Events
Master Plan
Virginia · Maryland · Washington DC · 2026–2027
All Events
at a Glance
| Date / Frequency | Event | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly · 1st Tuesday 9–10:30am |
Grumpy Hour Morning Coffee | Recurring | Co-sponsor: Quality Services Pro (Jenny) |
| May 21 + August (TBD date) |
Collective Co-Host Coffee | 2× per year | County networking group; invite to Grads Tuesday |
| Monthly · alternating First Thursday 6–7:30pm Virtual |
First-Time Buyer Seminar | Recurring · Virtual | Camera on; questionnaire pre-registration; sponsored ad ongoing; alternates with Move-Up |
| Monthly · alternating First Thursday 6–7:30pm Virtual |
Move-Up Buyer Seminar | Recurring · Virtual | Alternates with First-Time Buyer; same format and standards |
| Quarterly Saturday AM In-Person |
✦ Matcha Money Mortgages | Quarterly · In-Person | HomeLab HQ; coffee + matcha vendor on-site; Iqra's signature activation; First-Time or Move-Up format |
| Weekly · Tuesday | Agent Educational | Internal weekly | Team-only; training and skill development |
| Quarterly · Saturday AM | In-Person Agent Event | 1× per quarter | Pre-buy-in model; deeper agent engagement |
| ~10 days pre-Eid al-Fitr (Annual) |
Eid al-Fitr Drive | Charity drive | Food, clothing, toy drive; volunteers collect + distribute to shelters and mosques |
| ~10 days pre-Eid al-Adha (Annual) |
Eid al-Adha Drive | Charity drive | Same format; extras donated to shelters and mosques |
| July 11, 2026 Saturday 12–4pm |
Grand Opening Party | Flagship · Annual | Family-oriented community event; charities: HDF + Anna Sudna; Photographer: Azim |
| April 2027 Before spring break |
Heart of HomeLab Gala | Flagship · Annual | Formal sit-down dinner; HDF fundraiser $50,000 goal; Dabke, live music, silent auction |
Grand Opening Party
A family-oriented community celebration of HomeLab's headquarters opening. Warm, festive, and accessible to everyone — children and parents included. Looping video of HomeLab playing throughout the space. Partnered with two charities: Human Development Fund and Anna Sudna. Photography by Azim.
The Experience
- Face painting
- Balloons
- Craft center — home theme, pop-up sticker homes
- 360° Photo Booth
- Live music
- Bouquet making
Win Something
- Bingo
- Pin the Price on the House
- Kahoot
- Raffle — prizes $150–200 range
- Grand Prize: $500+
Catering
- Food + drink ticket model
- All food: Halal
- Option 1: Vegetarian
- Option 2: Chicken
- Dessert carts
Beverage Station
- Mocktail bar
- Coffee cart — matcha + shotted espresso
Guest Takeaways
- Swag from all vendors
- Mini candles
Giving Back
- Human Development Fund (HDF)
- Anna Sudna
- Photographer: Azim
This event has shifted from an evening professional reception to a daytime family-oriented community party. Financial model and sponsor outreach should reflect vendor booth contributions, community sponsors, and family-friendly brand partners rather than corporate presenting sponsors. Updated financial model to follow.
Heart of HomeLab Gala
HomeLab's annual flagship formal fundraiser. A sit-down dinner gala benefiting Human Development Fund. Cultured, community-centered, and deeply personal — featuring live performances from HomeLab's own community, a silent auction app, and a full fund-raising program including tap-to-pay giving and projector-driven speech moments.
Evening Structure
- Formal sit-down dinner
- Speeches: current events + HDF work
- HDF representative in attendance, speaking
- Projector presentation during speeches
Entertainment
- Yasmeen (performance TBD)
- Live music — Adams
- Dabke group
How We Raise
- Donation links shared during event
- Tap to pay stations
- Silent auction — via app
- Projector-driven giving moments
Sponsor Categories
- Corporate sponsors
- Vendors
- Local businesses
Volunteer Structure
- Interview committee to vet volunteers
- Roles TBD by coordinator
Outreach Plan
- Social media campaign
- Formal invitations by mail — postcards + QR
- Evites
- 10 months out: monthly cadence
- Last 2 months: bi-weekly then daily
Gala Costs to Cover
Room Rental
Top-floor venue at discounted building rate (~$4,000)
Food & Beverage
Formal plated dinner service for up to 175 guests
Setup & Decor
Florals, linens, lighting, AV, projector
Event Coordinator
Professional coordinator — absorbed into sponsor budget
Eid Drives
Two annual charity drives tied to Islam's two major celebrations. HomeLab organizes the collection and distribution of food, clothing, and toys — with volunteer support for pickup, sorting, and donation to local shelters and mosques. A community roots event that reflects HomeLab's values as deeply as any gala.
