As the worldwide economic downturn continues, the attention of property investors is increasingly focused on its likely impact on occupiers. This is not merely because of the growing possibility of rising levels of tenant distress and void risk, but also because of the growing need for landlords to engage with their tenants in innovative and flexible ways.

While some general trends and issues are apparent across the main European office markets, the current fragile condition of many markets highlights clearly the need for both landlords and corporate occupiers to develop a detailed understanding of local market conditions in order to develop appropriate strategies.

The economic context for these decisions has undoubtedly weakened sharply over recent months. Numerous measures of economic activity have slipped rapidly in the post-Lehman era. UK economic activity fell by more than 2 percent in the second half of last year, which is close to the s