2025 awards categories and finalists

There are 25 categories to choose from this year including several new categories.

Deals, Projects & Intermediaries

AEC (Architect, Engineer & Construction) Service of the Year

This award will recognize the most outstanding team providing architecture, engineering or construction services to the single family rental or build to rent industries. Projects can include new builds and renovations, individual houses and communities, landscapes and other outdoor features and will be judged by innovations including delivering projects on time, project design, management, sustainability, procurement, cost effectiveness and customer satisfaction.

Finalists:

BBL Building Company
Bowman
ILE Homes
Lifestyle Homes
MCS

Brokerage of the Year (Investment Sales)

This award will recognize the most outstanding brokerage (investment sales) in the past year. Factors to consider include deal volume, client growth, innovative structures and client satisfaction.

Finalists:

Berkadia
Northmarq
RealWealth

BTR/Land Deal of the Year

This award will recognize the best BTR or land deal of the past year. Factors to consider include land acquisition to entitlement and construction, deal size, due diligence, community relations and sale structure.

Finalists:

ARK Homes for Rent - The Station at Kentmere
Berkadia - The Bungalows at San Tan Village
Porter Kyle - The Wayne
ResiBuilt - Kilough Pointe
The Dinerstein Companies - Inspire Homes Bonds Ranch

Law Firm of the Year

This award will recognize the best legal services provider to the SFR sector in the past year. Factors to consider include breadth of services provided, areas of expertise, client satisfaction and a commitment to diversity and innovation.

Finalists:

Alston & Bird
Polsinelli
Private Lender Law

SFR Scattered Site or Portfolio Deal of the Year

This award will recognize the best scattered site portfolio or community acquisition in the past year. Factors to consider include portfolio size, deal complexity, time/ease of execution and community impact.

Finalists:

CoreVest Finance & ARK Homes for Rent
Encore Finance - Silver Linings Brick by Brick
Greystar - Summerwell Mill Creek

Financing

BTR/Construction Lender of the Year

This award will recognize the outstanding lending performance for BTR and construction. The judges will consider factors including origination volume, creative loan structures and customer service.

Finalists:

Anchor Loans
Asset Based Lending
Genesis Capital
LendingOne
RBI Private Lending

Fix & Flip/DSCR Lender of the Year

This award will recognize outstanding lending performance for fix & flip products in the past year. Factors to consider include lending volume, loan structures, customer service and advice on the changing interest rate situation will be among the areas we evaluate.

Finalists:

Anchor Loans
CV3 Financial Services
Dominion Financial
Genesis Capital
RBI Private Lending

Lender of the Year (Portfolios)

This award will recognize outstanding lending performance in the past year. Factors to consider include origination volume, product innovation, customer service, lending to underserved groups and financing workforce and lower income housing.

Finalists

CoreVest Finance
Encore Finance
Groundfloor Lending

SFR Securitization of the Year

This award will recognize the best SFR securitization in the past year. Factors to consider include deal size, innovation in deal structure and collateral management, and sales results.

Finalists:

Arbor Realty Trust
Arrived
Asset Based Lending
Pretium Partners

Owners/Operators

SFR/BTR Operator of the Year (Local/Regional)

This award will recognize the most outstanding local or regional SFR/BTR operator in the past year. Factors to consider include growth, acquisitions, product innovation, property management, technology utilization, sustainability, local market impact, tenant relations, hiring and retaining local talent.

Finalists:

BrightSky Residential
Cavan Companies
Greystar
Mark-Taylor Residential
Open House Group
Wan Bridge Group
Woodbridge Pacific Group

SFR/BTR Operator of the Year (National)

This award will recognize the most outstanding SFR/BTR operator in the past year that has a national presence. Factors to consider include growth, acquisitions, product innovation, property management, technology utilization, sustainability, tenant relations, hiring and retaining talent.

Finalists:

Greystar
PadSplit
Progress Residential

Technology, Operations & Insurance

AI Application of the Year

This award recognizes and distinguishes the unique solutions that stand out for any acquisition, data, property management or landlord-facing application in the artificial intelligence space.

Finalists:

FacilGo
Lobby AI
Ownwell
Super Software
VeriFast

Insurance Company of the Year

This award will recognize the best SFR industry insurance provider in the past year. Factors to consider include customer service, new product development and claim response.

Finalists:

Obie
TitleVest

Contractor/Rehab Company of the Year

This award will recognize the most outstanding SFR contractor or rehab company in the past year. Factors to consider include delivering projects on time, innovative processes, sourcing of materials, cost effectiveness and customer satisfaction.

