Manchester office take-up down 100,000 sq ft in Q2
The second quarter of 2026 saw 184,500 sq ft of office space transacted compared to 286,000 sq ft in the first three months of the year, according to data from the Manchester Office Agents Forum.
The total was also well below the 261,500 sq ft of take-up recorded in the same quarter last year.
Notable transactions during April, May, and June included scientific journal publisher MDPI’s 21,400 sq ft letting at 4 Hardman Square and flex workspace provider Block Workspace’s 25,800 sq ft deal at Karrev’s Sunlight House.
At 48, the number of deals completed in Q2 remained steady; 51 were inked in Q1.
Matt Lee, partner at Carter Jonas, said this demonstrated “resilient occupier demand, despite a reduction in overall take up”.
“We expect demand to strengthen after the summer, with occupiers continuing to prioritise high-quality space and wider regional locations continuing to play a key role in the Manchester office market,” he said.
Lee added that the Prime Minister’s decision to move some functions to Manchester would also likely have a positive impact on the market.
“The formation of No 10 North alongside an increased national focus on devolution provides further reasons for confidence in Greater Manchester’s growth prospects and opportunities across the region,” he said.
Read more about the potential impact of No 10 North on Manchester’s office market
The quarter’s larger deals took place outside of the city centre. The biggest of all saw PHMG take 67,500 sq ft at Greater Manchester Pension Fund’s Soapworks at Salford Quays, as first revealed by Place North West.
Morson Projects also signed for 22,232 sq ft at Centenary House.
These deals helped the Salford Quays and Old Trafford market on its way to its best quarterly take-up total since 2018 with 144,000 sq ft let across 29 deals.
Oliver Woodall, director at Edwards, said: “Despite the decline in Manchester city centre activity in Q2, the wider regional markets experienced quarter-on-quarter growth, with Salford Quays and Old Trafford emerging as the strongest-performing areas.
“This resilience suggests that, despite ongoing economic uncertainty, demand has remained robust in key regional locations as occupiers continue to seek value and flexibility outside the city centre.”
MOAF was formed in 2009, and members include Avison Young, BE Group, Carter Jonas, CBRE, Colliers International, Canning O’Neill, Cushman & Wakefield, Edwards Property Consultants, Fisher German, Hallam Property Consultants, JLL, Knight Frank, LSH, OBI, Savills, Sixteen, and TSG Property Consultants.
