Stuart Wilkie, Commercial Finance expert, reveals his top picks for commercial property types to maximise your ROI.
Commercial property is a rewarding racket for wise investors, but the type of commercial property you invest in makes all the difference – and particularly the sector you choose to invest in, given the volatile market conditions that some industries have faced over the past few years.
In December 2025, it was revealed that the UK manufacturing sector returned to growth for the first time in over a year – with business optimism hitting a nine-month high. However, with growing demand for AI becoming a key driver of data centre growthacross Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), the wisest investment is certainly still in contention.
For expert insight into the commercial property market’s most likely boons in 2026, we spoke to Stuart Wilkie, Head of Commercial Finance at Anglo Scottish, who advises businesses on a range of commercial property matters.
5. Care homes
“Care homes are one of the most resilient commercial property types within the entire sector, in part due to the UK’s ageing population and a lack of supply meeting demand,” explains Wilkie. “If you’re an investor looking for a predictable income, it’s safe to bet these assets won’t become redundant regardless of the economy’s current financial health.
“Compared to a traditional office building or retail unit, investors are increasingly recognising that care homes are defensive and income-generating, thanks to not being exposed to the volatility of the rental market in the current economy.
“Care homes aren’t a sure-fire win, though,” Wilkie warns, “as the value of the asset is intrinsic to local demand. To maximise care home value, make sure you do your due diligence in research beforehand.”
4. Flexible offices
“Although traditional office spaces may have seen a decline post-pandemic, flexible office spaces have seen promising growth, showing no sign of slowing,” says Wilkie. “These ready-to-use premises are increasingly popular in dense urban spaces, mitigating the impact of fit-out costs and expansion.
“In the EMEA, flexible office meeting room bookings have risen by 17.4%, alongside a global increase in flexible office solutions of 55% – a figure which is not to be scoffed at by investors.
“It’s true that more businesses are now asking employees to return to the office, with the British Chambers of Commerce reporting that 41% of businesses required staff to spend more time working on site over the past year. However, the rise in flexible office use indicates that while office-based working is far from obsolete, it is evolving.
“Flexible offices are steadily gaining traction from wise investors, and those who correctly anticipate the scale of demand for flexible offices in urban areas are well placed to capitalise on what could become one of the sector’s more lucrative property types.”
3. Cold storage
“Third-party logistics, pharmaceuticals, online grocery shops and others have had a huge effect on the cold storage commercial property sector,” says Wilkie. “We’ve seen considerable rises in cold storage assets secured against loans as their popularity has grown over recent years, and the demand for cold storage solutions is likely to continue.
“Demand for fresh produce, an ageing population, further demand for medicines that must be kept cool – the list contributing to cold storage’s rising demand goes on,” Wilkie explains.
“The specialist nature of these properties means barrier to entry is high when starting from scratch, but modern facilities with established operators can unlock serious long-term returns for the foreseeable future.”
2. Data centres
“The demand for data centres has skyrocketed in recent years, and this demand can be largely attributed to the world’s increasing dependency on generative AI chat models in the workplace – as well as other AI developments,” says Wilkie.
“In September of this year, the North East was named the UK’s flagship AI hub, with a £30bn global investment for AI infrastructurein collaboration with OpenAI, NVIDIA, and British firm Nscale. This isn’t a uniquely British investment, either – data centre investment is going global.
“The growth of the data centre market is set for unprecedented growth in the next four years, with a projected 46 per cent increase in data centre capacity worldwide by 2027, and growth with a forecasted potential to expand by 118 per cent by 2030.
1. Logistics & industrial
“If I were to advise a client on a type of commercial property to invest in for 2026, my answer would be the same as last year – logistics and industrial properties,” Wilkie reveals. “Logistics and industrial property types typically lead commercial returns, and their investment popularity is often attributed to their supply chain resilience – one of the largest trends for businesses worldwide.
“Generally, these property types are a safer, more reliable investment, which is in part why it remains the most-popular asset class for investors, more than doubling demand for investment at 105%.
“Investors are prioritising assets in easily accessible logistics hubs, because if shipping lanes face closures or international routes become unreliable, well-connected domestic hubs play a crucial role in protecting UK businesses and keeping supply chains moving efficiently.
“Warehouses close to urban areas or transport hubs are especially lucrative,” says Wilkie, “and with big-box supply at a ten-year high, 2026 could give investors more choice and stronger negotiating power than in previous years. For long-term investors targeting prime logistics assets in well-connected regions, this market could prove increasingly fruitful in 2026 and beyond.”
Photo by Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash
