Take-up of UK office space hit its highest level for three years in the 12 months to the end of Q2 2025, according to new research from CBRE.

In the period, take-up reached 20.3m – the highest rolling 12-month level since Q3 2022, which saw take-up of 20.6m sq ft.

Activity was split between Central London (11.8m sq ft), the South East (2.4m sq ft) and the UK regions (6.5m sq ft). In Central London, five deals of more than 100,000 sq ft completed in Q2 2025 – the highest number of transactions of this scale in a quarter since Q3 2018.

Availability across the UK’s regional markets decreased by 3% in Q2 to stand at 20.7m sq ft at the end of the quarter. However, the supply of new stock remained constrained, representing less than a quarter of available space (23%).

At a sector level, tech, media and telecoms (TMT) accounted for more than a quarter (27%) of total UK office take-up during H1 2025 – a larger proportion of take-up than any H1 period over the past 10 years.

Simon Brown, head of UK office research at CBRE, said: “Our data shows us that in recent quarters, take-up has started to climb back above the 10-year average, which aligns to our view that occupiers are starting to take larger office footprints again. The UK office market is starting to show clear signs of normalisation after a period of relatively low demand. Driven by an increase in return to work mandates, we expect companies across the country to continue to acquire space to meet the demands of their growing workforces.”

Rob Madden, head of UK investor leasing at CBRE, added: “We know that the quality of the building itself is a top priority for occupiers, but so is location. Choosing the right UK market to access the best talent will be determined by the sector you operate in, but beyond that, accessibility and surrounding amenities are incredibly important. However, the thinning supply of new stock and the physical cost of moving are likely to result in more regears. If the office is well located and can be refurbed to meet the future needs of the occupier, staying put is a compelling option.”