The cost of rent for office space in London is the highest in Europe. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the West End had average rents per square foot of *** British pounds. The average annual rent in London for prime office space was substantially higher than in any other European market. Prime yields For commercial real estate investors, prime yields in London averaged **** percent in 2023. As compared to the rest of the United Kingdom, yields for prime office space in London were notably lower. Commercial investments Office real estate, which comes under the broader term of commercial real estate, traditionally accounts for the lion's share of commercial real estate investments. In recent years, however, this share has been gradually declining. Despite this trend, the UK is one of the leading office real estate investment markets in Europe.

In the second quarter of 2025, London (West End) was the market with the most expensive prime office space worldwide. The net effective cost for a prime office in London cost close to ****** U.S. dollars annually. In second and third markets in the ranking, Hong Kong and Midtown New York, prices also exceeded *** U.S. dollars per square foot, with Hong Kong at ****** U.S. dollars and New York Midtown at ****** U.S. dollars. The global office real estate sector was severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the political and economic uncertainty that followed. With many companies placing expansion plans on hold and transitioning to hybrid working models, vacancies across many markets spiked and leasing activity slowed down.

Renting an office space in the UK was the most expensive in London West End in 2025. In the first quarter of the year, the square foot cost of a prime office space cost 170 British pounds. Conversely, Belfast was the most affordable of the 18 markets ranked, at 26 British pounds per square foot.

London is the most expensive city for office real estate in Europe. In 2023, the per square foot cost of office space in London was higher than in any other European city. In West End, a Grade A office cost about 90 British pounds per square foot in 2023. Prime offices were even more expensive, at 135 British pounds per square meter. Office yields Prime yields in Central London fluctuate depending on the district, but West End areas tend to have lower yields compared to other areas, such as Stratford or Canary Wharf. The prime office yield in Mayfair/St. James' in 2023 was the lowest among the major London office submarkets. In real estate, yields measure the potential return of a rental property and are calculated as the ratio of the property's rental income to the investment cost. Typically, prime office yields in London are lower than the rest of the UK, which is mostly due to the highly competitive market and high investment costs. Vacancy rates Despite the high office rental costs in England’s capital city, vacancy rates in many of London's main office markets were below seven percent in 2023. This is good news for the office sector, as during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the share of vacant office space across all Central London districts spiked dramatically. Compared to other European cities, London was in the middle of the ranking, alongside Frankfurt and Lisbon.

The price of prime office space in London differs significantly based on location. More central areas, including the West End, Marylebone and Knightsbridge, tend to have prime rents more than double the cost of areas on the outskirts. London office rents - most expensive in Europe When placing London alongside other major cities in Europe, the West End area of London had annual prime rents over 800 euros per year higher than Paris. In the United Kingdom (UK), average rental costs in the capital fair outweigh those of other areas. Outside of London, the major cities saw prime office rents ranging between 26 British pounds per square foot and 39 British pounds per square foot. Prime Yields Prime yields assess the return on investment expected for commercial real estate. In 2023, prime yields ifor office real estate stood between 3.75 and 7.5 percent. During the same year, office prime yields in several other areas in Europe saw far greater returns on investment.

Prime rental rates for flexible office space in London in the first quarter of 2023 started from ** British pounds and went as high as *** British pounds per square foot depending on the area. Prime rates reflect the highest rates in each market. Mayfair and St James's had the highest rental rate, followed by the City Core and South Bank. Flexible office space, also referred to as coworking space or shared office space, refers to commercial office space that allows short-term leases to individuals, freelancers, small and medium enterprises, and other professionals. In contrast to traditional offices, flexible offices provide equipped and serviced office premises without long-term rent commitment. Multiple factors influence the increasing demand for flexible office space, such as economic growth, job creation, innovation and property market fundamentals.

The rental prices of prime office spaces per square meter varied greatly across different European cities in 2023, ranging from over ***** euros in London to *** euros in Riga. Prime office properties typically meet specific criteria, including a good location in major commercial centers, public transport accessibility, and energy efficiency. Where in Europe are offices most expensive? London, England, had the most expensive prime office spaces with the West End, Marylebone, and Knightsbridge/Chelsea submarkets commanding the highest prices. Other European cities with high-end office rents included Paris, Milan, and Dublin. Where is the most office space leased? Larger cities with flourishing economies tend to attract most businesses despite higher office space costs. Therefore, it is unsurprising that Germany's big Four (Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg), Paris, and London had the highest take-up rates for office spaces across Europe. In Berlin and Luxembourg, the share of vacant office space was less than **** percent.

