The UK office market is no longer in recovery mode. It has flipped into a new phase where good space is getting harder to secure and slower movers are left with the leftovers.
For anyone hunting for London offices this is not an abstract statistic story. It directly affects what you can find, how much you pay and how fast you need to act.
What is really happening in the UK office market now?
Research from CBRE shows UK office take up hit 20.3 million square feet in 2024 which is the highest level in three years and 3% higher than 2023.
This jump is driven mainly by tech, media and telecoms plus banking and finance. These are the sectors that tend to anchor key London hubs such as Old Street and the City.
Knight Frank analysts report that London alone saw 3.5 million square feet of take up in Q2 2025 which is 38.5% higher than Q1 and 26% above the long term average.
That is not a gentle rebound. It is a clear sign that large firms are committing to physical space again, including six deals over 100,000 square feet in a single quarter.
The catch is that most of this demand is chasing the same type of building. According to Knight Frank 77.6% of London take up in Q2 was for new or refurbished space which is a record share.
At the same time total availability has started to fall and the vacancy rate in better quality space is already close to critically low levels.
What does this mean if you are looking for space?
The recent rise in office take-up is widening the gap between quality and secondary space. Prime buildings are tightening fast, while older stock is slowing. For anyone searching now, that split shapes what you can secure and how quickly you need to act.
- Prime locations and upgraded buildings are getting booked first.
- Older or secondary offices are much easier to find but may not help with talent or brand.
- Landlords of quality space have more pricing power and can hold firm on terms.
- Delays in decision making increase the risk that shortlisted options vanish.
- Larger floorplates in core areas are already becoming rare.
In simple terms the UK has entered a two speed office market where your access to quality space now shapes your competitive edge.
Why is the flight to quality changing how you secure space?
With the flight to quality now the main force shaping the London office hunt, the supply of the best space is tightening rapidly.
Knight Frank reports that the construction pipeline has fallen 4.4% to 15.6 million square feet and vacancy in new or refurbished space is only 5.4%. In core locations there were just two spaces over 100,000 square feet in legal stages at the end of June.
For a growing team this means you are not choosing from the whole market. You are fighting over a small pool of high grade floors with banks, funds and global tech firms.
Landlords who own these buildings know it. They can hold their nerve on rent and incentives because they see how quickly good options are being taken.
That is why the biggest deals now lock in space years before it completes. Knight Frank highlights Squarepoint Capital which has agreed around 400,000 square feet at 65 Gresham Street for a 2028 delivery.
Almost a third of the London space that is under construction is already pre let. This shows how far ahead the savviest occupiers are planning.
For everyone else the old way of waiting for a lease expiry then browsing open listings is starting to fail. Smart operators are using off market routes such as pre lets, quiet subleases and early renewals to secure quality floors before they appear on portals. They treat workspace choices like major tech or hiring decisions not last minute admin.
How are smart occupiers staying ahead of the office squeeze?
With a shortfall of quality offices expected to reach 7.5 million square feet by 2028, relying on listings alone is becoming a gamble.
More businesses are chasing a shrinking pool of the best space at the same time, meaning forward looking teams must now map their future headcount, project pipeline and London footprint together.
Instead of reacting to a lease expiry, they plan scenarios 12 to 36 months out and start sounding out options early. That creates time to explore buildings that are not openly marketed and to negotiate terms from a position of strength.
Working with a specialist broker or workspace partner can unlock options that most tenants never see, such as:
- Space that is quietly available because another occupier is rightsizing.
- Short term swing space that covers you between moves or refurbishments.
- Subleases that give you high quality floors without a full long lease commitment.
- Managed transitions where one team moves out as you phase your team in.
In a market where the best floors rarely hit the portals, the winners will be the occupiers who treat location planning as a core strategy. They use expert relationships to open doors that others didn’t know existed.
How ADAPT keeps you ahead in a two-speed office market
The data makes one thing clear: in London, the best offices are being snapped up early, while everyone else fights over what’s left.
With most demand funnelling into the same buildings, you now need to plan earlier and look beyond the public listings. This is exactly where ADAPT steps in.
ADAPT works as your expert, free office space partner. We help you map where your team is heading over the next 12–36 months. From there, we translate that into a clear brief covering size, location, budget, and must-have features like private space, strong Wi-Fi, and meeting rooms.
From there, we open up options you won’t see on portals. That includes quiet subleases, short-term bridge space, and early access to quality space before it hits the market.
Because ADAPT isn’t tied to one provider, we can focus purely on what’s right for your business and your people.
With 20+ years in the sector and deep relationships across London, we’ve helped fast-growing teams secure high-grade space on their terms, even as vacancy in the best buildings tightens.
The result is simple: less guesswork, fewer dead ends, and a workspace that genuinely supports growth.
In this market, waiting for the perfect listing is a losing strategy. Our job at ADAPT is to get you into the conversations and buildings you’d never reach on your own – early enough to still have real choice.
Chris Meredith, ADAPT CEO & Founder
What can you do to get ahead of the London office squeeze?
If you’re raising funds, hiring again, or stuck in a tired lease that no longer fits how your team works, now is the time to rethink your office. The best space is going to businesses that plan early, explore flexible options, and tap into hidden availability before it’s visible to everyone else.
ADAPT can help you do exactly that. As a free service for office hunters, we’ll listen to your plans, build a clear brief, and come back with a curated shortlist of flexible, high-quality spaces that actually fit your needs – today and as you grow.
Book a free consultation to start building a clearer picture of your next office.
