Solent: Office market buoyed by strong demand from professional services

Confidence is high in the Solent office market, buoyed by numerous professional services firms aiming to make best use of their premises to achieve growth, says Vail Williams. What is clear is an active move towards higher-quality office space to suit modern working practices.

The Solent region attracts a wealth of professional services firms including solicitors, accountants, and surveyors, among other consultants. With two major university cities in Southampton and Portsmouth, coupled with excellent communication links to London and Europe, an abundance of national parks on its doorstep and a vibrant waterside industry, it is a desirable place to live and facilitates a highly-skilled and sought-after workforce. 

Russell Miller, partner at Vail Williams, commented: “It is evident within Solent that a large proportion of activity within the office market has been and is expected to be from professional services firms.” 

He goes on to surmise that "post-recession businesses are focusing on growth, efficiency and productivity, and the space they occupy to do this is fundamental. The overriding trend appears to be consolidation, with a preference on investing in the quality of the working environment."

Vail Williams has itself invested in a high-quality workspace, having relocated its regional Solent office over the summer to Savannah House in Ocean Village, which has been comprehensively refurbished by local investor and developer Forelle Estates.

Matthew Samuel-Camps, managing partner at Vail Williams, explained: “The board at Vail Williams has decided to invest in transforming the working environments of our offices to create a consistently high-quality place of work for our people – one that reflects our internal values and our strive to provide service excellence for our clients; our new Southampton offices achieves this in abundance and we are very proud of our new home."