Drive Items
- Food (non-perishable + fresh where possible)
- Clothing (all sizes, clean condition)
- Toys (new or gently used)
Operations
- Collection point setup and management
- Pickup and transport
- Sorting and organization
- Distribution to shelters and mosques
- Leftover/extra item donation coordination
Spring Drive
- Begins ~10 days before Eid al-Fitr
- 2026 drive: already completed
- 2027: plan 12 months in advance
Summer Drive
- Begins ~10 days before Eid al-Adha
- 2026 drive: already planned — execute per SOP
- Volunteer recruitment begins 3 weeks prior
The Eid Drives are HomeLab's most direct expression of community values. They require minimal budget and generate maximum goodwill — from Muslim community members, from mosques, from shelters, and from anyone who sees HomeLab showing up with no agenda except to give. Document and share every drive on social media.
Grumpy Hour
Morning Coffee
HomeLab's recurring morning coffee activation. Begins as an office-building introduction (Events 1–2), then opens publicly via Eventbrite (Events 3+). Monthly cadence builds familiarity, referral relationships, and a growing warm CRM. Co-sponsored by Quality Services Pro (Jenny) who provides small pastries.
Office Introduction
- Internal — office building neighbors only
- Goal: introduce HomeLab, learn every name
- No pitch, no agenda — just presence and warmth
- Leave behind: market insight card
Public via Eventbrite
- Free, open registration on Eventbrite
- Open to all DMV professionals
- Invite to Grads Tuesday cross-promotion
- CRM: all registrants added within 24hrs
Quality Services Pro
- Owner: Jenny
- Subscription-based contracting company
- On HomeLab vendor list
- Contribution: small pastries each event
After Every Event
- Same day: CRM entry for all new contacts
- 24 hrs: personal text/email to every new contact
- 48 hrs: social content published
- Next event: personal invite to all prior attendees
Collective
Co-Host Coffee
HomeLab co-hosts with the county's primary networking collective twice per year. First confirmed date: May 21. August date TBD. Goal is to become a recurring, recognized presence in this group — the real estate brand the county knows, trusts, and refers.
Each Collective co-host event should include an invitation to Grads Tuesday, building a pipeline between the county network and HomeLab's own recurring programming.
Client Seminars
Monthly virtual buyer seminars alternating between First-Time Buyers and Move-Up Buyers — co-hosted with HomeLab's mortgage lender partner. Once per quarter, the seminar goes in-person at HomeLab HQ on a Saturday morning, elevated with a coffee and matcha vendor. Iqra's branding: "Matcha Money Mortgages." Ongoing sponsored ad runs continuously. Camera-on policy for all virtual sessions. All registrants complete a questionnaire before joining.
First-Time Buyer Seminar
- Template + ad pre-built for each run
- Mortgage partner presents financing basics
- HomeLab covers the buying process + DMV market
- Questionnaire required before registration confirms
- Camera on — mandatory
Move-Up Buyer Seminar
- Tailored to homeowners with equity ready to move
- HomeLab's primary client focus
- Covers equity bridge, timing, and upgrade strategy
- Same questionnaire + camera-on format
✦ Matcha Money Mortgages
- Saturday morning at HomeLab HQ
- Coffee and matcha vendor on-site
- Either First-Time or Move-Up format — rotate
- More intimate, higher-conversion setting
- Treat as a mini-event: branded setup, great energy
- Content opportunity — Reels, behind-the-scenes
Non-Negotiables
- Camera on — mandatory for all virtual attendees
- Questionnaire completed before joining
- Sponsored ad: running continuously
- All attendees enter HomeLab CRM post-session
- Follow-up within 24 hours of every session
The quarterly in-person Saturday seminar is Iqra's signature activation — her first-time and first-generation homebuyer focus brought to life in a welcoming, accessible, coffee-shop-style setting. The name "Matcha Money Mortgages" is the hook that makes it memorable and shareable. Build a consistent visual identity around it for social content.
Agent Educationals
Weekly internal team training session. Focused on skill development, market knowledge, tools, and systems. Separate from client-facing programming. One in-person quarterly session on Saturday morning runs alongside or in conjunction with the in-person seminar format.
Tuesday Training
- Internal team only
- Topics rotate: scripts, systems, market, tools
- Led by Tazeen or rotating team leads
- Grads Tuesday cross-promoted at Grumpy Hour + Collective
Saturday AM Session
- 1× per quarter
- Saturday morning format
- Deeper workshop or planning session
- Pre-buy-in model — agents commit in advance
Open House Events
Elevated, branded open house experiences that double as community touchpoints and lead generation opportunities. Treated as mini-events — not just door-open showings. Details and SOP to be built out as listings come to market.
Open house event SOP will be built per listing as they arise. Each one should carry the HomeLab brand experience — market insight cards, QR codes, refreshments, and a follow-up sequence for all visitors.