Twice a year, property industry leaders JLL release an in-depth report comparing activity, prices and rents across the UK’s six biggest cities outside of London.
The report focuses on key influential cities across the UK: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, and Manchester. As a global leader in real estate, JLL’s Big Six report is widely respected in the market, and the report shares an analytical, unbiased outlook of the UK property market, making it invaluable for property investors exploring opportunities.
Following the trend of recent reports, Manchester and Birmingham have retained the top positions within the forecasts, both predicted 24.6% sales value growth by 2030.. Read on to discover the 5 key takeaways from JLL’s Big Six report.
1. Birmingham remains a domestic front-runner
Birmingham continues to hold its position as a domestic front-runner for investors and scale, with the latest insights revealing the growth for the city.
In the midst of a transformation period, Birmingham is currently experiencing significant investment, with projects worth over £3 billion taking place across the city. Due to strong infrastructure and transport links, such as the upcoming bullet train HS2, Birmingham hosts head offices for global blue-chip employers, such as EY, Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC.
The strong base of employers means top talent stays in the city, with Birmingham retaining 50% of its graduates.
Key Birmingham takeaways from the latest JLL Big Six report:
- 24.6% sales value growth predicted 2026 – 2030
- 19.9% rental growth predicted 2026-2030
- Birmingham is the largest BTR market across the six cities
- Birmingham recorded the highest property price rises with an annual growth of 4.8%.
2. Manchester takes the global stage
Manchester is no longer just a regional powerhouse, it is increasingly viewed as a global destination for both capital and talent. The latest report highlights Manchester’s incredible growth, with the city consistently seeing the highest levels of sales price value and rental increases.
This is largely driven by the immense demand to live, work and visit Manchester city centre, supported by a 51% graduate retention rate, a booming tech and creative sector and its role as a major hub for global businesses. Manchester sees over 120,000 students descend on the city each year, from over 150 nationalities. This creates a diverse community and demographic.
These factors continue to keep demand for Manchester living at a record high.
Key Manchester takeaways from the JLL Big Six report:
- Two-bedroom apartments saw the highest increase of rents.
- 24.6% sales value growth predicted 2026 – 2030
- 20.5% rental growth predicted 2026-2030
- New build apartments have seen values rise 24% over the last five years, making it one of the strongest performing ‘Big Six’ cities.
3. The UK market shows continuous strength
The UK property market has historically proven to be stable and resilient, with property values demonstrating consistent long-term growth. This trend continues today, supported by steady transaction volumes across the market.
The UK market is expected to perform exceptionally well in the upcoming years, with almost 20% sales value growth forecast across the UK by 2030.
With several base rate cuts by the Bank of England in recent years, mortgage rates have decreased, enticing new buyers to the market, leading to greater demand and price growth.
4. Milestones for the Build-to-Rent market
Investment into the UK’s Build-to-Rent (BTR) sector continued to grow, with £1.1 billion invested in BTR developments across the Big Six cities in 2025, up 21% on 2024.’
Developments that offer the full scope of amenities, such as gymnasiums, workspaces, 24/7 concierge and even swimming pools are becoming the expectation for tenants, as demands and expectations rise in the modern rental market.
5. Supply and demand imbalance set to continue
Echoing previous years, the JLL Big Six report highlights that a significant imbalance between housing supply and demand persists across a number of UK cities.
In Birmingham the city is required to build over 100,000 new homes over the next two decades to keep up with the immense demand, and as the population grows further, this is only set to increase.
For investors, this is a positive signal that demand for accommodation is set to continue to soar, as supply remains limited.
UK property investment
The latest industry insights show that the UK real estate market is remaining resilient, with key hotspot cities such as Manchester and Birmingham offering opportunities for strong returns.
Founded 22 years ago, Select Property has significant experience in assisting property investors throughout the world in their UK property investment journey. Contact our team to find out more about investing in the UK, and discover our current opportunities.