Lease1
Lease1 is an Australian retail-lease advisory firm that helps small and multi-location retailers negotiate leases, manage critical dates, and benchmark occupancy costs via subscription platforms and full-service engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersRed Hill, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Lease1 does
Lease1 is an Australian retail-lease advisory firm that helps small and multi-location retailers negotiate, manage, and extract value from their leases. Its offerings span a free Retail Lease Simulator (a web form that benchmarks occupancy cost against Australian Government small business data), two subscription platforms (Lease1+ for structured self-service support and Lease1Pro for 1-on-1 expert sessions and benchmarking), a Lease Concierge online coaching program, and a full-service lease negotiation and representation engagement, supplemented by paid workshops and seminars for associations and franchise networks.
The business is built on a web-based platform layered with human advisory services. The proprietary Retail Lease Simulator serves as the top-of-funnel lead generation and assessment tool, while Lease1+ and Lease1Pro deliver ongoing key-date reminders, checklists, and benchmarking through the website. Distribution is direct-to-SMB via the lease1.au website, inbound phone (1300 766 369) and email, and channel partnerships with retailer associations and franchise networks; community engagement runs through a Facebook group ('Lease1.au Live'), LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Commercial mechanics rely on a freemium funnel converting SMB tenants into either low-touch monthly subscriptions or higher-touch outcome/retainer-based full-service engagements. The firm is privately held, founder-led (Beshara Dafesh), and operates with 1-10 employees from a Queensland mailing address, serving retailers exclusively within Australia and claiming over 20 years of involvement in Australian Retail Lease Legislation reform.
Lease1 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lease1
- Legal name
- Lease1
- Website
- https://lease1.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lease1 is an Australian retail-lease advisory firm that helps small and multi-location retailers negotiate leases, manage critical dates, and benchmark occupancy costs via subscription platforms and full-service engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lease1 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Lease Advisory
- NAICS
- Rental and Leasing Services (532)
- SIC
- Lessors Of Real Property, Nec (6519)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lease Servicing, Management & Remarketing (Consumer) (FSAKANAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Residential Lease Administration & Tenant Services (BPAJAFAL)
Keywords
Where Lease1 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Red Hill
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lease1 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Lease1+ Subscription: Subscription-based lease support providing structured guidance, key date reminders, actionable checklists, and retail-specific tools. This is a recurring subscription tier for ongoing lease management.
- Lease1Pro Subscription: Premium subscription tier offering advanced support including 1-on-1 expert sessions, detailed lease reviews, benchmarking reports, and priority guidance. Higher-tier recurring subscription for retailers seeking hands-on expert assistance.
- Lease Concierge (Online Lease Coaching): Self-managed online coaching program where clients handle lease negotiations independently with guidance and resources from Lease1. Positioned as an alternative to full-service management.
- Full-Service Lease Management: Lease1 manages lease events and conducts negotiations on behalf of the client. Revenue derived from professional consulting/managed services fees for end-to-end lease representation.
- Workshops & Seminars: Educational sessions including webinars, workshops, training, and conference keynotes tailored to retailer associations, brands, or franchises. Revenue from professional services/delegate fees.
- Retail Lease Simulator (Free Tool): Free lease assessment tool used as lead generation. Attracts potential clients and demonstrates value before conversion to paid subscription or service tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Lease Simulator — free top-of-funnel tool for initial lease assessment |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lease Concierge — online coaching program for self-managed lease negotiations |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lease1+ — structured ongoing lease support with key dates and checklists |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lease1Pro — advanced lease management with expert sessions and benchmarking |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Full-Service Lease Management — end-to-end lease negotiation and representation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Lease1 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lease1 provides retail lease negotiation, tenant representation, and lease management services exclusively for Australian retailers. Its offerings include a free Retail Lease Simulator tool for occupancy cost benchmarking, a structured subscription tier (Lease1+) with key-date reminders and checklists, a premium tier (Lease1Pro) with 1-on-1 expert sessions and benchmarking reports, an online self-managed coaching program (Lease Concierge), and full-service lease negotiation and portfolio management.
Product overview
Lease1 operates as a tiered service provider offering retail lease management solutions. The core offering consists of Lease1+ (structured lease support with reminders, checklists, and insights), with an enhanced Lease1Pro tier adding 1-on-1 expert sessions and benchmarking reports. A free Retail Lease Simulator tool enables tenants to assess lease performance against benchmarks. The Lease Concierge program provides online coaching for independent negotiations. All services are delivered via the website and phone, with no technical integrations or APIs mentioned.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lease1+: Structured lease support, key date reminders, actionable checklists, and helpful tools to simplify lease responsibilities.
