Meet Samuel Leeds: Learning is key to success believes council house boy turned millionaire property dealer

Gaining barely average grades at school, plastering walls and learning magic tricks doesn’t sound like a sure-fire route to success. But a change of direction can sometimes make all the difference.

And that’s certainly been the case for Samuel Leeds whose modest beginnings and lack of qualifications have never held him back. If anything, they actually spurred him on to change his lot in life and now he’s encouraging other people to do the same.

Nowadays recognised as a property millionaire and guru, the businessman has interests far and wide, runs a well-subscribed training academy and long ago swapped his old banger of a car for a luxury Range Rover.

It’s certainly a far cry from his early life growing up on a council estate in Walsall with his dad working as a gardener and his mum topping up the household budget through mobile hairdressing.

Magic tricks and plastering

When his parents separated, Samuel stayed in touch with his dad, sometimes joining him on a market stall where he’d started selling magic tricks. The young entrepreneur-in-the-making put his learning to good use by copying the tactic and selling tricks to his West Midlands classmates.

His mum’s remarriage led to him working as a plaster, encouraged by his stepfather to take up the trade but it never felt like a lifelong career.

His stepdad Tim worked as an accountant and when Samuel saw him buying a handful of properties it dawned on the teenager that their own house was mortgage-free – a goal for which people generally strive for years.

Money-making ideas

It was something of a lightbulb moment for Samuel who explains: “I'm seeing Tim buying a few houses and I'm thinking, buying and selling a magic trick, you might make a few pounds. With plastering you can make a few hundred pounds.

"But if you buy and sell a house you could make tens of thousands of pounds. This might be a better way for me to get more money.”

And so it proved to be. After learning all he could from a property trainer, Samuel started managing accommodation free of charge to hone his skills before setting a price for the service and generating a small income.

Family support

To properly break into the investment market, he turned to family for support, buying his first property in Tim’s name and later agreeing a loan with his grandma to purchase another. His approach was to buy cheap homes and then refinance them to recover the money invested.

He also spent a few months working as an estate agent to strengthen his all-important network of contacts which he knew was vital in the industry.

With the financial crash in 2009 came real fears of negative equity among home-owners. Samuel bought several properties during the uncertainty and paid the mortgages by renting out rooms.

Millionaire status

By his mid 20s, he was officially a millionaire and decided to share his experiences and strategies with other people who were looking for a better job, income or lifestyle. He initially charged for hosting the expert sessions but was later able to cut his fees and offer tickets for as little as £1 for such events as his Property Investors Crash Course.

Now aged 31, Samuel’s main message is a straightforward one: "I want people to realise that if they're not good in school or if they don't like their job, there is another way,” he says. “For me that was property and it’s transformed my life."

It’s also transformed the lives of others if the testimonials on his website are anything to go by. From young people just starting out to those looking for a midlife career change, past and present students from all backgrounds claim that Samuel’s approach works, providing you learn from the training and stick at it.

Book your £1 ticket now

For an introduction to Samuel’s methods and training packages, you can catch him in Bradford when he stops off as part of a short UK tour on October 21. The crash course takes place at Cedar Court, Rooley Lane, BD5 8HW and costs just £1 (although late cancellation/no show fees apply).

You can find ticket details and timings online at Property Investors.

Disclaimer: This article is paid for, sponsored content and does not reflect the views of MansfieldToday or National World. People should always seek independent advice in matters of finance and investments.