KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

Download a pdf copy of this report by clicking here

This report focuses on the following key areas in the Yorkshire & Humberside *** region:

Supply of and demand for serviced office space - In terms of the number of enquiries, the size and shape of those enquiries and the number of placements.

New Serviced Office Tenants (SOTs) - In terms of workstation prices and initial license length commitment.

Using the statistics from these areas, a detailed overview of the serviced office industry in Yorkshire & Humberside was compiled to provide a comparative report of the changes within the serviced office market during Q2 10 compared to Q2 09.

*** officebroker.com defines the Yorkshire & Humberside region as areas located within the following postcode prefixes: BD, DN, HD, HG, HU, HX, LN, LS, S, WF and YO.

______

• SUPPLY OF SERVICED OFFICE SPACE

The number of serviced office buildings registered with officebroker.com in Yorkshire & Humberside increased from 225 to 229.

The total number of serviced office buildings registered with officebroker.com in Yorkshire & Humberside increased to 229 during Q2 10 – representing a net increase of 4 buildings on the figure of 225 recorded at the close of Q1 10.

As shown in Fig 1, the total number of serviced office buildings registered with the officebroker.com service has increased overall during the last 12 months, rising from 200 in Q3 09 to 229 by the close of Q2 10.

This means that the overall number of serviced office buildings choosing to register with officebroker.com in Yorkshire & Humberside has increased by 29 buildings (+14%) within this 12 month period.

______

• DEMAND FOR SERVICED OFFICE SPACE

Q2 10 Enquiry Levels exceeded those of Q2 09 by +24% overall.

Quarterly Activity – The total number of enquiries received by officebroker.com for serviced office space in Yorkshire & Humberside increased by +24% in Q2 10 compared to Q2 09.

Year-to-Date Activity – This additional +24% increase in enquiries recorded by officebroker.com in Q2 10 follows a +33% increase in Q1 10, meaning the overall number of enquiries received by officebroker.com for serviced office space in Yorkshire & Humberside during the first half of 2010 was +29% higher than in 2009.

National Comparison – During Q2 10 the total number of enquiries received by officebroker.com throughout the UK increased by +33% compared to Q2 09, indicating that the increases seen in Yorkshire & Humberside are lower than in other areas of the UK during Q2 10.

* Effective from 1st February 2010, officebroker.com extensively expanded its online marketing and affiliate program.

As a direct result of this activity the number of enquiries received by officebroker.com increased substantially from February 2010 onward. Such increases, while generating abnormally large changes when placed against previous data, will ensure that the statistics reported by officebroker.com are an even more accurate assessment of the serviced office market here in the UK.

______

• NEW SERVICED OFFICE TENANTS (SOTs)

+21% change in the number of SOTs in Q2 10 compared to Q2 09.

Quarterly Activity – The number of businesses taking serviced office space through officebroker.com increased by +24% in Q2 10 compared to Q2 09.

Year-to-Date Activity – During Q1 10 the number of new SOTs taking space through the officebroker.com service decreased (-35%), meaning that the overall number of SOTs taking space via officebroker.com in Yorkshire & Humberside is currently -16% lower in the opening 6 months of 2010 than in same period of 2009.

With the officebroker.com sales cycle averaging 59 days from initial enquiry to placement, it would appear that the additional enquiries generated in Q1 10 (+33%), a result of the increased marketing activity outlined in the previous section of this report, have helped to generate an increase in the number of SOTs taking office space in the Yorkshire & Humberside region through officebroker.com during Q2 10.

National Comparison – During Q2 10 the total number of SOTs taking serviced office space through officebroker.com increased nationally by +5% compared to Q2 09. Having recorded a +24% increase in SOT numbers during Q2 10, the Yorkshire & Humberside region would appear to be ahead of the national activity recorded during this same period.

______

• AVERAGE WORKSTATIONS PER SOT

Average workstations per SOT decreased from 3.0 in Q2 09 to 2.5 in Q2 10.

