SPEAKER_03: 0:30

I'm Tazen Kutzi, and I'm the founder of Home Lab. And uh we're a real estate company and we're all over the DMV. And uh we actually just specialize in obsessing over the client experience.

SPEAKER_01: 0:45

Yep. And um my name is Ikramolik, and I'm a buyer agent specialist under Home Lab.

SPEAKER_02: 0:52

I'm Nina Ahmed.

SPEAKER_00: 0:53

I'm also an agent under Home Lab. It's so nice to meet you guys, and I can't wait to learn learn more about what you guys do. So kind of take me back to how you got started in all this. Tell me how you got to where you are today.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08

How much time do we have?

SPEAKER_00: 1:12

Just briefly kind of summarize your story and tell me those just those beginning beginning points of your journey and just how you got to to all the success that you guys are in today.

SPEAKER_03: 1:23

Yeah, so I actually I got into real estate right out of high school and I did everything like the wrong way, the worst way possible. Um I owned other businesses along the way, and then finally in 2021, I decided to go full-time. So I went full-time, kind of risked everything, changed careers, uh, sold a previous business I had. And then in 2022, I decided to form a team for no particular reason. I was just like, that seems like the cool thing to do. Um, did that and you know, I kind of went through a lot of growing pains until this year, where you know, I kind of went backwards, was back to square one with no team. And uh in the beginning of this year, we actually met. Well, we didn't just meet, we all three of us decided to get into business together, and it's been a game-changing year, honestly.

SPEAKER_00: 2:17

Wow, that's so exciting!

SPEAKER_03: 2:19

I tried to do that as like summarized as possible, the shortest version you're gonna get.

SPEAKER_00: 2:24

No, you're good. That's so exciting. So, Home Lab officially launched as a team earlier this year. What inspired you guys to come together and what does the Home Lab brand represent to each of you?

SPEAKER_03: 2:38

I'll let you take it out.

SPEAKER_02: 2:39

Okay. I was an independent agent before joining Home Lab. Um, Tacine is a childhood friend of mine, actually, and the inspiration of why I got into real estate. But one of the main things about us at us as a team is we are aligned in every way possible. Our values, um, how we see clients, the entire client experience. Um, when we just sat down and talked, I think within like the first 30 seconds of us having a team meeting, we just hit it off. And I feel like that's rare. You know, you take time to get to know someone, you take time to get to know your team members, but it was minutes for us. It just clicked, and it just felt so right. It really did.

SPEAKER_00: 3:23

Awesome. So you bring a different ex perspective and background to the team, each person. How do those differences strengthen your collaboration and the experience you provide to your clients?

SPEAKER_01: 3:37

Oh, I like this question. Okay. So I feel like there's like a big age gap between us, and like these are like my moms. I'm sorry. It's not at all. Not big at all. These are just women that I admire, and I feel like their past experiences or like the mistakes that they have made are like examples for me. So as like a younger agent, I feel like I have examples to look at and be like, this is what I can do, and this is what I shouldn't do. So then when I'm working with like first-time home buyers or like like people that I've just met, I can take those examples and experiences and then apply them in the actual field.

SPEAKER_00: 4:13

Wonderful. Amazing role models to just learn and grow from, right?

unknown: 4:18

Perfect.

SPEAKER_03: 4:21

Don't do what we would do.

SPEAKER_00: 4:22

That's really what we tell them.

SPEAKER_03: 4:24

Do as I say, not as I do something.

SPEAKER_00: 4:27

Words of the wise, right? So trust is one of your core values. And you've said your goal is for clients to feel like they can go through the process with their eyes closed. What does that level of trust look like in action?

SPEAKER_03: 4:43

So that's actually one of the things that, like, we like I mentioned, we obsess over the client experience. And we literally put ourselves in those shoes in the shoes of the client. Whenever we take on someone new, we literally have a storyboarding like strategy session around that client. We figure out what they need specifically, and um, you know, we treat them like family. And that's another thing that kind of brings us together is because each one of us, like, that's you know, a another rare thing to find is we can close our eyes and trust each other, um, whether it's with ourselves or our clients or our business.

