12:01 AM, 19th February 2026, 2 months ago
Glasgow has taken the top spot for the first time in a major real estate firm’s league table of residential investment hotspots.
The latest edition of Colliers’ Top UK Residential Investment Cities Report places Scotland’s largest city ahead of long-established frontrunners.
The firm points to standout results across economics as well as property and environmental, social and governance metrics.
Gains in net business formation, faster broadband, rising values and stronger rental returns all contributed to the climb.
Glasgow offers strong yields
The head of residential at Colliers, Andrew White, said: “Glasgow’s rise to the top spot reflects a shift we’ve been tracking for some time.
“Strong yields, economic resilience and improving fundamentals are making the city increasingly attractive to investors.”
He added: “However, across these leading locations new development is being constrained by economic and planning factors, which is limiting supply and keeping pressure on pricing and rents.
“At the same time, consistent performers such as Edinburgh, Cambridge and Manchester continue to demonstrate the long-term depth and stability of the UK’s regional markets.”
Glasgow has a strong future
Returns in particular help set Glasgow apart with average yields hitting 9.3%.
That matches Belfast and sits well above the 20 city benchmark of 7.6%.
The firm also points to population projections, growth momentum is running ahead of many rivals, and entry costs are still comparatively accessible.
It adds that Glasgow has an affordability ratio of 5, which compares favourably with Edinburgh at 6.4 and London at 10.8.
London’s student population helps
Edinburgh is the next best investment hotspot to extend an unbroken run inside the top five that stretches back to 2021.
Forecasts for jobs and population expansion remain strong, supported by a deep talent pool and high scores across R&D, liveability and ESG measures.
London, Cambridge and Manchester complete the leading group.
The capital drops from first to third following slightly weaker GDP outlooks, although it retains its status as the country’s research and innovation engine.
The capital is also home to 440,000 students and globally recognised institutions such as LSE, Imperial and UCL.
Belfast tops property segment
Cambridge returns to the upper tier, underpinned by joint leading GDP growth projections of 2.5%.
Manchester, meanwhile, sustains its record of top 10 placements across every sector assessed.
Outside the headline rankings, regional performance remains notable.
Belfast leads the property segment, combining the most favourable price to earnings ratio at 3.9 with yields of 9.3%.