- Lease1Pro
Products and services
- Lease1+ Subscription-based structured lease support service providing retailers with key date reminders, actionable checklists, smart guidance, and retail-specific insights to simplify lease responsibilities and stay in control of lease timelines.
- Lease1Pro Premium subscription lease support tier offering everything in Lease1+ plus 1-on-1 expert sessions, detailed lease reviews, benchmarking reports, and priority guidance for retailers who want hands-on strategic assistance.
- Retail Lease Simulator Free online lease assessment tool that generates a lease performance report by analyzing shop size, lease expiry, option periods, annual gross rent, and annual sales against Australian Government benchmark data. Used for lead generation and initial retailer assessment.
- Lease Concierge Online lease coaching program enabling retailers to handle lease negotiations independently using guidance and resources provided by Lease1 experts, positioned as an alternative to full-service management.
- Full-Service Lease Management End-to-end lease negotiation and management service in which Lease1 manages lease events and conducts negotiations on behalf of the retail client, covering lease expiry/renewals, market rent options, lease assignments, asset value management, critical path management, growth site negotiations, and dispute resolution.
- Workshops & Seminars Educational workshops, webinars, training sessions, and conference keynotes delivered to retailer associations, brand groups, and franchise organizations on retail lease management topics.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60,000 AUD cash back from Westfield in one year for a Hogs franchisee client
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Lease1
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lease1 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Lease1 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Lease1 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Colliers: Global commercial real estate advisory with active Australian retail leasing practice. Comparable because Colliers provides tenant-side lease negotiation and retail property advisory, although as one service line within a much broader global platform.
- CBRE: World's largest commercial real estate services firm, with retail leasing and tenant representation practices in Australia. Comparable because it serves retail tenants on lease negotiations and portfolio strategy, but as part of a much broader capital markets, valuation, and advisory portfolio.
- Knight Frank: Global commercial real estate advisory with retail leasing teams in Australia. Comparable because Knight Frank provides tenant-side lease negotiation and advisory services across retail, but at much larger scale and broader scope than Lease1's retail-only niche.
- Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm with retail leasing and tenant representation capabilities in Australia. Comparable as an incumbent competitor for retail lease mandates, even though it serves a much wider range of clients and asset types.
- JLL: Global real estate services firm offering retail tenant representation and lease advisory in Australia. Comparable because it competes for retail tenant mandates, though it operates at enterprise scale across multiple asset classes and geographies.
Regional players
- PropertyMe: Australian property management software platform serving real estate agencies and landlords. Comparable as an Australia-focused property technology player operating in the local real estate ecosystem that Lease1 also serves, though focused on landlord-side rather than tenant-side workflows.
Emerging players
- Re-Leased: Commercial lease management software platform (originating in New Zealand) used by property teams to manage lease data, critical dates, and obligations. Comparable because it addresses adjacent lease management pain points that Lease1 solves manually for retailers, signalling a potential tech-enabled competitor.
Others
- National Retail Association: Australian industry body representing retailers, including on retail leasing policy. Comparable because Lease1 already delivers workshops and educational content through such associations, making the NRA both a distribution channel and an ecosystem peer in shaping retail lease legislation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Lease1 social profiles
Digital presenceLease1 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lease1 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lease1 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lease1 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lease1
What does Lease1 do?
Lease1 provides retail lease negotiation, tenant representation, and lease management services exclusively for Australian retailers. Its offerings include a free Retail Lease Simulator tool for occupancy cost benchmarking, a structured subscription tier (Lease1+) with key-date reminders and checklists, a premium tier (Lease1Pro) with 1-on-1 expert sessions and benchmarking reports, an online self-managed coaching program (Lease Concierge), and full-service lease negotiation and portfolio management.
Is Lease1 a public or private company?
Lease1 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lease1 founded?
Lease1 was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lease1 based?
Lease1 is headquartered in Red Hill, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Lease1 make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Lease1+ Subscription is the primary driver. The others are lease1Pro Subscription, lease Concierge (Online Lease Coaching), full-Service Lease Management, workshops & Seminars and retail Lease Simulator (Free Tool).
Who are Lease1's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Colliers, CBRE, Knight Frank, Cushman & Wakefield and JLL. PropertyMe is listed as a regional player. Re-Leased is listed as an emerging player. National Retail Association is listed as an others.
Does Lease1 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lease1.
What industry is Lease1 in?
Lease1's product category is Retail Lease Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKANAL, Lease Servicing, Management & Remarketing (Consumer), with a secondary code of BPAJAFAL, Residential Lease Administration & Tenant Services. Its NAICS code is 532 and its SIC code is 6519.