For eight months Mohammad Esmaelyan made no money from property. He had given up his job after selling a deal only to see first that one and then two more fall through. So, he turned to the one man who he thought could help him, Samuel Leeds. After teaming up with his brother, Mohammad went on to build a real estate business which now turns over £25,000 to £30,000 a month, of which £10,000 to £15,000 is profit. He derives his income from sourcing rent-to-rent opportunities for investors and providing serviced accommodation in the north of England.
Financial Freedom Challenge sets Mohammad on property path
Before going into property Mohammad was an interior designer, working on bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms. He earned £2,500 to £3,000 a month on average, and it was ‘a nice, respectable job.’
Then, he saw a video on YouTube which introduced him to the world of property and Samuel Leeds.
“He was doing a financial freedom challenge with Evans (Evans Willie, winner of The Eviction 2020). I said Ben you need to come and watch this. This is something we could do,” remembers Mohammad.
So, they booked themselves on to one of Samuel’s £1 crash courses. Afterwards Mohammad joined the academy, paid for by his brother Ben who also took up some further training.
“It was the best decision we ever made,” says Mohammad.
After completing his training, he sold a deal straight away, picking up a £3,000 finder’s fee.
“I thought fantastic. This is what I make on a monthly salary. I bit the bullet. I quit my job. I’m going to concentrate on this. It’s proven to me I can do it.”
Mohammad was convinced he was going to be one of the ‘superstars’ on the academy who make £20,000 to £30,000 a month from property. His brother also left his job and they believed they were on their way until the deals collapsed through no fault of their own.
“It happened three times in a row. [There were] various reasons that we learnt so much from, but at that time you don’t understand what you’re learning. You just understand the pain and the failure you’re going through,” Mohammad says.
He was taught to keep any commissions earned from selling deals in a separate account and only to spend the money after the 14-day cooling off period.
A deal sourcer will research the market and put together a pack with information about the potential return on investment. It is then up to the investor to obtain an independent building survey and pay a solicitor to carry out searches in those two weeks. If the client is unhappy with the results, he or she can still pull out.
Mohammad was therefore able to refund the investors from the money he put aside and keep his reputation intact. He also now uses Deal Connect, a new online platform where Samuel Leeds Academy members can post their deals and have them checked. (Deal Connect also holds the money from the fees for 14 days).
Nevertheless, it was a tough start for Mohammad, not helped by having to take on an Amazon delivery job to bring in some cash while trying to establish himself in property.
He felt exhausted combining both. “I used to do Friday till Sunday. Ben would see me come home and I was just white. All the life was out of me.
“I used to talk to myself to keep myself going. I would look in the mirror as I was driving and be like, you’re better than this. You can get through this. I tried to build up my own psychology to be able to push through this hard phase because there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
That beacon of light, which would lift him out of the doldrums, turned out to be Samuel Leeds, the man who had inspired him to go into property in the first place.
‘I’ve got myself stuck in a bad situation’
It was while Mohammad was struggling to find another deal that he messaged Samuel in May 2023.
Mohammad wrote: “I’ve got myself stuck in a bad situation. I left my job end of March/ beginning of April to go full time in property. I’d sold three deals, so I thought I was ready to go full time. Unfortunately, all of my three deals fell through. I had to pay it all back.
“Since then, I’ve lost all my confidence, run out of savings… Not sure what to do, if I should go back to a nine-to-five. I really don’t want to because I don’t want to be a loser or continue grinding to get deals across the line. The only thing keeping me out of depression is my boxing training recently. If you have any advice I [would] really appreciate it.”
Samuel’s reply was twice as long. He wrote back: “Hi Mohammad, thank you for reaching out for advice. I’m sorry to hear you’re going through a rough patch. It takes courage to acknowledge when we need help and you’re doing just that. You should be proud of yourself for being proactive and looking for solutions to your current situation.
“First things first. Don’t beat yourself up too much for the failed deals. Every entrepreneur experiences setbacks. It’s a normal part of the journey. It’s understandable that you may have lost confidence due to this setback, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on your dreams.
“It’s important to assess your financial situation and come up with a plan. Going back to a nine to five job may seem like the easier solution, but if it’s not what you truly want it will just lead to more unhappiness.
“Instead push through to get some deals and focus on money making activities. You can also consider reaching out to mentors on the academy, other members and investors to partner up with – people who have more experience of the industry…
“At the end of the day, it’s your life and you need to make decisions based on what’s best for you. So, surround yourself with people who support and encourage you.
