London Office Movement Briefing · Week 44, 2026 · 2026-10-28
London Office Movement Briefing: In-market total jumps to 318 as City & fringe holds its lead
In-market organisations rose sharply to 318 in October, hot movers climbed to 22, and 412 lease events were recorded. The City and fringe remains the dominant submarket, finance and tech the leading sectors, while this week's press brought deals from GG Capital, Helical, Iroko Zen, Stripe, a British Film Institute-led trio, and Ramp.
The numbers
The in-market total stands at 318 organisations for October 2026, up from 255 the previous month - a rise of 63. The count of hot movers has also climbed, from 17 to 22. Lease events recorded across the market this week numbered 412.
The jump in the in-market figure is sizeable for a single month, and the parallel increase in hot movers suggests this is not simply a build-up of early-stage signals. A larger share of the pipeline is progressing towards active decisions, which fits with the volume of lease events logged over the same period.
Where the movement is
The City and fringe (EC) submarket continues to dominate, with 122 organisations in market - more than double the next most active area. The West End (W) and Midtown (WC) follow, each in the 37-50 range, with Southbank/SE close behind. North and NW London trails the group at 24.
By sector, finance and insurance leads with 58 organisations in market, ahead of tech and software on 43. Professional and creative services (34) and legal and consulting (29) form a second tier of activity, with media and publishing rounding out the top five at 20. Together, finance and tech account for close to a third of all tracked organisations, reinforcing the City's position as the focal point of this month's movement.
In the press this week
Deal activity this week was concentrated in Midtown and the City. GG Capital secured £48m of refinancing on a Midtown office, while Helical is targeting rents of £140 per square foot at Brettenham House following a major letting there.
On the investment side, Iroko Zen, the French SCPI, has bought another London office, adding to the steady flow of overseas capital into the market. Occupier demand was underlined by Stripe, which has lined up 130,000 sq ft at Blackstone's Broadgate Quarter, and by a trio including the British Film Institute, which has taken space at Sea Containers. Beyond London, Ramp has expanded its Flatiron headquarters to 460,000 sq ft, a reminder that fast-growing fintechs are a recurring source of large requirements feeding into markets like London.
Put this data to work
Every figure above comes from the live Signal dataset — the same one that powers the London Office Movement Index. If your business wins work when companies move, see the leads behind the numbers: office fit-out, relocation services, facilities management and more.