Quarterly Activity – The average number of workstations per SOT totalled 2.5 at the close of Q2 10, a decrease of -18% on the average workstation requirement of 3.0 per SOT recorded in Q2 09.

Year-to-Date Activity – Having previously recorded an +8% increase in average workstation requirements during Q1 10, overall workstation requirements in Yorkshire & Humberside during the opening 6 months of 2010 are currently -5% below 2009 levels overall.

National Comparison – The average number of workstations per SOT throughout the UK increased from 3.8 in Q2 09 to 4.5 at the close of Q2 10 - a rise of +16%.

Comparing this national activity to that of Yorkshire & Humberside in Q2 10, both the percentage change (-18%) and average workstation requirement (2.5) within the region were significantly lower than the national averages recorded by officebroker.com during the same period.

Having recorded an average workstation requirement of 2.5 per SOT during Q2 10, Yorkshire & Humberside logged the lowest workstation requirement of any UK region during the second quarter of 2010.

______

• SERVICED OFFICE SPACE COSTS

Average price per workstation decreased by -17% in Q2 10 compared to Q2 09.

Quarterly Activity – The average price per workstation in Yorkshire & Humberside was £167.00 in Q2 10, a decrease of -17% on the average price of £202.00 recorded in Q2 09.

Year-to-Date Activity – Having also recorded a decrease of -16% in average workstation prices during Q1 10, overall average workstation prices in Yorkshire & Humberside are currently -17% below 2009 levels in the opening 6 months of 2010 based on officebroker.com statistics.

National Comparison – During Q2 10 the average price per workstation fell nationally by -13%, from £274.00 in Q2 09 to £238.00 by the close of Q2 10.

At the close of Q2 10 workstation prices in Yorkshire & Humberside were £71.00 (-30%) below this national average.

With an average workstation price of £167.00 in Q2 10, Yorkshire & Humberside recorded the third lowest average workstation price of any UK region, with only the East Midlands (£166.00) and North West (£164.00) showing a lower average price during this period.

______

• AVERAGE LICENSE LENGTHS

Initial license lengths decreased to 7.4 months in Q2 10 from 8.5 in Q2 09.

Quarterly Activity – In Q2 10 new SOTs entering serviced office space in Yorkshire & Humberside through officebroker.com were signing average license lengths of 7.4 months, an decrease of 1.1 months (-13%) on the average license length of 8.5 months recorded during Q2 09.

Year-to-Date Activity – The decrease in average license lengths recorded in Q2 10 follows a previous increase of+5% in the average license length recorded in Q1 10. The overall result of this activity means that average license lengths in Yorkshire & Humberside during the first 6 months of 2010 are marginally lower (-4%) than during the same period of 2009.

National Comparison – During Q2 10 license lengths averaged 7.3 months nationally, an increase of +6% on the average license length of 7.0 months recorded in Q2 09.

With an average license length of 7.4 months being recorded in Yorkshire & Humberside, businesses entering serviced office space via officebroker.com during this period were committing to license lengths comparable with the national average during Q2 10.

Despite recorded a quarter-on-quarter decrease in average license length during Q2 10, the average license length of 7.4 months within Yorkshire & Humberside remained above the national average, the second consecutive quarter of 2010 in which this has been recorded by officebroker.com.

______

• SUMMARY

When taking into account all the information for Q2 10, the following key findings can be drawn:

• Enquiry levels increased by +24% during Q2 10, building upon the previous increase recorded in Q1 10.
• The overall number of new serviced office tenants increased by +21%.
• Average workstation price fell below 09 levels for the 2nd consecutive quarter and were amongst the lowest of any UK region during Q2 10.
• Average license lengths fell below Q2 09 levels in Q2 10 but still remained above the national average.

NEED TO KNOW MORE DETAIL?

Explore what our Insight Report service can offer by viewing a sample: CLICK HERE