GBR Phoenix Beard gains first Yorkshire base with acquisition

OPTIC ASSET MANAGEMENT has been acquired by property consultancy GBR Phoenix Beard after several months of detailed discussions between the firms.

Optic, which has a team of eight in Leeds and 10 in London, is a niche property asset management company, established by David Offen and James Young in 2003. Clients of the business, which will now trade under the GBR Phoenix Beard name, include Aberdeen Asset Management, Tiger Developments, Salmon Harvester, Mercer Real Estate, and Cube Real Estate.

GBR Phoenix Beard was established more than 40 years ago and now employs around 100 people across the UK.

Simon Farrant, managing director of GBR Phoenix Beard, said: “This is a major development in our history and yet another statement of our ambition to make GBR Phoenix Beard a leading independent property consultancy.

“Having won a number of new retained mandates over the course of the last 12 months, the need to bolster the scale of our business has become increasingly apparent.

“By strengthening our London presence, as well as the addition of a base in Leeds, we have significantly enhanced the firm’s GBR Phoenix Beard geographic footprint.

“The move aligns GBR Phoenix Beard to the profile of our clients’ property portfolios.”

James Young, a director of Optic who will be in charge of GBR Phoenix Beard’s London office, added: “The fit between our firms is strong – we are both fiercely independent and committed to client service delivery, demonstrated by the blue chip clients we have worked with over a sustained period of time.”