The commercial property analysis firm reports considerable optimism among real estate business leaders, with most in the sector confident that the worst of the recent financial turbulence is over.
This confidence looks set to spur an upswing in activity in office space markets worldwide, with growing demand for prime locations likely to increase rental yields for property owners, according to Colliers.
Office space markets in the US, as well as in London, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong, are rated among the most popular, while close to 90 per cent of real estate investors are considering expanding their current portfolios.
“While current sentiment varies by region, the large majority of respondents felt the market would still be on the upswing one year from now,” said James W Horne, chairman of Colliers International Asia Pacific.
“Optimism in the market is reinforced by the nearly three-quarters of respondents saying a double-dip recession is unlikely.”
In addition to the well-established office space markets in financial capitals around the world, countries like Ukraine, Poland and Brazil were cited as being among the most tempting office space options for investors considering expansion into emerging markets.
Central London boasts one of the most active office space sectors in Europe, and a report from the commercial property firm DTZ recently suggested that optimism is growing that 2011 will be a good year for the UK capital’s real estate markets.
Editor’s notes: As of June 2026, Ukraine was heavily embroiled in the Russo-Ukrainian war that was escalated in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
This had created worldwide supply chain issues and general global uncertainty.
Macroeconomic uncertainties were elevated in March 2026 when the US invaded Iran, leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that is key to transporting oil from the Middle East.
The global disruption, particularly caused by the US invasion, caused office markets around the world to stagnate.
Many markets around the world had shown signs of recovery in 2025 – London, for instance, recorded take-up of 12.1 million square feet across 1,400 deals, the city’s strongest year since 2019.
The general sentiment across many markets was that the global office market was paused rather than reset and would continue to recover once some form of resolution and stability was found in the Middle East.