SPEAKER_00: 5:20

Wonderful. Just having that support to kind of lean on each other. Yeah. And home lab is built on more than just real estate, it's about community. Can you share a little bit about your mission to give back and how you're incorporating philanthropy into your business model?

SPEAKER_02: 5:38

So it's one of the things that we aligned with from the get-go. Um, one of the first conversations we had as a team, individually and then as a team, was we wanted to make sure that we're gonna work as hard as possible so we can take care of those around us, whether it's within our local community or internationally. And so um, it's a big part of us. We talk about it often. Tizine has is kicking off a nonprofit next year in early 2026. So we're very excited to support her with that. And then we each have our own individual um nonprofits that we we work with locally to us.

SPEAKER_00: 6:14

Wonderful. I might dig into that a little bit later into the conversation because I'd love to know more. And your team donates a portion of every commission to local and international charities. How did that initiative begin? And what kind of impact do you hope it continues to make?

SPEAKER_03: 6:33

That's actually like Nina said, it's something we just aligned on. So anytime, you know, unofficially that we closed business, each of us was already kind of doing that to give back. Actually, Icra was just in uh Pakistan for a few weeks, and you know, we had some needs come up there. So she kind of boots on the ground, like took care of things there. So right now we are formalizing some of the charities that we partner with just to kind of make it more, I guess, more of a fluid drip, you know, as we connect with past clients or we have events or other agents or whatever it is. So we are setting up uh like our own links with certain charities. Um, so we kind of hope to grow from there, but it's kind of in the unofficial turning to official stage.

SPEAKER_00: 7:18

Okay, awesome. Very exciting. And every team has its rhythm. What's the home lab way of doing things that set your process apart from a typical real estate team?

SPEAKER_01: 7:31

I think we do things authentically, like we don't fake it. There's no like like hidden anything with us. It's just kind of really straightforward. And like we try to make sure that we give an experience that our clients can remember and like initially come back or also refer us to other people.

SPEAKER_00: 7:47

Wonderful. Kind of just having that memorable experience that they can share with their family and friends. Yeah. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02: 7:53

And proof of that is that we actually become friends with our clients, even those that we meet as strangers end up becoming like family.

SPEAKER_00: 8:00

Yeah. Wonderful. Having those client relationships that they can reach out to you well past um they've closed the deal. Perfect. And how do you ensure each client's journey feels truly personalized and memorable from the first conversation to the day that they get their keys?

SPEAKER_03: 8:21

Yeah, that's actually so we meet consistently. And um, aside from like the strategy session for every client, we just kind of continuously improve our processes. Um, just like a week or so ago, we had a little hitch where, you know, we have like a title company that we always work with, and um there was an experience that wasn't ideal, and it was actually not their fault, it was because of a cooperating title company. But, you know, we got ahead of it, we had conversations, and so anytime something comes up, we like just go so deep into it to make sure that no one else would have a bad experience, and then we continuously meet to kind of see what we can do to improve for our clients.

SPEAKER_00: 9:05

I love the point that you made about seeing what can be improved to go forward. That's such a key business model, as well as the just seamless, great communication as well that you mentioned. So wonderful. And you also mentioned that education and empowerment are a big part of your approach. How do you help clients better understand the buying or selling process so they feel confident in every decision?

SPEAKER_03: 9:34

I go you take this one.

SPEAKER_01: 9:35

Okay, um, I recently made like a first-time homebuyer guide, and I use that as like a lead generation source. So I kind of just sent it to a lot of people in my sphere, and I was like educating them on how home buying isn't something that's like really complicated, and it's more like it's like an easy process. You just have to work with the right people.

SPEAKER_00: 9:54

Okay, very cool, very cool kind of guide to go off of.

SPEAKER_02: 9:59

And the home buying process or selling process itself is so overwhelming. And some people just don't know where to start. Like with anything new that you get into, you just want information, but Google will give you thousands. Yeah, and it wasn't like trying to like overwhelm them with information.

SPEAKER_01: 10:15

It's like a one-page or like a five-minute guide, like just the basics of home buying.

SPEAKER_02: 10:19

Just visually, you can see the steps, yeah, you know, what to do first, what to do later, and just having a plan set for our clients helps a lot.

