CBRE has launched the sale of the Old Stock Exchange building on Margaret Street, offering the 26,065 sq ft, six‑storey property freehold with immediate possession and a guide price in excess of £3 million.
Heritage asset with modern potential
Built in 1928, the building served as the heart of Birmingham's stockbroking community for almost six decades before being converted to offices. Agents point to preserved historic elements — including a double‑height former trading hall now forming part of the reception, oak‑panelled rooms, a feature staircase and the original banking room — as distinctive characteristics that set the property apart from typical modern office stock.
“The Birmingham office market is seeing high demand, with take up in Q1 up 45% on the same period last year,” said Theo Holmes, head of office agency in the Midlands at CBRE.
CBRE highlights the building's flexible open‑plan floorplates and existing use classes, noting it could be repositioned as high‑quality offices or adapted for alternative uses such as a hotel or educational facility. The property already holds use class E and F1(a) Education Planning Consent, broadening the pool of potential buyers and occupiers.
Location linked to regeneration and transport
Agents emphasise the site's proximity to major regeneration schemes, including the emerging Central Heart neighbourhood, and its closeness to the planned high‑speed rail network, HS2. Those factors are being used to frame the asset as an attractive investment within the traditional city core, where prime Grade A space is in short supply.
- Size: 26,065 sq ft across six storeys plus basement
- Guide price: offers invited in excess of £3 million
- Current planning/use: Class E and F1(a) Education
- Key features: double‑height hall, oak panelling, original banking room
Market context and implications
CBRE's statement underlines a recent uplift in office take‑up during the first quarter of the year — a figure the agent says rose by 45% compared with the same period in the previous year. That recovery in demand, particularly for high‑specification accommodation, is being cited to support expectations of significant interest in the Old Stock Exchange.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Building era | 1928 |
| Floor area | 26,065 sq ft |
| Storeys | Six plus basement |
| Asking | Offers in excess of £3m |
For investors and local stakeholders, the sale raises options for how a prominent historic building in the city centre will be used going forward. The mixture of retained period character and adaptable internal space could make it appealing to a variety of buyers — commercial investors, education providers or hotel operators — should they choose to capitalise on nearby regeneration momentum.
Further details and the full brochure are available through CBRE, who are handling the marketing of the asset.