“Lastly, great that you have a passion for boxing. Let’s keep training and use it as a way to alleviate stress and stay positive. Remember success is not a straight line. Try to step back and revaluate… keep your head up. Stay optimistic. You’ve got this. Best of luck.”
Mohammad’s family were worried that he had wasted his money and his life, but he took the advice and carried on looking for opportunities while still consulting Samuel. They also trained together when Samuel was preparing for his charity fight with Rob Moore.
‘One yes changed everything’
Mohammad and his brother finally got their breakthrough while searching for buy, refurbish, refinance possibilities.
The date is etched in his memory. It was November 15th and they had just completed three viewings on possible BRRs after partnering with a deal seller who had helped them a lot. He had the investor list, and they were looking for deals for him. But after five hours of traipsing around none of the numbers were stacking up.
Feeling stressed, the two brothers had a heated argument in the car on the way back. “I felt like he’s giving up on it. He felt like I’m giving up on it but [I thought] let’s stop looking for other people and just get it for ourselves.
“So, I went on Rightmove and saw a property had popped up three minutes ago in the patch I was looking at.”
By chance it was the agent with whom they had negotiated two of their deals. The deals came to nothing, but the agent knew it wasn’t their fault and they had a good relationship. The landlords had pulled out in both instances, explained Mohammad.
After calling the agent and requesting a viewing, the agent rang back to say that the landlord who was a developer was ‘super interested’ to meet them.
“I was like amazing, this is the most positive one we’ve ever had. Two days later we do the viewing, and it turns out it’s not just one property. He’s building five properties. The other ones are getting built right next to it. The whole street is his and he’s building it up.
“He gave us two properties initially. He trusted us. [He said] I like the idea of what you guys are doing. It sounds interesting. Let’s give you two a shot. And after a couple of months, he saw how we were doing, and gave us the other three properties as well. So, we controlled that whole road.”
Just that one call had led to them taking on five properties which are still making them money.
Since then, the landlord has given them two more deals and they have established a joint venture involving the management side of their operation.
‘One yes changed everything,” says Mohammad, adding: “I feel like it was God’s doing, the way everything happened.”
Divine intervention or not, the entrepreneurs’ persistence paid off. Mohammad left his job with Amazon in April 2024, by which time they were making a profit of £7,000 to £8,000 a month, which was enough for them to be comfortable.
Portfolio consists of 22 properties
Mohammad and Ben now control or manage a total of 22 properties. Seven are units which the pair took on as rent-to-rents. They pay the owner a guaranteed, monthly rent and are then permitted to rent them out for a higher amount.
The rest are ones which they sourced and manage for their customers.
Some are in Durham and have performed extremely well. They also have one in Harrogate which is used for emergency housing.
“That one’s also doing really well. It turns over £2,400 a month and a profit of £1,300. It’s just so consistent.”
Mohammad describes Ben as the spine of their company, Vista Property Team, ensuring the business runs smoothly. They employ three people full time to assist them and have now branched out into other strategies, using some of their profits.
The duo bought a property in Billingham on Teeside, where they grew up, for £59,000 and spent £20,000 on the refurbishment. That one is cash flowing £1,000 a month as serviced accommodation and will be refinanced at £115,000, allowing them to pull out virtually all their original investment.
They have also sealed two lease option agreements, giving them an option in six years’ time to buy the assets at the price agreed when the contracts were drawn up. In the meantime, they will rent them out, again as furnished accommodation, and save the profits for the deposit down the line.
The landlord of one of the properties is planning to travel in Europe in a motorhome for a while and settle down there at some point, so the arrangement suits both parties.
Mohammad is excited by the prospect of expanding the portfolio he has built up with his brother.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than waking up in the morning and working on your business, your legacy end empire. We’re trying to build an empire now.”
Mohammad’s tips
- Keep going and be consistent.
- Reach out for help if you are struggling.
- I listen to a lot of audio books on personal development. My top three are: Rich Dad Poor Dad, How to Win Friends and Influence People and Think and Grow Rich.
Samuel Leeds’ verdict
“When you see people winning in property on social media, sometimes you see the glitz and the glamour. You don’t see the struggles and the resilience that we have to go through as entrepreneurs to build our businesses.
“You can make money very quickly in property. But if it takes you eight months at least you’ve got a rock-solid foundation, and everyone works at their own pace. You’ve got to put in the work and be patient.”
