He continued, “The range of office space available in Birmingham is vast. From funky warehouse space to out of town business parks, contemporary city centre developments to period style office accommodation, this is a city that offers the business community an incredible amount of choice in terms of available space, therefore allowing it to meet the diverse needs of many different types of business.”

 Of course there is some self- promotion in these claims, but no-one involved in commercial property management can deny the wide variety of office space available in the City, and the rise of ‘boutique’ sectors like Design and Digital/New Media has increased demand and opened up some exciting possibilities for developers.

Despite the self-promotion, the story echoes recent comments from senor Birmingham surveyor Jon Hinton who in June predicated a future shortage of commercial office property with future tenants facing:

• Limited availability

• Shorter rent-free periods

• Higher rents

 He predicted Grade A accommodation in particular will become virtually extinct if current demand of 200,000 to 250,000 square foot average yearly continues, and demand for commercial property is likely to be even greater if the City Enterprise Zone is confirmed.

 All this has of course has implications for tenants, landlords, investors and those involved in commercial property management. It certainly suggest tenants looking to move should do so sooner rather than later, and that landlords and developers can at last see a positive move in the sector.

Watch this space for further updates – and let us know your recent experience as either tenant or landlord.