Rob Valentine from property group Bruntwood has won the Birmingham Post/CBRE Office Watch trophy for 2016.

His estimate, that office take-up in central Birmingham last year would be 695,000 sq ft, was the closest entry to the actual tally of 692,729 sq ft.

It is the second time Mr Valentine has won the annual contest which has netted him a trophy and a case of champagne.

Will Ventham, head of the office agency team at CBRE in Birmingham, said 2016 was a year of two halves for the city's office market.

"Half way through 2016, Birmingham had scored 500,992 sq ft of office lettings and was on track for a bumper follow up to 2015's record breaking 970,000 sq ft," he said.

"Then along came the EU Referendum and the result took the UK corporate community by surprise.

"As businesses started to assess the implications of the decision, property considerations understandably went on the back burner.

"Lettings in the third quarter fell to 90,779 sq ft while 97,391 sq ft was taken in quarter four. Although take up declined in the last half of 2016, enquiry levels were maintained.

"I am not alone in believing that we will see the fruits of these in the first half of 2017.

"Nor will demand just be from traditional indigenous occupiers. Birmingham is poised for another wave of inward investment as the Government's devolution plans begin to hit their stride."

The 2017 competition is open until February 17 and entrants are asked to email their best guess for the 2017 office take-up in square feet to william.ventham@cbre.com.

Entries should include your prediction, name, company and position and may also include a comment on how the prediction was reached.

The competition is open to Birmingham-based office agents and developers with a track record of building offices in the city centre.