Finalists:

Charter Construction
MCS
Property Masters
ZVN Properties

Data Provider of the Year

This award will recognize the year's best data provider for the SFR sector. Factors to consider include quality and currentness of data, accessibility, sales growth and client satisfaction.

Finalists:

FacilGo
Inspectify
Ownwell
ProxyPics
Seek Now

SFR Online Marketplace of the Year

This award will recognize the best SFR online marketplace in the past year. Factors to consider include new product innovation, ease of use, customer volume and reviews and sales growth.

Finalists:

Arrived
PadSplit
RealWealth

Property Management Company of the Year

This award will recognize the most outstanding property management company in the past year. Factors to consider include utilization of technology, client and tenant ratings, services provided and company growth.

Finalists:

Black Dome Services
FirstKey Homes
Greystar
Mark-Taylor Residential
Marketplace Homes
Mynd
ResiHome

Landlord-facing Technology of the Year

This award will recognize the most outstanding technology for landlords/owners in the past year. Factors to consider include product innovation, company growth, corporate adoption, energy savings and customer reviews/satisfaction.

Finalists:

FacilGo
iVueit
Pest Share
PetScreening
ShowMojo

Tenant-facing Technology of the Year

This award will recognize the most outstanding tenant-facing technology in the past year. Factors to consider include product innovation, company growth, tenant use, energy savings and customer reviews/satisfaction.

Finalists:

PadSplit
Rent Manager (London Computer Systems)
Roots
VeriFast

Special Recognition

Best Marketing/Social Media Campaign

This award recognizes the best marketing campaign by any industry participant in the past year. Campaigns across any media will be considered. Factors to consider include creativty of content, focus of the campaign, planning and execution, and demonstrating how the campaign delivered on commercial objectives.

Finalists:

Dominion Financial
FirstKey Homes
Ownwell
ResiHome
Roots

ESG Initiative of the Year

This award recognizes the most impressive ESG initiative within the SFR industry in the past year. Factors to consider include company goals, how the initiative addresses these goals, which elements of ESG are targeted, current performance in relation to goals and how this is benefiting the industry as a whole.

Finalists:

FirstKey Homes
PLACE, Inc.

People/Individuals

CEO of the Year

This award will recognize the outstanding SFR/BTR industry CEO performance in the past year and is open to all industry participants. Factors to consider include business performance, challenges navigated, leadership skills, creating a positive culture, hiring practices, commitment to industry/community engagement.

Finalists:

Beth O'Brien - Encore Finance
Colton Pace - Ownwell
Dave Feldman + Harish Ramalingam - Progress Residential
David Cavan - Cavan Companies
Kelly Brooks - Property Masters
Min Alexander - Founder, BOSSCAT Technologies (acquired by REMAX)
Rayman Mathoda - Anchor Loans

Minority Operator of the Year

This award will recognize the outstanding person of color representing a SFR/BTR/fix & flip operator in the past year. Factors to consider include vision, professional development, client service, working with/leading a team, being a good mentor/mentee, other community initiatives.

Finalists:

Denise Sanchez - Greystar
Jessie Julien - FirstKey Homes
Rita Guillen - Greystar

Woman Operator of the Year

This award will recognize the outstanding woman representing a SFR/BTR/fix & flip operator in the past year. Factors to consider include vision, professional development, client service, working with/leading a team, being a good mentor/mentee, other community initiatives.

Finalists:

Amber Barrett - Greystar
Briana Hildt - Cardinal Capital Group
Kathy Fettke - RealWealth
Nancy Cervantes - FirstKey Homes
Rayman Mathoda - Anchor Loans
Talia Ramirez - Spectrum Solutions

SFR/BTR Rising Star (under 35)

This award will recognize the outstanding young professional in the SFR/BTR industry in the past year and is open to all industry participants. Factors to consider include professional development, working in/leading a team, being a good mentor/mentee, meeting and exceeding expectations, demonstrating value to the business and other community initiatives.

Winners:

Anton Gebhard-Koenigstein - FirstKey Homes
Armando Gonzalez - Mark-Taylor Residential
Brando Tessar - CV3 Financial
Eric Stockley - Northmarq
Erica LaCentra - RCN Capital
Frank Marquet - Rithm Capital
Haley Keech - Roofstock
Hayden Woods - ResiHome
Pedro Neto - Progress Residential
Ryan Harper - Encore Finance
Sam Thrash - Ownwell
Seth Johnson - Atlas Real Estate
Stefano Pulignano - ARK Homes for Rent
Travis J. Hewitt - LendingOne