Octopus Real Estate strengthens development lending team

By Bridging Loan Directory 29th September 2023

Octopus Real Estate, part of Octopus Investments and a leading UK specialist real estate lender and investor,has strengthened its Development Lending team with the promotion of Samantha Herod to Head of Credit.

Prior to this appointment, Sam was a Senior Credit Manager for over two years.

Before joining the Octopus Real Estate team, she spent 16 years at Lloyds Banking Group, including roles within the Corporate & Institutional Debt team, Business Support Unit, and Relationship Management Teams across the group’s Real Estate and trading businesses.

In her new role, Sam will be responsible for a team of underwriters, overseeing the assessment of a variety of development transactions across the living sectors, including Residential, Care Homes, Retirement and PBSA.

The team works closely with customers and introducers to achieve optimal and tailored debt structures that are centred around borrowers’ strategies of delivering sustainably developed homes and beds throughout the UK.

Recent loans provided by the Octopus Real Estate Development Lending team include £6m to Scottish developer MNM, £37m to Sheen Lane to finance the redevelopment of a vacant office block into flats, £26m to leading care home operator Connaught Care, and £22m to MCR Property Group to finance the creation of 60 new homes in Buckinghamshire.

Andy Scott, Head of Development Lending, Octopus Real Estate, commented:

“Sam is a huge asset to Octopus and I’m very pleased that she is now heading up our Credit team.

She has fantastic property lending experience and has a growth mindset that is focused on delivering great outcomes for our developers and introducers, through innovative and bespoke lending solutions across the living sectors.”

Sam Herod, Head of Credit, Octopus Real Estate, concluded:

“I’m really excited to be leading the Credit team going forward and continuing to expand our development lending offering to help deliver much-needed sustainable properties across the UK.”

The Development Lending team is 13 strong and headed up by Andy Scott, with Nick White Head of Origination, Sam Herod now Head of Credit, and Nora Rebole Head of Development Portfolio.