Property revival boosts Savills

In the year ended December 31 2014, the real estate firm’s underlying group profit before tax rose 34 per cent to £100.5m, which was partly due to a strong performance in London. However, the firm’s Yorkshire operations also played its part. Paul Fairhurst, the head of Savills in Leeds, said there was “a strong performance across all departments” at the Leeds office in 2014.

He added: “Major instructions in Yorkshire included our appointment as managing and leasing agent at Wakefield’s Trinity Walk Shopping Centre and the sale of a 900 unit residential scheme at Olympia Park, Selby.”

In Leeds, Savills’ successes in 2014 also included the acquisition of new headquarters for law firm DAC Beachcroft at the refurbished St Paul’s House, and the sale of Barclays House on East Parade, Mr Fairhurst said.