A recent study of corporate bosses in London, commissioned by the commercial property advisor Cushman and Wakefield, has reflected a good deal of positivity about the prospects for the city’s economy over the next 12 months, which is, in turn, expected to have an impact on the real estate sector.
Cushman and Wakefield reckon there to be some 55 million square feet of “lease events”, meaning breaks or expiries of office space leases, over the next five years, which clearly highlights the importance of economic positivity among London-based businesses.
Ipsos Mori carried out the latest research on the subject, which found that 87 per cent of London firms felt confident that the next year would be better than the last, and 71 per cent were actively seeking new growth opportunities.
Only representatives of companies worth over £25 million per annum were quizzed by researchers, and the commercial property firm behind the study described the general attitude among respondents as “bullish”.
“As we hopefully move into more economically stable times, these findings show that occupiers in the capital are feeling cautiously optimistic about their own business prospects,” said James Young, head of Cushman and Wakefield’s London office.
“A continued lack of development finance is likely to lead to a resurgence in the pre-letting of buildings, in order for developers to de-risk their scheme,” he added.
British Land, one of the largest commercial property developers in the UK, recently announced plans to invest £35 million in refurbishing a central London office building currently occupied by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Editor’s notes: You can read our London office space guide here.
Before the 2026 UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREIIF) was held across the Royal Armouries Museum and New Dock in Leeds City Centre from May 19th to May 21st, a survey was conducted of the approximately 10,000 real estate professionals who were due to attend.
It was discovered that real estate leaders had found reasons for optimism despite the war in Iran, geopolitical uncertainty, and industry problems such as viability dilemmas for developers. It was reported that positive sentiment stood at 63 per cent, still dominant but down from roughly 70 per cent ahead of the 2025 conference.
A common sense across the sector that the commercial property market’s recovery had hit ‘pause rather than reset’ in the first two quarters of 2026.