The UK co-working office space industry is experiencing robust growth, projected to reach a market size of £1.34 billion in 2025 and maintain a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.11% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is fueled by several key drivers. The increasing preference for flexible work arrangements among both freelancers and established companies seeking cost-effective solutions and scalable workspace is a significant factor. Technological advancements, including improved booking platforms and workspace management systems, are streamlining operations and enhancing the user experience. Furthermore, the growing number of startups and small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK is driving demand for affordable and adaptable co-working spaces, particularly in major metropolitan areas like London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds. The industry caters to a diverse range of end-users, including personal users, small-scale companies, large-scale corporations, and various application sectors like IT, legal services, BFSI, and consulting. While the market faces challenges such as competition from traditional office spaces and economic fluctuations, the overall outlook remains positive, driven by the sustained demand for flexible and collaborative work environments. The segmentation of the UK co-working market reveals a concentration in major cities, with London likely holding the largest market share followed by Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds. The popularity of serviced and flexible managed offices reflects the preferences for customizable solutions. The presence of numerous established players, including Regus, The Office Group, and numerous smaller, independent providers, indicates a competitive but dynamic landscape. The continuing rise of remote work and hybrid work models will further solidify the long-term growth trajectory of the co-working sector. Companies are strategically adapting their offerings to meet evolving needs, incorporating amenities, networking opportunities, and community-building initiatives to attract and retain clients. Future growth will hinge on the industry's ability to innovate, provide value-added services, and adapt to the shifting preferences of the workforce. Recent developments include: May 2023: Amazon took over WeWork Cos.' 70,000 sq. ft office space in London. The tech giant will take over WeWork's refurbished Moore Place office building, which is estimated to house around 1,000 employees., July 2023: WeWork, the leading global flexible space provider, announced a franchise partnership with Garnier & Garnier, one of Costa Rica’s best-known and most reputable real estate development companies, giving Garnier the exclusive right to grow and operate WeWork’s existing locations in Costa Rica.. Key drivers for this market are: 4., Increasing Shift Toward Co-working Spaces is Driving the Market4.; Increasing Focus on Sustainability is Driving the Market. Potential restraints include: 4., Increasing Shift Toward Co-working Spaces is Driving the Market4.; Increasing Focus on Sustainability is Driving the Market. Notable trends are: The Demand for Landlord-Fitted Office Space Surges Amid Rising Costs and Shrinking Availability.

London Property Listings Dataset

Description

This dataset expands upon the original London Property Listings by including additional attributes to facilitate deeper analysis of rental properties in London. It is ideal for research and projects related to real estate trends, price categorization, and area-wise analysis in one of the world's busiest markets.

Dataset Features

• Price: Monthly rental price in GBP.
• Property Type: Classification of the property (e.g., Apartment, Flat).
• Bedrooms: Number of bedrooms in the property.
• Bathrooms: Number of bathrooms.
• Size: Property size in square feet (where available).
• Postcode: Postal code of the property location.
• Area: General area or neighborhood information.
• Price_Category: Categorization of prices into predefined ranges (e.g., Low, Medium, High).
• Area_Avg_Price: Average price of properties within the same area.

Potential Use Cases

• Price Analysis: Study how property attributes impact rental prices.
• Price Prediction Models: Utilize the dataset for machine learning tasks like regression and classification.
• Regional Insights: Compare rental trends across different neighborhoods.
• Categorical Analysis: Investigate trends within predefined price categories.

Data Summary

• Total Records: 29,537
• Total Attributes: 9
• Data Completeness: No missing values. All columns are fully populated.

Attribution

This dataset was prepared and uploaded by Mehmet Emre Sezer. It is intended for educational and non-commercial use.

