Manchester continues to be recognised as one of the UK’s most attractive regional residential investment destinations, according to Colliers (1).
According to the firm’s UK Residential Investment Insights | H2 2025, the city’s potential is underpinned by a large and diverse renter base, strong economic momentum, and sustained development activity across the wider North West commuter belt.
Colliers’ latest methodology benchmarks 20 cities across 24 indicators (grouped into five equally weighted pillars), offering a consistent framework to compare investment fundamentals across major UK locations.
This report follows the structure of the Edward Mellor feed article while incorporating Colliers’ H2 2025 findings alongside wider regional market evidence relevant to landlords.
Colliers ranks 20 UK cities using 24 indicators grouped into five pillars:
Each pillar carries a 20% weighting. Data is normalised so each indicator score sits between 0 and 1, enabling meaningful like-for-like comparison across cities. (1)
For landlords, the most directly relevant measures sit within the Property pillar, including:
Colliers also prioritises flat-specific data where possible, reflecting the importance of apartment stock within urban rental markets.
Manchester sits within Colliers’ top five overall in H2 2025 and remains a consistent top performer across all five pillars (top ten in each), reflecting broad-based structural strength rather than reliance on a single growth factor.
Manchester benefits from one of the UK’s largest student ecosystems.
The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University rank among the UK’s largest institutions by student enrolment (2023/24), supporting steady churn and sustained demand for HMOs, studios, and well-located apartments. (2)
Greater Manchester also reports the largest higher-education international student population outside London (over 21,000 students), which typically concentrates demand in city-centre and inner-ring rental markets. (3)
This creates a continuously renewing rental base — graduating students, early-career professionals, and relocating talent — underpinning long-term occupancy resilience.
Edward Mellor’s North West Market Update (4) highlights that 54% of homes let in the past 12 months were flats, demonstrating strong demand for apartment-style accommodation across Greater Manchester and surrounding boroughs.
The same update reports:
This provides clear context for landlords choosing between city-centre apartments, suburban semi-detached properties, or commuter-town terraces.
Demand remains strongest where three factors intersect:
For investors, this alignment between product type and tenant preference reduces mismatch risk.
Colliers’ Property pillar focuses on investability — not simply headline pricing.
While Manchester’s income-to-rent ratio (23%) sits above some northern peers, it remains materially more accessible than many southern markets. (1)
Crucially, landlords can improve yield dynamics by targeting commuter boroughs where entry prices are lower but rental demand remains supported by transport connectivity and employment spillover.
Colliers projects Manchester’s economy to grow at 2.3% per annum, outperforming most cities in the study. (1)
Sustained economic growth underpins:
This matters for landlords focused on medium-to-long-term holding strategies.
Manchester is the engine — but landlords often achieve stronger returns by viewing the North West as a connected rental ecosystem.
Demand radiates outward along rail and tram corridors into commuter towns where pricing may be more attractive.
Edward Mellor’s July 2025 North West Market Update highlights measurable rental growth across several Greater Manchester boroughs, reinforcing the strength of demand beyond the city centre. (4)
Examples include:
Across Edward Mellor’s core operating areas, rental values are estimated to have grown by around 5% annually, according to data provided via Dataloft.
This data demonstrates that rental growth is not confined to central Manchester. Instead, it is occurring across well-connected commuter boroughs where tenant demand remains strong but entry prices are often lower than prime city-centre stock.
For landlords, this supports a regional strategy that balances:
Greater Manchester’s integrated transport system — the Bee Network — aims to simplify and strengthen cross-region travel across bus, tram, cycling, and active travel routes. (6)
Improved connectivity expands what tenants consider “commutable,” broadening viable rental zones beyond the city centre.
For landlords, this supports:
As infrastructure strengthens, rental “liquidity” increases — allowing secondary but well-connected locations to perform more like prime stock over time.
Greater Manchester continues to promote long-term growth and delivery pipeline across housing and employment sites. (3)
Established employment nodes such as Salford Quays/MediaCity remain focal points for mixed-use expansion — combining jobs, homes, and amenities in a way that reinforces rental sustainability.
Regeneration, when aligned with employment growth, historically supports rental demand durability.
Sales market stabilisation may marginally reshape rental flows.
RICS’ June 2025 UK Residential Market Survey (4) notes buyer demand moving back into positive territory, signalling stabilisation in sales activity — albeit with subdued momentum.
Edward Mellor also highlights two counterbalancing forces (5):
Long-run fundamentals: Manchester’s growth outlook and investment pipeline support rental resilience.
The Manchester property market is heating up like never before – and now is the time to act.
With over 40 years of experience in helping clients to buy and sell property across Tameside, Stockport, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester, Edward Mellor are ready to support you at every stage of your property journey.
Whether you are looking to move home, secure a buy-to-let investment or sell a property for the best possible price, our local teams are waiting to hear from you.
We also run the North West’s leading monthly online property auction — delivering a fast, secure, and transparent way to sell.
With competitive bidding, fixed completion timelines, and no property chains, our auction service gives vendors certainty and speed, while attracting serious, motivated buyers from across the region.
If you’re looking for a quicker route to sale, Edward Mellor Auction is built to deliver results.
To discuss your property journey in detail and take the first steps toward a successful transaction, contact our friendly, local experts using the link below.
Sources Used
Additional market data via PriceHubble / Dataloft
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