2026 awards categories and criteria
There are 31 categories to choose from 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.
Brokerage of the Year (Debt)
This award will recognize the most outstanding brokerage (debt) in the past year. Factors to consider include deal volume, client growth, innovative structures and client satisfaction.
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.
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 acquisiton to entitlement and construction, deal size, due diligence, community relations and sale structure.
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.
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.
Workforce/Affordable Housing Development of the Year
This award will recognize the most impressive workforce/affordable housing development in the past year. Factors to consider include community impact, innovative financial structures, providing tenant services, preservation of existing affordable housing stock, special needs and rural community impact.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Owners/Operators
SFR/BTR Operator of the Year (Institutional: 350+ homes)
This award will recognize the most SFR/BTR institutional operator in the past year with over 350 homes owned. Factors to consider include growth, acquisitions, product innovation, property management, technology utilization, sustainability, local market impact, tenant relations, hiring and retaining local talent.
SFR/BTR Operator of the Year (Mid-market: 50-350 homes)
This award will recognize the most outstanding SFR/BTR mid-sized operator in the last year with 50-350 homes owned Factors to consider include growth, acquisitions, product innovation, property management, technology utilization, sustainability, tenant relations, hiring and retaining talent.
Fix & Flip of the Year
This award honors the most exceptional fix-and-flip project completed within the past year. Judges will evaluate acquisition strategy, renovation quality, speed to market, ROI performance, and neighborhood impact. Consideration will be given to design innovation, buyer or renter experience, marketing execution, and overall transformation of the asset.
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.
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.
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.
SFR/BTR Rising Star (under 35)
This award will recognize outstanding young professionals 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.
Asset Manager of the Year
This award recognizes the outstanding asset manager in SFR/BTR. Boosting portfolio performance, cutting expenses, innovative sales and working out underperforming homes will be among the areas judged for this exciting, brand new category.
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.
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.
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.
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, accessability, sales growth and client satisfaction.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Excellence in Diversity
This award will recognize the company with the most impactful commitment to D&I within the SFR industry in the past year. Factors to consider include D&I initiatives, company goals, demonstrating meaningful progress internally and the company's impact in helping diversify the industry generally.
Lobbying Campaign of the Year (New for 2026)
This award recognizes the most impactful lobbying campaign by a group or individual. As legislative action targeting the SFR industry has taken shape over the past year, it is more important than ever for the SFR industry to provide a united front and work with government. Factors considered include campaign target, messaging, communications, lobbying channels, difficulties faced and ultimately successes at the local, state or national level.
Submit your nomination
The nomination window will run through September 25.