Ask Phil Mayall, Managing Director of Muse, and "Manchester" is not one place but three: the district, the regional centre and Greater Manchester. Part one of our series on how the city really gets built, and why knowing which Manchester you mean changes every investment decision.

CRE Insider was at Sheffield's Last Friday Club as the city hosted its first public/private property panel. The mood was surprisingly positive — once everyone got past the word viability.

Manchester's office market opened 2026 in solid form, with 51 deals and 286,000 sq ft transacted in Q1. But beneath the encouraging take-up figures lies a structural Grade A office space shortage. With no new-build completions until 2028 and prime rents heading for the mid-£50s per sq ft, the window for occupiers to secure best-in-class space is narrowing.