Like the rest of the UK, the North West has been affected by the slowing economy and the uncertainty over Brexit.
What that has brought is a steady improvement in the market rather than a heady rise.
However, this is only part of the story because the long-term prospect are what is worth concentrating on, which will add to Manchester’s increased role as a global business centre.
Transport improvements are at the heart of the prospects for economic growth in the region and centre around the arrival of the HS2 line from London but, more importantly for the region, the HS3 route linking the major northern cities.
Without that, the prospect for the Northern Powerhouse is bleak.
It also helps the ambitious growth of Manchester Airport which has a £1 billion investment programme and rapidly expanding Airport City with its range of commercial buildings.
Underpinning the office market is the performance in central Manchester with four years of strong take-up. The region is also being helped by the improvement in Liverpool and the transformation being engineered by Peel.
What matters as much as anything is the ability of these cities to offer commercial accommodation that fits the needs of modern business, which it is reasonable to say is being achieved.