Shops for Sale in Leeds

Business character

Financial and professional services set the tone. Leeds has one of the deepest legal markets in the country, with national firms including DLA Piper, Addleshaw Goddard and Walker Morris running large offices, and a banking sector anchored by First Direct, Leeds Building Society and Lloyds Banking Group, which has over 4,000 staff at Wellington Place. The public sector is a major occupier too: four of the five NHS national offices are in Leeds and HMRC's regional centre at Wellington Place houses around 4,000 civil servants. Retail and consumer businesses are a Leeds speciality, with Asda headquartered here and Jet2 based at the airport. Digital and media have grown quickly since Channel 4 arrived, with Sky Betting and Gaming among the largest technology employers, and the two universities feed a steady supply of graduates into all of it. Manufacturing and distribution remain strong in the outer districts, where the M1 and M62 meet. Other significant employers include NHS England, Leeds City Council and University of Leeds.

Transport & connectivity

• Motorway: M621 (Junction M621 J3, 1 miles)
• Nearest rail: Leeds (120 min to London)
• Airport: Leeds Bradford (8 miles)
• Key A-roads: A58, A61, A64, A65, A647, A6120 (Outer Ring Road)

Market context

Leeds is a two-speed office market. Prime city centre space in the riverside quarter is now among the most expensive in the country outside London: the headline rent rose from £46 per sq ft in 2025 to a record £52.50 in 2026 and the best new buildings are quoting around £55, with £40 regularly achieved on refurbished space. Good-quality offices in the traditional core and on the business parks let for far less, with the bulk of the choice in small and mid-sized suites suited to professional firms and growing businesses. Industrial supply is tight, as it is across West Yorkshire. Asking rents for warehouses and industrial units in Leeds generally run from about £5 to £10 per sq ft, with new-build space at the M1 Junction 45 parks quoting £11 or more, and rents vary depending on age and specification. Retail demand has settled after a difficult few years, with the strongest interest in well-located units near Trinity Leeds and the Briggate arcades, and in suburban parades with parking.