Office occupier demand reflected by the Birmingham market Available to Purchase

Occupiers of offices in Birmingham are faced with four main problem areas: organisation evolution; location; new working practices; and availability of office supply. This paper is based on a comprehensive survey of office occupiers within Birmingham’s office core. It focuses specifically on the implementation of new working practices, information technology and management techniques. Emphasis is placed on the resultant effect for occupier demand. Development of new office buildings has proved to be most successful within the city centre especially following the popularity of the Brindley Place development located outside the traditional CBD. The paper shows that, although, the demand for large floorplated buildings is strong, occupiers are seeking specifications which reflect their organisation’s structure and which also have the ability to utilise future IT systems. As a consequence of the limited supply within the city core, occupiers have often opted to take refurbished space in more secondary locations which attempt to meet their immediate needs. However, does the widespread use of IT still provide an advantage in business and does its use require the most modern and largest buildings in the CBD? The results of this research reveal insight into the views of office occupiers which could be valuable for commercial office developers and investors.