Fast growing London teams are not bouncing between leases. They are buying time and quality. Moves in 2024 delivered bigger footprints and better buildings.
The result is net growth and stronger positioning, not churn.
What does the London office reset really show?
The London office market is undergoing deliberate capacity building by firms that expect to hire and scale. Cushman and Wakefield reports 531 Central London deals covering 9.7 million square feet in 2024, with occupiers expanding space by 38% on average and creating 3.27 million square feet of net growth. This is the opposite of instability.
Quality is the new filter. 65% of all leased space in 2024 was Grade A, up from 45% pre-pandemic, with Q2 2025 take-up reaching a record 80% Grade A share, according to research from Cushman and Wakefield.
Further confirming this “more and better” shift, Bloomberg coverage adds that 70% of movers took more space.
Scarcity is the kicker. Analysis from the Association of Investment Companies shows only 5.9 million square feet of Grade A is due to complete beyond 2025, which is under a year of demand.
With City A.M. reporting that renewals hit 60% in 2024, the minority who choose to move are locking in quality before the window narrows.
Key signals leaders are acting on:
- Frequent movers are capturing net growth rather than trading space.
- Grade A preference is now the market majority.
- Expansion plus upgrade beats renewal in secondary stock.
- Forward supply looks light relative to active demand.
- Institutional capital is following the same quality thesis.
All of this sets up the next question which is how timing and micro-location choices turn an 18-month move cycle into a measurable edge.
How does the 18 month move cycle turn timing into edge?
Frequent movers win on timing and micro-positioning. The average relocation distance was just 0.7 miles in 2024, in insights authored by Cushman and Wakefield. That signals local optimization rather than flight.
A short hop can secure a better building, fuller amenities and stronger ESG without breaking network ties. South London is where this plays quietly to advantage.
Regenerating schemes open in phases, and teams that move on 18-month cycles catch those releases while rivals wait for expiry.
Price cycles sharpen the edge. West End prime rents rose 14% year on year to 160 pounds per square foot in Q1 2025, in reporting authored by City A.M.
Shorter cycles let scale-ups secure space ahead of surges and avoid inflated renewals. When scarcity bites, the teams already in tomorrow’s stock benefit from better lease terms and landlord attention.
Agility converts to competitive positioning. With the majority of firms renewing, the minority who move are capturing openings others miss.
Moving every 18 months keeps optionality live, preserves local networks and lets teams step into premium buildings as they complete south of the river.
The next step is execution, which means treating moves as growth investments and planning hyper-local decisions around milestones rather than lease dates.
How should teams execute moves as growth investments?
Start by keeping the orbit tight. Most successful movers stay in their neighbourhood to protect client access and hiring pipelines. Cushman and Wakefield London Moves shows 64% of transactions stayed within the same business district.
Technology firms model this discipline with 61 relocations in 2023 and 24 staying inside their existing submarket.
Plan moves around growth milestones not expiry alarms. Tie location shifts to funding rounds, headcount thresholds, product launches and ESG upgrades.
Negotiate shorter initial terms with pre-agreed expansion rights and options on adjacent space. Knight Frank expects structural demand to rise through 2029 as legacy leases roll in the City Core.
What is the practical playbook?
A practical playbook brings order to what has become a volatile real estate landscape. With vacancies tightening and incentives narrowing, expansion planning can no longer rely on opportunity alone. Organisations that treat leases as part of a broader capital strategy are the ones maintaining flexibility without overpaying for speed.
The steps below outline a methodical approach to mapping future growth triggers:
- Map 12 to 24-month growth triggers and back-solve target move windows.
- Ring-fence a hyper-local search zone that preserves client and talent catchments.
- Pre-wire expansion with rights of first refusal on contiguous floors.
- Blend a core lease with managed swing space to handle spikes.
- Run a two-landlord competition to secure incentives and spec lifts.
- Lock in digital infrastructure standards early to cut fit-out time.
- Prioritise South London schemes delivering in phases to step into new stock.
Reuters notes vacancies have tightened which makes option-rich leases more valuable as supply thins, and that is why operators who execute this cadence now will be best placed for the conclusion that follows.
How ADAPT turns scarcity and timing into a micro-location edge
Leaders aren’t bouncing between leases-they’re using short hops to secure Grade A quality before scarcity bites. With record Grade A take-up, rising prime rents, and most firms renewing, the few who do move need precision: tight search radiuses, phased scheme timing, and option-rich terms.
ADAPT’s 360° service is built for exactly this moment.
- We turn the 18-month move cycle into a repeatable advantage. Our team maps your 12-24 month growth triggers (funding, headcount, launches, ESG) and back-solves target windows.
- We ring-fence hyper-local zones to protect client and talent catchments, then surface a curated “Top 10” of Grade A and off-market options in minutes.
- We pre-wire expansion-rights of first refusal on contiguous floors, managed swing space, shorter terms with step-in flexibility-and run two-landlord competitions to land incentives and spec lifts.
- South of the river, we track phased completions so you step into tomorrow’s stock at release, not at expiry. Digital infrastructure standards are locked early to compress fit-out time.
The outcome is measurable: faster decisions, better buildings, and lease structures that absorb growth without breaking network ties. With 20+ years in London and deep operator relationships, ADAPT protects teams from costly renewals and captures quality while it’s still available.
Scarcity rewards teams that move on their own clock, not the landlord’s. Our job is to turn that cadence into compound advantage-locking in Grade A quality, expansion rights, and the micro-locations that matter.
Chris Meredith, ADAPT CEO & Founder
What can you do to get ahead of the 18-month move cycle?
If you’re raising funds, scaling headcount, eyeing a South London scheme release, or stuck on a legacy lease-now is the time to act. Flexible space doesn’t just work better. It shows better.
ADAPT can not only help you find a smarter, more flexible office (that fits your needs perfectly) but also set you up with the best possible solution for the future-timed to market releases and priced to avoid rent spikes.
We call it the ADAPT difference. Speak with our team to plan your next move around market releases, lease timing, and expansion goals.
