The JLL Big Six Residential Development Report compares activity, prices, and rents across six UK cities: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester. This report incorporates data from the JLL UK Cities index, comparing changes in prices and rents across mainstream and prime developments in each city.
In the face of much economic and political instability over the past eighteen months, the Big Six markets have remained resilient. Average prices of new build apartments across the six cities have risen 2.4% annually, while rental growth has slowed to 1.7%.
In the build to rent (BTR) market, total investment volumes exceeded £1bn in 2025, 21% higher than 2024. In Scotland, the passing of the Scottish Housing Bill, and the exemption of BTR from future rent caps is expected to boost activity and put Scotland firmly back on investors’ radars.
Birmingham continues to outperform other Big Six cities, with strong demand and a relative lack of stock underpinning price and rental growth. It is now the largest BTR market across the six cities when factoring in pipeline and operational stock.
