Australian tech company PEXA, owner of Leeds-based law firm Optima Legal, is expanding its presence in the UK and locating its headquarters in Leeds.
The company’s new UK headquarters will be located at 114 Wellington Street in West Village, Leeds. With the site due to open in the autumn, PEXA has taken more than 8,100 sq ft at the newly transformed development.
PEXA launched in the UK last year. Its electronic platform streamlines the traditional methods and documentation in property exchange, for lenders, conveyancers, and other stakeholders.
Following its acquisition of Optima Legal in 2022, PEXA is a significant employer in Yorkshire, with 65% of its 380 UK employees based in Leeds and around the region.
Optima Legal is a law firm focusing on technology-led volume legal property services and supports nearly 200,000 customers each year with remortgage and property transactions.
PEXA Group chief executive officer Glenn King, who visited the site of the new company’s new UK headquarters on 19 June with Optima Legal managing director Tom Trevorrow and Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire’s mayor, called the city and region “central” to the company’s plans.
He said: “We have ambitious plans to transform the UK’s property market for the better, and investing in our offices, technology, and people in Leeds and Yorkshire is central to executing those plans.”
Trevorrow added: “We have had tremendous support from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to date, and we look forward to working with them closely as we select a new site for all our operations in the UK, including Optima Legal, and building closer ties with the city.”
PEXA’s expansion into the UK market follows its success in Australia, where it has facilitated over 15 million property transactions worth around AU$2 trillion.
King added: “We are delighted to announce West Village as our new UK headquarters. Leeds is a key strategic location for PEXA, and its spirit of innovation and collaboration matches that of our business.”
Image source: PEXA
