By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters

IT NOTED that enquiries for properties to lease rose across all four main commercial property sectors (offices, retail, leisure and industrial) in the Q3 2026, while investment enquiries fell in three.

Industrial property was the only where both leasing enquiries and investment enquiries rose with the tracker  recording a 6% year-on-year increase in leasing demand and a 7% increase in investment demand.

Industrial leasing demand increased in nine of the 11 regions. Scotland led with an 18% rise, followed by Wales at 15% and the South East at 12%. London recorded an 11% increase and the South West 10%. Demand fell by 2% in the East Midlands and 7% in the North East. On the supply side industrial listing increased by 16%

Rightmove commercial director Louise Sedgwick said: “Data centres and defence requirements offer potential sources of future industrial demand, creating opportunities for owners and developers able to provide suitable premises or sites.” 

Aman Parmar, Head of Marketing UK at BizSpace, a leading provider of flexible workspaces for SMEs across the UK added, “The industrial and logistics sector continues to be the most resilient part of the market, and SMEs are a big part of that story. Businesses that make, fix, store and ship things need small, well-located units on terms that let them grow.