The Property Ticker Workspace 1Q and Castellum 1H; AI firms emerge as a major source of office demand in London; Prime industrial rents continue to rise as ecommerce demand drives leasing; …and more

Research evidence excerpt

The Property Ticker Workspace 1Q and Castellum 1H; AI firms emerge as a major source of office demand in London; Prime industrial rents continue to rise as ecommerce demand drives leasing; …and more

cosystems. As AI adoption accelerates,

office space is increasingly being viewed as an enabler of innovation and recruitment,

making technology a potential driver of demand rather than a threat to it. (Source: CoStar)

• Prime industrial rents continue to rise as ecommerce demand drives leasing: UK

warehouse rents continued to rise in H1 2026, though at a slower pace than in recent years.

Prime big-box rents reached £12.40/sq ft (+2.8% YoY, +2.1% H1), while mid-box/

multilet rents increased to £16.10/sq ft (+2.9% YoY, +1.8% H1). Rental growth has

moderated versus H1 2025, reflecting a return to more normalised market conditions after

several years of exceptional expansion. Occupier demand remains resilient, with c.15m

sq ft of big-box take-up in H1, 20% below last year but still above the pre-Covid average.

Ecommerce was the key driver, accounting for ~80% of take-up through 3PLs, retailers

and online players, while Chinese ecommerce firms represented 13% of demand.

Investors continue to favour prime logistics assets in core markets with constrained

supply, supported by robust occupier demand, while activity in secondary locations

remains subdued amid higher capital costs and tighter lending conditions. (Source:

CoStar)

• Mountpark’s largest UK speculative warehouse gets green light: Mountpark has

secured approval for a 640,000 sq ft speculative logistics warehouse at Ferrybridge, West

Yorkshire, its largest UK spec development to date, with completion targeted for Q4

2027. The scheme reflects confidence in the UK big-box logistics market amid limited