Public sector deals accounted for the majority of office activity in Birmingham in the three months after the coronavirus lockdown started.
A total of 61,474 sq ft of city centre office space was let in the quarter starting March 16 and just two of those deals made up more than 54,000 sq ft.
In June, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government agreed a lease on 48,787 sq ft of space at B1 in the Jewellery Quarter although it is believed the offices will house staff from the Department for Work and Pensions.
Also signed during the past quarter was 5,249 sq ft at Edward House, in Quay Place, with the Ministry of Justice.
The ten-year B1 lease was the largest signed outside of London in the quarter while the public sector accounted for a fifth of all take up in regional markets.
Total office activity in Birmingham in the first half of 2020 now stands at 400,000 sq ft, according to the newly published research by property consultancy Avison Young.
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The agency said it was starting to see an increase in demand as lockdown restrictions were eased with activity expected to grow over the next quarter.
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Carl Potter, managing director of its Birmingham office, said: "The B1 deal is a significant one for the Birmingham office sector, proving that activity has understandably slowed but not come to a standstill - far from it.
"As the current climate sees occupiers' priorities shifting towards cost reductions and covid-19 compliancy, the versatility of space available in the city and a high volume of deals at the start of the year leaves the market in a stable position.
"We can expect this resilience to be demonstrated through activity picking up in the coming months - with key completions at Paradise and Arena Central driving a still evolving and exciting city centre office landscape."
The research also said only 23 per cent of office space currently under construction in Birmingham was available speculatively, with the balance already pre-let, while the city had the second largest share of speculative space under construction across the regional markets behind Manchester.
Construction has recently resumed on major city centre schemes such as 103 Colmore Row, Paradise and 3 Arena Central where HM Revenue & Customs has agreed a pre-let deal for the whole of the 14-storey building.
Charles Toogood, managing director for national offices with Avison Young, added: "This is a challenging time for all office markets and Birmingham is no exception - with activity subdued both in the city centre and out of town, driven by uncertainty over future requirements and many looking to review their options to suit a new working world.
"However, many deals and requirements in the city centre will now resume as businesses implement their back-to-work strategies and re-assess the landscape.
"Strong public sector deals such as the B1 letting, which Avison Young helped advise on, have provided a steady source of activity and stand out as successes for the city centre office market as it weathers the storm."