1DROP Honored at the 5th Annual Western Washington Realtist Gala
On January 24, 2026, 1DROP was honored with the Community Leader of the Year Award at the 5th Annual Western Washington Realtist Gala. The recognition came during an evening that gathered leaders committed to advancing homeownership equity across the region.
This moment provided an opportunity to reflect—not just on what 1DROP has built, but on what this recognition represents for the collective and the broader work of creating real pathways to homeownership.
The 5th Annual Western Washington Realtist Gala
Hosted by Western Washington Realtist (WWR), the gala took place at the Washington Athletic Club under this year’s theme, “The Blueprint”. The evening centered Black excellence in real estate and brought together developers, brokers, lenders, policymakers, and community leaders working to move homeownership forward in Washington State.
WWR is the local chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), an organization formed in 1947 to advocate for equal housing opportunity regardless of race, creed, or color. At both the national and local levels, NAREB works to influence policy, expand access, and ensure Black homeownership remains central in housing conversations.
The Community Leader of the Year Award
Receiving the 2026 Community Leader of the Year Award is meaningful because it reflects the collective effort behind 1DROP.
This recognition belongs to the developers in our network who are navigating complex permitting processes, tightening capital stacks, managing construction challenges, and still pushing projects forward. It reflects the behind-the-scenes coordination — mentorship, capital alignment, partnerships, policy engagement — required to move housing from concept to completion.
1DROP’s role is to strengthen the capacity of underrepresented developers so they can build. When they succeed, more homes get delivered. More families access ownership. And the path to generational wealth becomes real.
An award like this reflects the importance of ecosystem work and coalition-building, and reinforces that expanding Black homeownership requires long-term strategy, alignment, and sustained effort.
Building Forward
1DROP is deeply grateful to Western Washington Realtist for this recognition and proud to be in a community with so many people doing this work with care, intention, and accountability.
For 1DROP, the focus remains the same: support developers through the earliest and riskiest stages of housing delivery, create infrastructure that allows multiple projects to advance simultaneously, and prove that when underrepresented developers have access to mentorship, capital, and shared systems, they deliver housing that serves their communities.
This award It's a marker of progress—and a call to keep building.
Building homes for good.
About 1DROP
1DROP is a collective of underrepresented real estate developers addressing the Puget Sound housing crisis. We are committed to empowering underrepresented developers to build housing for all wages, all stages, and all ages while growing access to generational wealth.
1DROP achieves its mission by internally providing:
Apprenticeships for aspiring underrepresented developers.
Co-development frameworks for emerging underrepresented developers to navigate partnership models.
Mentorship, networking, resources and supports for all underrepresented developers.
and externally:
Advocating for funding for underrepresented developers and their projects.
Educating on and advancing policy solutions that enable more housing.
For those inspired to learn more or get involved in supporting equitable housing, visit 1DROP's website to explore our initiatives and join us in making an impact.
Have questions or suggestions for this post?
We're here to engage! For edits, feedback, or inquiries about this blog post, please reach out to press@1drop.co.