10 Loans per Month, 30-Hr Work Week. Here's the System
Sam Abazari makes the case that 10 loans/month with one assistant at 200-300 bps margin and a 25-35 hour work week is the optimal target for financial, time, and mental freedom. He walks through three concrete systems: hiring an assistant, building true referral partnerships via a 4-step authority framework, and converting leads at 30%+ using a structured consultation process. LOs who feel stuck on the volume treadmill or who have no repeatable referral or lead conversion system will get the most from this episode.
Ten loans a month with one assistant and 200-300 bps margin beats chasing volume — it's the exact formula for financial, time, and mental freedom simultaneously.
Takeaways you can run this week
- Text 5 friends this exact message: 'From the top of your head, how many realtors do you personally know that you like and trust?' — collect the names and ask for introductions. This is Sam's highest-ROI prospecting move.
- Target referral partners with capacity for 10+ referrals/year, aim to capture 30% of their business. At $6,000 average commission, each partner is worth $18,000/year. Converting one new partner per week for 48 weeks = $864,000 annually.
- Build authority before asking for referrals using one of three methods: (1) teach a class (one-to-many, great for 3-5 deal/year agents), (2) host a podcast and invite partners as guests (reaches higher-volume producers), or (3) office tours with a catered lunch if you have a team and office space.
- Offer to be a referral partner's 'personal CRM': take their unconverted leads, follow up, pre-approve, and return clients ready to buy — at no cost to them. Spend 20-30 minutes daily on lead follow-up calls/texts/emails to work this pipeline.
- Follow up with every referral partner every two weeks using this four-topic structure: (1) any shared leads in progress, (2) pre-approved clients to hand off, (3) a loan program tip they can use to earn more (e.g., bank statement loans for CPA clients), or (4) an invitation to something of value. Then briefly ask about one personal topic — family, work, recreation, or motivation.
- Use the 'book a meeting from a meeting' script on every initial lead call: confirm a 30-minute video home buyer consultation, send a calendar invite AND application link, ask the client to upload docs by end of next day. Never leave a call without a confirmed next appointment.
Useful? Get the full Vault free — plus Marketing Worth Stealing, weekly.
GET FREE ACCESSThe playbook
- REFERRAL PARTNER SYSTEM — Step 1 (Connect): Use introductions from friends, active deal agents/attorneys, networking events, social media, or cold outreach — in that order of effectiveness.
- REFERRAL PARTNER SYSTEM — Step 2 (Meet with Authority): Establish credibility via a class you teach, a podcast you host, or an office tour with lunch. The goal: make them believe their life improves by working with you.
- REFERRAL PARTNER SYSTEM — Step 3 (Make an Offer): Offer classes/education, fast closings (10-15 days), pre-approval guarantees, lead generation, or the personal CRM strategy (you work their unconverted leads end-to-end).
- REFERRAL PARTNER SYSTEM — Step 4 (Follow Up): Contact every two weeks. Lead with their money (shared leads, pre-approvals, a loan program tip, or an event invite), then briefly connect on one personal topic.
- LEAD CONVERSION — Step 1 (Initial Contact): Acknowledge every lead within 30-90 minutes. Build triangle of trust (how they know the referral partner, how you know the partner, why you're excited to help). Ask about goals/dreams, identify their MIT (most important thing). Book a home buyer consultation before hanging up.
- LEAD CONVERSION — Step 2 (Home Buyer Consultation): Share screen, celebrate the pre-approval, review purchase price/cash-to-close/monthly payment ranges (not rate yet). Put numbers in context using local appreciation data and mortgage paydown math. Set expectations for the shopping phase and tell them to involve you before submitting an offer.
- LEAD CONVERSION — Step 3 (Loan Selection Meeting): Present three loan options tailored to their MIT. Give pros/cons of each. Let them choose. If they ask about rate, pull up your rate sheet, explain it in 10 seconds, advise your top pick, then let them decide. Close by collecting the appraisal fee — once they pay, they stop shopping.
- LEAD CONVERSION — Step 4 (Weekly Updates): Every update must answer four questions: What have we done? What do you need to do? When does it need to happen by? What happens next?
Worth quoting
“Authority means the person you're talking to believes that by working with you, their life will improve.”
“Nobody wants a mortgage. Mortgage is a necessary evil. So we don't talk about the mortgage on the first call.”
Best for
LOs doing 3-7 loans/month who lack a repeatable system for adding referral partners or converting leads consistently — and want a clear path to 10 loans/month without working more hours.