceeding the five-year average of 1.1 million sqft.

This reinforces the city’s position as one of the UK’s most resilient occupational markets. Even better, the speed of take-up increased over the year, with Q4 2025 beating the 2024 total by 83%.

That created a great platform for Manchester to kick on this year, and plenty has happened already this year, including:

• Co-op Bank expands Manchester HQ
• Lewis Silkin expands for the third time since 2022
• Fruition grows its Manchester presence with more floor space
• Artmax puts 10 Chapel Walks up for sale
• Fit out begins at 3 Hardman Street
• TDC moves to 55 King Street

Co-op Bank expands Manchester HQ

Co-op Bank is one of Manchester’s biggest names, and the business has added another 15,500 sqft to its presence at their One Balloon Street headquarters. They now occupy three floors and a total of approximately 45,000 sqft, cementing their place as a major Manchester occupier.

Matt Shufflebottom, director in CBRE’s office team in Manchester which advised on the deal, said:

“This deal underlines the continued demand for high-quality, fully fitted workspace in Manchester city centre.”

Lewis Silkin expands in Manchester

Lewis Silkin is one of Manchester’s fastest-growing law firms and they expanded again this month – their third office expansion since the firm’s foundation in September 2022. They’ve now moved into an 8,000 sqft space in Trinity Manchester which is four times larger than their previous premises, underlining their speed of growth.

The new space is rated BREEAM ‘Very Good’, includes more meeting room space and allows for future expansion in place as the business continues to grow in the coming decades.

Sally Hulston, Partner and Head of Manchester Office, said:

“We’ve taken a 10-year lease on our new premises, demonstrating our long-term commitment to the city. With four times more space than previously, we’ve got plenty of room to grow into, and we will be continuing to add to the team over the coming weeks and months as we move towards a complete ‘Ideas and People’ offering.”

Fruition grows into a new space

Technology and engineering recruitment firm Fruition Group is growing into a new, significantly larger space at Blackfriar's House to support the company’s growth on both sides of the Atlantic. Their original Manchester office was sized for just two employees, whereas the new space seats 18 employees.

The growth is another vote of confidence in Manchester’s digital and technology economy which continues to go from strength to strength – and is having an increasing impact on the city’s office market.

Founder and CEO Sarah Pawson said:

“Manchester’s tech landscape continues to grow at pace, with start-ups scaling rapidly and major organisations establishing technology hubs in the city. Expanding our presence here allows us to work more closely with clients, deliver highly specialised recruitment solutions, and invest in long-term growth in one of the UK’s most dynamic tech markets.”

Artmax puts 10 Chapel Walks up for sale

Hong Kong family office Artmax has put popular office building 10 Chapel Walks up for sale with an asking price of £16.1m. The 53,000 sqft building has gone through a full refurbishment and is home to 12 businesses across its eight floors.

This is one of the most central office spaces in Manchester and has been a hit with businesses since 1998. We will be keeping an interested eye on where this building goes next and look forward to seeing it continue to evolve in the future.

Fit out works begin at 3 Hardman Street

3 Hardman Street is one of Manchester’s landmark office buildings and it is about to get even better. Protector Insurance signed a 25,000 sqft expansion for its Manchester head office last year and have now appointed Flexible Business Interiors to complete a £5.5m fit out of the space.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the fit out is the multi-purpose social space which will act as an event space and area for staff to unwind. These are the touches which set offices apart and provide a real identity.

TDC moves into 55 King Street

Private credit investor TDC has confirmed its long-term commitment to Manchester with a move into a 3,300 sqft space at 55 King Street. The firm originated in Manchester a decade ago and has grown strongly ever since.

In fact, the firm is planning to use their Manchester headquarters as a platform for the next phase of growth as they reach out nationally.

Gary Davison, Managing Partner at TDC, said:

“Our move to 55 King Street provides us with the space and platform we need to continue growing as a business, while reaffirming our commitment to Manchester, the city where it all started for us. We’re proud to have grown a national platform supporting mid-market private equity all from this city, and now, as we expand further, our sights are firmly set on Europe to build our reach across the continent.”

Want to secure your office move in 2026 and give your business the space it needs to grow? Have a look at how we’ve helped other businesses like yours, then contact the LEVEL team to get started!‍