The UK commercial real estate market, valued at approximately £149.67 billion in 2025, is projected to experience steady growth, driven by factors such as increasing urbanization, robust economic activity in key sectors, and ongoing investment in infrastructure projects. The market's Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.31% from 2025 to 2033 indicates a positive outlook, although growth may fluctuate depending on macroeconomic conditions and interest rate changes. The office sector, while facing challenges from remote work trends, remains a significant segment, particularly in major cities like London. The retail sector is undergoing transformation, with a shift towards experience-led retail and e-commerce fulfillment centers driving demand. The industrial and logistics sector continues to thrive, fueled by the growth of e-commerce and supply chain optimization. The hospitality sector’s recovery post-pandemic is expected to contribute to market growth, although uncertainties remain. Investment is likely to focus on sustainable and technologically advanced properties, aligning with broader ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) considerations. Within the UK, regional variations are expected. London and other major cities will continue to attract significant investment, while regional markets will demonstrate varying levels of growth depending on local economic conditions and infrastructure developments. Competition among established players like Hammerson, Land Securities Group PLC, and British Land, alongside emerging players, will likely intensify. The sector is also subject to regulatory changes and external factors like inflation and geopolitical events, which will influence investment decisions and overall market performance. Technological advancements, such as proptech solutions and data analytics, will further reshape the industry's landscape, impacting operations, asset management, and tenant relationships. This evolving market presents both opportunities and challenges for investors, developers, and businesses operating within the UK commercial real estate sector. Recent developments include: October 2023: British Land received a resolution to grant planning permission for an approximately 140,000 sq. ft multi-level last-mile logistics scheme on Mandela Way, Southwark. This project represents the latest addition to British Land’s 2.9 million sq. ft pipeline. Situated near the junction of New Kent Road, Old Kent Road, and Tower Bridge Road, the site will serve as a last-mile logistics hub for Southwark and central London., July 2023: British Land and Landsec formulated a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at regenerating UK towns and cities. Their goal is to stimulate more growth, create additional homes, and generate more job opportunities by enhancing how the planning system supports brownfield regeneration. As major players behind some of Britain’s most significant regeneration projects, including Landsec’s 24-acre Mayfield neighborhood in central Manchester and British Land and AustralianSuper’s 53-acre Canada Water development in London, these property companies bring extensive experience in large-scale, complex urban developments. The insights gained from such projects have been applied and refined in their latest paper.. Key drivers for this market are: Growth in the Country's Logistics Sector and Warehouse Space, Increasing Demand for Co-working Office Spaces; Increasing Infrastructure Investments. Potential restraints include: Rising Costs affecting the market. Notable trends are: Office Segment Showing Significant Growth in the Market.

San Francisco's office rental market showcases significant variation across its submarkets, with Mission Bay commanding the highest rates at *** U.S. dollars per square foot in the third quarter of 2024. This premium location demanded nearly double the city's average rate, highlighting the stark differences in desirability and demand within the city's commercial real estate landscape. Economic powerhouse The San Francisco Bay Area's economic prowess is evident in its impressive economic growth over the past 20 years. The city's strength is fueled by the presence of major technology companies and a thriving startup ecosystem. The region's economic significance extends beyond local boundaries, contributing substantially to California's position as the state with the highest GDP in the country. This economic vitality helps explain the sustained demand for office space across various San Francisco submarkets. Offices: global context and market trends In a global context, San Francisco's office rental rates are relatively high but not the most expensive worldwide. In 2024, London, Hong Kong, and New York emerged as the top three most expensive office rental markets globally. Over the past five years, San Francisco has experienced a decline in office rents. This trend aligns with broader shifts in the office real estate sector, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of hybrid work. Despite these challenges, certain San Francisco submarkets like Mission Bay and The Presidio continue to command premium rates, reflecting their enduring appeal to commercial tenants.

Discover the booming UK co-working office space market! Our analysis reveals a £1.34 billion market in 2025, growing at 7.11% CAGR. Learn about key drivers, trends, and top companies shaping this dynamic sector. Explore regional breakdowns and future projections for London, Manchester, Birmingham, and more. Recent developments include: May 2023: Amazon took over WeWork Cos.' 70,000 sq. ft office space in London. The tech giant will take over WeWork's refurbished Moore Place office building, which is estimated to house around 1,000 employees., July 2023: WeWork, the leading global flexible space provider, announced a franchise partnership with Garnier & Garnier, one of Costa Rica’s best-known and most reputable real estate development companies, giving Garnier the exclusive right to grow and operate WeWork’s existing locations in Costa Rica.. Key drivers for this market are: 4., Increasing Shift Toward Co-working Spaces is Driving the Market4.; Increasing Focus on Sustainability is Driving the Market. Potential restraints include: 4., Economic Uncertainty is Affecting the Market. Notable trends are: The Demand for Landlord-Fitted Office Space Surges Amid Rising Costs and Shrinking Availability.

