Artificial intelligence (AI) firms continued to snap up office space in Central London in Q2 2026, according to the latest data from CBRE.
AI-related office take-up reached 450,816 sq ft in Q2 2026, bringing the H1 2026 total to 705,371 sq ft – more than four times higher than H1 2025 (165,819 sq ft) and more than double the full-year 2025 total (317,979 sq ft).
Central London office take-up reached 2.7m sq ft during Q2, up 19% on Q1. However, activity was 7% below the 10-year quarterly average of 2.9m sq ft and 14% below Q2 2025 levels.
Companies in the technology, media and telecoms (TMT) sector accounted for 27% of all activity and two of the four largest transactions in the quarter were completed by AI occupiers, with Anthropic leasing 158,500 sq ft at 1 Triton Square (pictured).
Secondhand space accounted for 64% of total take-up during Q2 compared with a 10-year quarterly average of 61%, with newly completed space accounting for 29% of activity, above its long-term average of 17%.
Andy Monighan, head of office brokerage, London, at CBRE said: “Leasing activity strengthened during Q2, driven by the rapid increase in AI demand and a healthy pipeline of transactions across Central London. As referenced in our recently released ‘London’s Future: AI-Driven Office Demand’ report we fully expect AI occupiers to play an increasingly important role in the market and it was no surprise to see them driving some of the quarter’s largest transactions.”
