Revealed: the top-performing agents across London’s submarkets in 2020

Figures from Radius Data Exchange reveal the top-performing agents across London’s submarkets during 2020.

City Core

Cushman & Wakefield leapt from third place in last year’s standings to take top spot in the City Core, registering a 32.3% market share after advising on 633,000 sq ft in office disposals.

CBRE retained the second place finish it achieved in 2019, running Cushman close with a 30.9% market share, while BH2 came in third after disposing of more than 488,000 sq ft in 2020.

The largest transaction of the year was critical in securing first place, as Cushman & Wakefield was the sole adviser on Linklaters’ 307,000 sq ft deal at 20 Ropemaker Street, EC2.

Last year’s winner, JLL, had to settle for fourth position in 2020, although with 32 deals it did complete more individual disposals than any other agent in the City Core throughout the year.

City Fringe

For the fifth consecutive year, Colliers International took the title in the City Fringe submarket, acting on more than 235,000 sq ft to secure a 41.1% market share, and completing more disposals than any other agent in the process.

It advised on the two largest transactions in the submarket this year: a 47,900 sq ft letting to Queen Mary University of London at 69-89 Mile End Road, E1, on which it jointly advised with fifth-placed Allsop; and a 40,800 sq ft deal for MVF at Wenlock Works, N1, alongside Montagu Evans and Savills.

Cushman & Wakefield retained second place, helped largely by being the sole agent on the third-largest transaction in the City Fringe throughout 2020, which was JA Kemp’s 38,900 sq ft letting at 76-86 Turnmill Street, EC1.

Docklands

Cushman & Wakefield jumped from eighth place in last year’s standings to take top spot in the Docklands this year, acting on more than 250,000 sq ft to secure a 73% market share.

Alongside runner-up Knight Frank, it acted on what was by far the biggest deal in the submarket this year – BP’s 205,600 sq ft letting at 25 North Colonnade, E14. It also acted with third-placed CBRE on the second-largest letting, which came at 20 Churchill Place, E14, as Barts Health NHS Trust took 45,100 sq ft.

Midtown

A victory for Savills in Midtown after coming second in both preceding years, secured by acting on more than 127,000 sq ft across six individual deals to achieve a 21.3% share of the lettings market.

Critical to this victory was advising on the 70,383 sq ft deal at 210 Euston Road, NW1, to The Office Group, on which third-placed Edward Charles & Partners also acted.

Farebrother jumped a place from last year’s table to second, once again completing more deals than any other agent. The largest of its 20 disposals during 2020 came at 86 Fetter Lane, EC4, where The Workshop took 15,000 sq ft – a deal jointly brokered alongside fourth-placed Knight Frank.

Southern Fringe

A third consecutive victory for Union Street Partners in the full-year league table for Southern Fringe disposals, secured by acting on almost 140,000 sq ft to obtain a 43.2% market share.

No other agency completed more than three deals across the calendar year, so it sits clear by number of transactions as well as quantum of space disposed, with 26 individual deals signed. The largest of these transactions came in November, when Proposition Studios took 23,600 sq ft at 58-72 Upper Ground, SE1.

Knight Frank, meanwhile, climbed from fourth place last year to second place, thanks largely to its involvement in the biggest deal in the submarket during 2020 – a 34,700 sq ft letting to Madano Partnership at Riverside House, SE1, on which third-placed JLL also advised.

West End

CBRE jumped from second place last year to claim victory in the West End full-year league table, advising on 341,410 sq ft across 26 individual deals to obtain a 26.1% market share.

Anchoring this win was an 85,600 sq ft letting at The Copyright Building, W1, and a 35,700 sq ft deal at 222 Regent Street, also W1, on which it acted alongside third-placed Cushman & Wakefield.

Cushman also acted on the largest deal in the West End this year to help maintain the third place it secured in 2019 – a 134,800 sq ft letting to Google at Euston Tower, NW1, on which it jointly acted with the most prolific agent in the submarket by number of deals this year, Edward Charles & Partners.