In 2024, ****** was still the most expensive UK city for office construction. This was true at least for the cities included in the list, and it applies to prestige and A-Grade offices. Both A-Grade and prestige offices in London were more expensive than any type of office construction in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, or Leeds. After London, Cambridge and Oxford are also some of the other UK cities with the highest house prices in 2023. Office rents in London Not only did London prove to have high building costs, rents for prime offices were equally high, with the West End core as the most expensive districts in the city. The area to the North of Buckingham Palace is known for its exclusive townhouses largely owned by the foreign elite and upscale hotels and restaurants. Stratford and the rest of the Docklands were the cheapest districts in London. Office investments in the UK In the last quarter of 2023, the value of office investments in London increased slightly in comparison to previous quarters. Investments in the City and Southbank, however, dropped in value. The volume of investment in commercial real estate in the UK fluctuated a lot in the past months, with some years showing high volumes of investment in office real estate, and other months where those values fell rapidly.

In the South of England, rents for office space fluctuate depending on its location. This was especially present for areas surrounding London. For companies looking for more affordable rents, some choose to rent Grade B office properties. For specific areas of Southern England, Grade B rents are often more than *** British pounds per square foot cheaper than Grade A properties. In 2019, the cost of grade B office property was the most expensive in Bristol, in the South West of England at ** British pounds per square foot. The cheapest average office rents in the South of England could be found in Norwich and Peterborough.

Compared to London, even the most expensive office rents for Grade A and B real estate were far less than the top of London. In 2019, the most expensive office rents were found in the West End of London.

In the first quarter of 2025, London West End - Bond Street was the most expensive location for prime high street rents in the UK, with prices reaching 2,500 British pounds per square foot. The West End was ranked ahead of London City, which came in third. In Manchester, the annual costs of rental per square foot of prime retail real estate amounted to 235 British pounds. Retail warehouses Retail warehouses typically range from 50,000 to hundreds of thousands of square feet. They are used for keeping and distributing inventory. Retail warehouses include loading docks, truck doors and large parking lots; also, they may contain a limited amount of office space. Prime retail warehouse properties belong to the wider category of industrial property, along with other real estate types, such as distribution buildings, showroom facilities, manufacturing buildings, cold storage facilities, telecom or data hosting centers, "flex" buildings denoting more than one industrial or commercial facility housed in the same building, and finally R&D buildings. Prime yields of high street retail across Europe Retail real estate prime yields in Europe were the lowest in Zurich, Switzerland, and the highest in Bucharest, Romania in 2025. As could be expected, larger cities in Europe tended to produce lower yields, due to the lower risk associated with these markets. Locations with lower yields tend to have steady occupancy rates and rental growth.

As of June 2019, the cost per square foot for prime office real estate in London varied from ** British pounds in Heathrow to *** British pounds (GBP) in the West End.

In the South of England, prime rents for office space fluctuate depending on its location. This was especially present for areas surrounding London. In 2019, the cost of grade A office property was the most expensive in Windsor with **** British pounds per square foot. The cheapest average office rents in the South of England could be found in Peterborough.

Compared to London, even the most expensive office rents for prime real estate were far less than the top of London. In 2019, the most expensive office rents were found in the West End of London.

It can be seen that the largest prime rent for office properties in London West End was found in the districts of St James's and Mayfair at that time, both with a prime rent of *** British pounds per square foot as of the third quarter of 2020. Prime rents in most West End districts did not change between 2019 and 2020, except in Victoria and King's Cross. In 2021, rents in most London districts remained unchanged.

As of June 2019, the cost per square foot for prime office real estate (excluding London) in the United Kingdom (UK) fluctuated from ** British pounds in Middlesborough to ** British pounds (GBP) in Reading. Reading's proximity and ease of access via rail lines to London are two reasons behind its high cost of rent.

This statistic displays the prime headline costs of warehouse rent across European cities as of the first half of 2021 in euros, per square meter per month. In this case, according to the source, prime warehouse locations have been categorized as spaces that are deemed to be at the top open-market tier of rent up to ************** square meters. The warehouse rents included spaces that are of grade A quality in the best locations in the market, with up to ** percent of the space dedicated to offices and between * and 10-meter ceiling height.

London soars in price
Due to its central location and capabilities of worldwide distribution, warehouse space in London had the highest monthly price at **** euros per square meter, as of the first half of 2021. At the other end of the table was the Polish city of Łódź with prime headline rents of *** euros per square meter per month.

UK prime warehouse rents
The price per square foot of smaller industrial warehousing was more expensive than that of larger warehousing. Other factors that could affect pricing included location, proximity to major road systems, key population areas, price of developing land and staff costs. Prices for prime small shed real estate in the United Kingdom (excluding London) as of the first half of 2021 varied from ** British pounds in Borehamwood to five British pounds in Belfast. Inside of London, prime rental costs can reach as much as ** British pounds per square foot.