Birmingham office market 2025 review

Key 2025 Birmingham office market deals

In line with the colossal take-up recorded by the Professional Services sector over 2025, the year’s largest deal was that of accountancy firm, EY (Ernst & Young Global).

The Q4 lease was agreed for 93,780 sq ft in the ever-popular, Three Chamberlain Square, Birmingham city centre’s newest office space.

This also added to the impressive CBD (Colmore Business District) take-up in 2025, which saw 458,826 sq ft accumulated over 50 deals – 70% of the take-up for all areas of the city across the year.

Largest deal affirms Chamberlain trend

The largest deal for both H2 and 2025, was EY’s lease of 93,780 sq ft at Three Chamberlain Square, a significant boost for the Professional Services sector and the office market as a whole.

This singular deal accounted for 14% of the year’s entire take-up figures, as well as 20% of the H2 total. Due to the financial strength of accountancy firms, they are often able to afford the higher city centre rental costs, with a desire for high-quality office space.

Three Chamberlain Square clearly provides this, having made three deals in 2025 – all in the Professional Services sector. Commercial property agents, CBRE took 16,458 sq ft in the building during H1. Meanwhile in H2, a second accountancy deal was made with Forvis Mazars taking 22,648 sq ft.

Three Chamberlain Square transactions in 2025

Biggest Q4 since 2017 reinvigorates market

In a relieving turn of events for the Birmingham office market, 2025’s lacklustre H1 has given way to a more positive H2, including an excellent fourth quarter.

72% of 2025’s entire take-up was leased in H2 and 45% of this was taken in Q4, resulting in much healthier year-end statistics than previously anticipated.

With a total take-up of 290,059 sq ft, this is the biggest Q4 since 2017 and the best quarter since 2024’s Q3, which featured Aston University’s landmark acquisition of 189,053 sq ft at 10 Woodcock Street.

With 60 deals made in H2 compared to 38 in H1, it is likely that the 2025 Birmingham office market will build on this momentum with considerable space taken in 2026’s first half.

Professional Services leads the year

In 2024, Birmingham’s office market take-up was surprisingly dominated by a range of deals in the Education and Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) sectors. They took a 39% and 19% share of the year’s take-up respectively.

2025, however, saw both sectors’ take-up figures slow, leaving space for a new sector to lead the year. With 383,134 sq ft taken, for a 59% share of the total annual space leased, this has been a landmark year for Professional Services.

48 of all 98 deals made in 2025 were penned by Professional Services companies, generating a share of 49%. Again, this was underpinned by the strength of the market in H2, with 282,258 sq ft taken over 27 deals in their last six months alone.

This is a return to prominence for Professional Services firms as, when considering our post-pandemic data (2023-2025), the sector leads with 35% of the take-up for all three years. This could suggest more movement in the first half of 2026, with further sizeable deals on the horizon.

Colmore takes largest share

In 2025, the Colmore Business District (CBD) took a year’s total of 458,826 sq ft, easily surpassing the 2024 total of 261,518 sq ft and the 2023 total of 353,997 sq ft, for a 70% share of the city centre’s regional take-up.

In the 2023-2025 post-COVID era, the area has amassed a total of 1,074,341 sq ft – 49% of the city centre’s take-up.

While it’s easy to predict the CBD will continue to dominate the market, options may become more limited in 2026. This may mean occupiers searching for brand-new space will be required to search for alternative offices within Birmingham city centre.

The sole, brand-new commercial property available in 2026 will be 1 Beorma Place at BEORMA QUARTER, a 152,000 sq ft tower opposite Selfridges. Meanwhile, there will also be newly refurbished space available at King Edward House on New Street, 35 Newhall Street and 19 Cornwall Street, comprising 217,791 sq ft in total.

Share of city area office take-up 2025

Dramatic increase in serviced office operations

In one of 2025’s more surprising developments, the Birmingham office market saw investment in serviced offices greatly increase over the course of the year.

Following a 2024 that leased only 2% of the overall sector share to serviced office operators – with a take-up of 19,676 sq ft – 2025 provided significant uplift in both H1 and H2. Securing a total of 79,963 sq ft throughout the year, the overall sector share improved to 12%.

This is both the largest sector share and take-up for serviced office operators since 2021, which benefited from a surplus of deals due to 2020’s COVID-led limitations. Prior to 2020, there were high levels of serviced office investment with several six-figure annual take-up totals reported.

It is hard to say if the 2025 figures are an anomaly or if these investments will lead to further changes in the market, but a 60,287 sq ft increase in just one year is certainly worth continuing to observe.

Accountancy firms’ investments may pay dividends

In our H1 2025 report, we noted that the uneven UK economy and the hesitancy of accountancy firms may have set a cautious trend for businesses over the year.

However, after signing 4 deals in H1, accountancy firms seemed to grow in confidence, agreeing a further 7 deals in H2 for a year’s total of 188,612 sq ft – 50% of the total Professional Services take-up and 30% of the entire Birmingham city centre take-up.

When considering these firms had taken no more than 2 leases annually over the prior 5 years, this is a significant amount of movement for both the accountancy landscape and the office market entirely.

The market is showing further signs of uplift for H1 2026 and this level of movement may just be the catalyst.

Outlook for Birmingham in 2026

Eversheds deal already boosting H1

With Eversheds Sutherland already confirming a 15-year lease for two floors of Three Chamberlain Square, we can already see that the first half of 2026 will have a positive outlook.

Alternatives to Colmore Business District

Whilst not strictly within the Colmore Business District, other centrally located spaces will draw interest from occupiers in 2026. For those looking for brand-new space, 1 Beorma Place is currently the sole option. However, plans for up to 260,000 sq ft of office space have recently been shared for Martineau Place. This follows continued options for the transformation of the former Rackhams/House of Fraser buildings owned by Legal & General.

Rental increases required to stimulate further growth

For the market to benefit from another ‘103 Colmore Row’ or ‘Three Chamberlain Square’, rental levels would need to increase. Only this way, will developers have the guaranteed incentive to demolish, build and lease this standard of office space.