Colliers has released the tenth edition of its Top UK Residential Investment Cities Report.

Glasgow claims the number‑one position for the first time.

The city’s rise reflects strong performance across the Economics, R&D, Property and ESG pillars, supported by improvements in net business creation, broadband connectivity, house price growth and rental yields.

Glasgow’s 9.3% rental yield, joint highest with Belfast, significantly exceeds the 20‑city average of 7.6%.

Glasgow also benefits from robust population growth forecasts and above‑average economic momentum, while retaining relative affordability.

Its affordability ratio of 5 compares favourably with Edinburgh (6.4) and London (10.8).

Edinburgh secures second place, making it the only city to have appeared in the top five in every edition of the report since 2021.

The Scottish capital continues to benefit from strong population and employment projections, a highly skilled workforce, and strong scores across R&D, Liveability and ESG pillars. 

London, Cambridge and Manchester complete the top five.

London slips from first to third due to slightly softer GDP projections, though it remains the UK’s R&D powerhouse with around 440,000 students and world‑leading universities including LSE, Imperial and UCL.

Cambridge re-enters the top tier thanks to the joint‑strongest GDP growth forecasts in the UK (2.5%), while Manchester maintains its long‑standing top ten performance across all pillars.

Beyond the top five, the report highlights continued strength in regional markets. Belfast tops the Property Pillar, with the UK’s most affordable price‑to‑earnings ratio (3.9) and joint‑highest rental yield (9.3%).

A Colliers spokesperson says: “Across these leading locations new development is being constrained by economic and planning factors, which is limiting supply and keeping pressure on pricing and rents.

“At the same time, consistent performers such as Edinburgh, Cambridge and Manchester continue to demonstrate the long‑term depth and stability of the UK’s regional markets.

“While some cities are seeing softer economic projections, others, like Glasgow and Cambridge, are strengthening their position through strong GDP forecasts, population growth and improved connectivity.

“London remains unmatched in R&D strength, but affordability constraints continue to shape investor appetite.”

The report analyses 20 cities across 24 factors, covering everything from earnings and economic growth to energy efficiency, broadband, culture and rental affordability.