Tech business chooses Yorkshire for its UK HQ as it ramps up investment

Technology provider PEXA has chosen West Village Leeds, on Lisbon Street, for its new UK headquarters.

It will collaborate with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority as it sets up the HQ and prepares to invest in the region.

West Village – developed by Bruntwood as part of the £200m Bruntwood Works Pioneer programme to create cutting-edge workspaces of the future – is a new workspace in Leeds. With the site due to open in autumn 2023, PEXA has taken more than 8,100 sq ft.

The firm launched into Britain last year, seeking to transform the UK’s 150-year-old conveyancing process, enabling digital remortgage transactions to streamline the process.

The business has already invested £53m in the UK, developing a new payments scheme in conjunction with the Bank of England and registration services with His Majesty’s Land Registry.

Following acquisition of Optima Legal in 2022, PEXA has become a significant employer in Yorkshire, with 65% of its 380 UK employees based in Leeds and around the region.

The company’s expansion into Britain follows its success in Australia, where it has facilitated over 15m property transactions.

PEXA and Optima staff are expected to be working at the new Leeds HQ by December 2023. PEXA has been advised and supported by Charles Parkinson from CBRE’s Advisory & Transaction Occupier team in Leeds.

PEXA group managing director and chief executive officer, Glenn King, said: “Leeds is a key strategic location for us, and its spirit of innovation and collaboration matches that of our business.

“The region already has a vibrant financial services and tech scene, supportive local government, and great universities.

“Simply put, it is the natural base from which we will grow and support our workforce around the country.”

PEXA will engage a local design firm to curate its office fit-out. The HQ will include around 60 dedicated workstations, a library, a town hall style venue, hybrid team rooms and private spaces.

Rob Valentine, director of Yorkshire at Bruntwood Works, said: “PEXA is a force to be reckoned with globally, and the business’s decision to choose West Village for its UK headquarters is a landmark deal for the region.

“It just goes to show the power that forward-thinking workspaces, with sustainability and innovation at their heart, have for attracting significant investment to the region, and how they help to boost the economy.”

Optima Legal managing director, Tom Trevorrow, said: “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.”

West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, added: “I’m thrilled PEXA is set to strengthen its place among our thriving technology hub by choosing West Yorkshire for its UK headquarters.

“Inward investment on this level is a gamechanger and this is a major vote of confidence in our region.

“I’m confident our partnership with PEXA will continue to deliver the high skilled, well-paid jobs our region needs.”