SPEAKER_01: 10:27

And like the resources they have, just in case they do have like questions or the concerns, like we're here.

SPEAKER_03: 10:32

Yeah, it's I think it's addressing a lot of the what ifs in real time before they even think of the question. Um, that's what we do because we literally baby our clients, like we carry them through the whole process. So we're like, we'll tell you what's going on. But really, you know, most of our clients when they get to the closing table, I hear this all the time. They're like, wow, that was so easy. And we're over here like sweating.

SPEAKER_02: 10:54

I haven't slept in 12 days.

SPEAKER_00: 10:57

You know, it's really fascinating to hear all the moving parts and just all the different things that go on for you to just create this amazing experience for them. It's very inspiring, really.

SPEAKER_03: 11:08

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00: 11:10

So, Home Lab isn't just about closing deals, it's about helping people find confidence and peace of mind in their real estate journey. What's one story or client experience that best reflects that mission?

SPEAKER_02: 11:26

Go ahead, Steve. Sorry. Shortly. Okay. I actually have a story. Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 11:31

Yeah. Um, I recently, like, while I was sending that one pager, I ran into like my nail tech boy went to years ago. And she was like, my mom was working with a realtor, and he just ghosted her. And like, I'm trying to buy a house. And I'm like, you know what? Let's like get you started. And like within a week, she had her pre-approval and she was like looking at homes already. And she messages me and she goes, I didn't think this was gonna be so easy. Like, you made this so easy for me. Like, I'm so happy. And she closes this week, like she's gonna get her keys on Friday, hopefully. Wow, and like her mom, they've been like, they've been like struggling to buy a house, and she was like, I didn't think I could ever have some like something of my own. And I was like, Wow, like that's an actual impact we've made for sure.

SPEAKER_03: 12:10

Yeah, that's actually the the impact piece and like having someone on your side that cares because we're I think in any industry there's so many people that are very transactional, and so I don't think a lot of people know to expect more, so that's life-changing.

SPEAKER_02: 12:26

And we it's not just us, we have other people that we work with that also help us make the process easy for our clients.

SPEAKER_03: 12:32

Yes, for sure. That's a big piece of it, is like we literally have over years curated relationships with certain vendors, and we don't have a lot of formal partnerships. We actually just require that they treat our clients the very best. And um, if we ever hear otherwise, like it's a conversation. And then if it happens again, it's uh see you later, but not really.

SPEAKER_00: 12:55

Okay, awesome. So just kind of creating that perfect team and down-the-line experience. Yeah. Awesome. And so back to the nonprofit, Tazine. You're launching a nonprofit to help women build financial independence. Can you tell me a little bit more about that initiative and why it's so important to you?

SPEAKER_03: 13:15

Oh man, um, I didn't know that question was gonna be on here. You put me on the spot.

SPEAKER_02: 13:20

It was totally because I knew you wouldn't do it. So I had to put you on the spot.

SPEAKER_03: 13:25

Um, thank you. It's actually so it's really personal to me because of just some experiences I went through in my life personally, where you know, I dealt with like cancer and like the loss of a child, and just I owned businesses during that whole time. Um, and I was actually in a really bad marriage. I was in an abusive situation. So I was I consider myself extremely lucky. Like I don't know why. I God just favors me all the time. So I, you know, because I was always financially independent, I didn't have to make the decision of staying in a bad situation or not being able to get myself out of it because of finances. Um, and I hear that because I actively put out, you know, my story is awkward and uncomfortable as it is sometimes to share. It's to attract other people that might be in that situation and kind of show them, like, hey, you're not stuck. You can have a path forward. And it's really not that difficult. It's, you know, it's simple enough that anyone can do it. And that's literally what I want to show people is that you can build a business out of anything. Um, and like there's no logical reason why I should have any level of this of success because I don't have a degree, like I dropped out of college, like I've I don't have a job technically, like I'm self-employed. So I wake up unemployed every morning. And yet, through just jumping and taking the leap, I was able to provide like this amazing life for my son and like for myself too. And I'm super grateful. So it's about paying it forward and showing other people that path.

SPEAKER_00: 15:05

That is just so beautiful and inspiring. And I love the part where you say, you know, if it can just impact, I feel like even if that could just impact one person, it would mean everything.

