M42 and Solihull office market 2026 H1 review

Key M42/Solihull office market 2026 transactions

Solihull’s key transactions in 2026 thus far have highlighted the consistency of the market, rather than the impact of a single, major transaction.

The half’s biggest deal, Aybl’s freehold purchase of Blythe Valley Business Park’s Juniper building, saw the gymwear brand acquire 25,247 sq ft of space. However, it’s the ongoing stream of mid-tier deals that has truly made the half a successful one.

The half saw 18 new deals completed, which is the most in one half since H1 2023. The steady Q2 performance also meant the M42 and Solihull region surpassed Birmingham’s take-up in a single quarter for the fourth time since records began.

Gymwear brand cements new trend with top H1 deal

Popular activewear and gym culture retailer, Aybl, have made Juniper at Blythe Valley Business Park their permanent home. The brand’s purchase of all 25,247 sq ft is the half’s largest, accumulating 24% of all take-up in 2026 so far.

However, this deal could be much more significant for the region than simply being the largest of 2026. Aybl are direct competitors to Gymshark, another popular fitness brand that has been a Blythe Valley staple since 2017, when it relocated from Redditch. Not only that, but Lounge Underwear also moved to the park in 2020.

With Aybl joining Blythe Valley, they uphold the business park’s consistent popularity and could also be cementing a new trend that’s seeing contemporary lifestyle brands expanding and becoming the face of the region.

Total M42 space taken rises 45% in six months

In 2025, Solihull’s office market saw a disappointing decline in H2. Having secured 159,408 sq ft in H1, the region took 73,641 sq ft in the second six months, falling short of a potential landmark year.

However, H1 2026 has seen the market quickly rebound with a 45% uplift in take-up compared with H2 2025. A significant element of this is seen within the number of freehold sales opportunities that have been taken, as well as more typical lettings. In Q2, five of the 12 total deals were either freehold or long leasehold transactions, of which four were completed by KWB acting on behalf of the landlord.

The potential to make a long-term office investment is scarcely found in city centres, yet this is something Solihull and its market are continuing to benefit greatly from. Not only that, but with a prominent business community, town centre amenities and excellent connectivity via road and rail, this remains a region that delivers exceptional ROI for a wide range of businesses.

M42/Solihull office market take-up H1 vs H2

Low to mid-tier size brackets dominate market share

The achievements of H1 2026 have been underpinned by two key size brackets, the 2,001-5,000 sq ft and 10,001-20,000 sq ft bands. Together, these accumulated a share of 56% of H1’s entire take-up – totalling 59,771 sq ft.

The 2,001-5,000 sq ft bracket saw 27,414 sq ft taken across eight deals for 26% of the half’s complete take-up. This has matched the entire 2025 take-up in this size bracket – 27,502 sq ft – in just one half.

The 10,001-20,000 sq ft bracket, meanwhile, secured its most space in a half since H1 2024. H1 2026 saw this bracket deliver a total of 32,357 sq ft, 30% of the entire half. This figure is already close to surpassing both the 2025 and 2024 annual take-up in this bracket and has actually exceeded 2023 already.

This influx of mid-tier deals could be part of an ongoing trend that is seeing businesses downsize their space in favour of hybrid or more flexible working environments, saving on operational costs. This trend could also explain the lack of a major 50,000+ sq ft deal so far in 2026, making the market feel less active than it is.

M42/Solihull office market H1 take-up (sq ft) by size band

M42 Q2 take-up surpasses Birmingham for fourth time

A sluggish second quarter in Birmingham has resulted in the Solihull and M42 region achieving a greater quarterly take-up than the city centre for the fourth time ever. The Birmingham office market took 44,553 sq ft of space in Q2 2026, 37% less than Solihull’s Q2 total of 70,218 sq ft.

KWB’s own deals in Solihull were instrumental in this momentous occasion for the region. KWB delivered six out of the 12 Q2 deals for a total of 32,984 sq ft – 47% of the Q2 total.

When looking at this year’s quarters in more detail, we can see that the average transaction size remains on a par with the 10-year average. In 2026, Solihull’s Q1 average transaction size of 6,078 sq ft and the Q2 average of 5,852 sq ft held form against the 10-year quarterly averages of 6,909 and 4,985 sq ft respectively. Should the market remain strong in H2, it’ll be interesting to see if its consistency in deals and take-up can continue this progress.

J4 and Coleshill see significant uplift in H1 activity

The Solihull office market has traditionally seen the Junction 6 region dominate in take-up for many years. However, following a lacklustre Q1 for J6, both Junction 4 and the Coleshill area have seen dramatic improvements in office space take-up.

In H1 2026, J4 completed six deals and accumulated 58,261 sq ft, 55% more than its H2 2025 total of 37,592 sq ft. In fact, the half was so strong for Junction 4 that it has outperformed every annual total for the region since 2020.

Whilst this can largely be attributed to the continued popularity of Blythe Valley Business Park, the rise in space taken in Coleshill is much more intriguing. Q2 2026 saw all four deals, made by KWB, in the region – comprising 27,748 sq ft and 26% of the total Solihull H1 take-up. Much like Junction 4, Coleshill’s take-up in 2026 is already its highest since 2021 with an entire half still to factor in.

With so many businesses looking to reduce costs, the affordability of areas such as Coleshill is becoming increasingly important, whilst still providing high-quality space and meeting connectivity needs.

M42/Solihull office market take-up (sq ft)

TMT sector improves on strong 2025 second half

A reliably strong sector for Solihull, TMT (Technology, Media and Telecoms) was less prominent in H1 2025 but quickly returned to form in the following half year. TMT took 30,250 sq ft in 2025’s second half, contributing 70% of all Solihull take-up in H2.

Since this time, the sector has continued steady progression, acquiring an H1 2026 total of 26,737 sq ft. However, the H1 share is significantly lower than the aforementioned H2 percentage, with TMT at 25%, an emerging ‘Gymwear and Lifestyle’ sector at 24% and Automotive/Manufacturing/Engineering at 21%.

It should be noted that, in H1 2026, the Gymwear and Lifestyle sector purely comprises the Aybl deal, but is significant enough for this to form a ‘Gymwear & apparel’ sector analysed separately from ‘other’. As previously indicated, it’ll be very interesting to see if this deal can solidify a new business sector in Solihull.

Although no deals were made specifically amongst automotive businesses, the manufacturing and engineering sides of this sector secured a deal each to acquire 22,306 sq ft, slightly more office space than this sector’s entire 2025 total of 21,158 sq ft.

Outlook for office space in Solihull/M42 in H2 2026

Mid-tier deals to continue upholding the market

With the 2-5,000 and 10-20,000 sq ft size brackets proving to be highly reliable in H1, we can expect to see this consistency hold steady in H2. Whilst office markets tend to look for a single, major deal to lift the annual data, a steady stream of mid-tier deals could provide the same level of significance and may help to create a more balanced and confident market.

Junction 6 set to rebound

Having fallen short of expectations in H1, we expect the J6 region to be set for an immediate uplift in deals and space leased. With a wealth of high-quality office suites available on Birmingham Business Park – a key driver for J6 – it remains extremely likely that more occupiers will choose this area in H2 2026.

More lifestyle brands to be attracted to Solihull?

Aybl’s decision to join established lifestyle brands, Gymshark and Lounge at Blythe Valley Business Park may be one that establishes Solihull as a new hub for similar businesses. We know that trends can quickly emerge in such niche industries, with potential competitors pressured to meet new standards, so we won’t be surprised if the Gymwear and Lifestyle sector continues to grow.