Samuel Leeds expands £15.5M private lending fund internationally as American property push gathers pace

UK property investor Samuel Leeds has committed $1 million to the US property market following a month spent on the ground in Texas, where he met with academy members, reviewed live deals, and began deploying capital directly.

The investment marks the first significant international expansion of Samuel Leeds Finance, which has lent £15.5 million to property investors across the UK since launching three years ago.

“I went to Texas to see what my academy members were working on,” Leeds said. “I came away having committed a million dollars. The deals are there.”

Leeds, who is based in Dubai and holds property across the UK, UAE and Africa, says the US move is a natural extension of a lending model that has already transformed hundreds of investors’ careers in Britain.

Not His First Time in the US

Leeds is no stranger to the American market. He previously completed a financial freedom challenge in the United States, documenting the process of building income from scratch in an unfamiliar market, a challenge he has replicated in multiple countries.

The Texas trip, however, represents a more significant and sustained commitment, a full month working alongside academy members already operating in the US, reviewing their deals firsthand before backing them with capital.

How the Fund Works

Samuel Leeds Finance provides short-term bridging loans to property investors, primarily to fund the purchase and renovation of below-market-value properties. Borrowers refinance once values increase, repaying the loan and, in many cases, recovering their entire initial outlay.

Samuel Leeds lends exclusively to people he is also actively mentoring.

“I need to know the deal is good and I need to know the person is serious,” he said. “When both of those are true, I’ll back them even if it’s their first deal and they’ve got almost nothing.”

Interest is charged at 1% per month for the first six months, rising to 1.5% thereafter.

Bank Backing and a Growing Loan Book

The fund, which launched entirely from Leeds’ personal capital, has since secured institutional bank backing after building a strong repayment track record.

UK results have been significant. One borrower purchased a Birmingham property for £130,000 in an area with end values of £250,000, contributing just £10,000–£15,000 of his own money. Another was bought at auction for £78,000, refurbished for £37,000, and refinanced at £170,000, recovering her full investment. A third used a £70,000 loan to secure a block of four flats for £80,000 against an end value of approximately £240,000.

In one case, Leeds processed an emergency loan within 24 hours to save a member’s auction deal, completing the transaction on the night his wife gave birth.

“The money was ready,” he said. “I wasn’t going to let paperwork get in the way.”

A Personal Mission

Samuel Leeds traces the origins of the fund directly to his own experience starting out with nothing.

“When I got my first property at 17, my stepdad signed as guarantor. He didn’t give me a penny, just his signature. That changed everything,” he said. “I built this fund for the person I used to be. Someone with the drive and the knowledge, but no one willing to back them.”

With $1 million now committed in Texas and further US deals under review, Leeds says the international expansion is only just beginning.

For media inquiries or interview requests, contact the Samuel Leeds Academy team.