SPEAKER_01: 15:14

I think hearing Tizine's story in bold was the reason why like I followed her, and then two years later, like now we're like working on the same team. But that's how I kind of like knew who Tazin was. She stood up and she told her story, and I was like, Wow, you were like, I went in.

SPEAKER_00: 15:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 15:30

And I was like, homie.

SPEAKER_00: 15:34

So you guys have several events coming up, like the Tyson's networking event and your gratitude circle. What inspired these gatherings and how do they reflect Home Lab's approach to community and connection?

SPEAKER_02: 15:47

Um, so we recently opened an office in Tyson's. All three of us share the space. And it was important for us to host events for other entrepreneurs just to get together and talk about our wins, our struggles, how we can support each other, help each other. And so we hope to do that monthly. Different, some events based on just having just women, others being co-ed. And it's open to anyone. I mean, you could even be an agent with a different broker. Join us. We're more than happy to have you there. And then every Tuesday at 10:30, we meet for a gratitude and win circle. And it's beautiful because it's been growing and we love that. And we discuss one win, we discuss what we're grateful for. And it's just a great way to start your day, honestly.

SPEAKER_03: 16:30

And that's open to everybody. It's open to everybody. Everyone can join. And it's literally like we've watched people just like their face lights up when they're sharing their wins. And it's like, if you can start your week off with that energy, like it's gonna carry through. Um, and like we were already doing that at all of our team meetings, so that's why we decided to just open it up to other people too.

SPEAKER_02: 16:52

Yeah, we saw the effect it had on our lives, and so um, it's something also something that aligns us um when we first met is it's something that we do every single morning by ourselves, and now we do it as a team as well. So it's really nice.

SPEAKER_00: 17:06

Wow, that's great to just kind of bounce off of each other, share your thoughts, regroup, and just have an amazing start to the day. I think that that's something we could all start doing. As you look ahead to 2026, what are some of the biggest goals or milestones you're hoping to achieve, both for the home lab brand and for the people that you guys serve?

SPEAKER_03: 17:30

I want to hear you take this. Oh, okay. Um you're gonna put me on the spot. You shared something with me, somebody.

SPEAKER_01: 17:38

Um we set a goal about a month and a half. I feel like in the beginning, that's a quarter, right? Yeah. And it was to close 17 transactions. And it was just a number. We did ransom numbers, and it was just like the end, she was like, write down 17 people that you know. And I'm like writing down people in like five minutes, I wrote down like 17. She goes, double it. And I'm like, okay. That's 34, right? 17 and 17. Yeah, we're good at four. We're good at my grade at math, by the way. We ran numbers. 34. So uh the goal is 34 transactions by next year. Wow. And why did I ask you to double it? Because if I can write down five, if I can write 17 people down in five minutes, I can do that. And so I was like, you're BSing. Yeah, you're like you're BSing me right now. Stop doing that.

SPEAKER_00: 18:24

We know your circle. It's very large. Well, I know you guys will make it there. Um, you guys are just it's it's amazing what you're doing, and I I wish you the best. I know that you will reach those milestones and those goals. And finally, for anyone thinking about buying and selling or even just collaborating with your team, what's one thing you want them to know about the home about home lab and what makes your approach stand out?

SPEAKER_03: 18:55

Do you mind it?

SPEAKER_02: 18:56

Sure. Well, one thing I want them to know that it's not as scary as you think it is. And we're here to provide support from beginning till end and even after. Um, so reach out to us if you have any questions. We're happy to answer them without any obligation whatsoever. And I think it's, you know, I've been in the position of buying, I've been in the position of selling. I've had rental properties. Tazen was actually my agent for many of my transactions and who inspired me to get into the business. But um, having an agent that you can trust and who has these systems in place for support, I think is really, really important. So I encourage them to just start the conversation. No obligation. You have a question, send it to us. We're more than happy to answer it.

SPEAKER_00: 19:40

For sure. Just jump in and take our run in. Perfect. Well, I want to thank you guys so much for joining me on the podcast today. It was a pleasure to meet you guys and hear your story, and I wish you the absolute best of luck in the future. Thank you. Thank you for having me, thank you.