Categories & criteria

UK Adviser Award

This category is for all UK real estate advisory businesses that have at least eight administrative offices around the UK and an annual turnover in excess of £40m. Judges will be looking for businesses that can prove they have been market leaders during the period under review and have adapted to the challenges brought about by the pandemic to ensure their business has remained successful. Entries should clearly demonstrate strong financial performance, show key indicators of success and provide information on transformational deals or instructions during the review period. At least two client testimonials, with a client e-mail contact for verification for each, is essential to be considered for this category.

Global Adviser Award

This category is open to all real estate advisers that have fee-earning subsidiaries on at least three continents. Judges will be looking for businesses that can prove they have been market leaders during the period under review across numerous geographies and have adapted to the challenges brought about by the pandemic to ensure their business has remained successful globally. This year in particular, judges will be looking for evidence of how your business has learned lessons from each of its geographies to better understand, and therefore react to, the global coronavirus pandemic. Entries should clearly demonstrate strong financial performance, show key indicators of success and provide information on transformational deals or instructions from numerous geographies during the review period. At least two client testimonials, with a client e-mail contact for verification for each, is essential to be considered for this category.

UK Company Award
partnered by Savills

This category is open to all UK businesses operating in the real estate sphere. It is not sector-specific and invites entries from all businesses that are not considered advisory or legal (we encourage those firms to enter UK Adviser and/or Legal Team). To be eligible for this category, entrants must be UK registered and have an annual turnover in excess of £40m. Judges will be looking for companies that can prove they have been market leaders throughout the period under review and have adapted to the challenges brought about by the pandemic to ensure their business has remained successful. Entries should clearly demonstrate robust financial performance and show clear indicators of success. To be eligible for this category, entrants must be UK registered and have an annual turnover in excess of £40m. Judges will be looking for companies that can prove they have been market leaders throughout the period under review and have adapted to the challenges brought about by the pandemic to ensure their business has remained successful. Entries should clearly demonstrate robust financial performance and show clear indicators of success.

Global Company Award
partnered by Knight Frank

This category is open to businesses operating in the real estate sphere that have a footprint in the UK and beyond. It is not sector-specific and invites entries from all businesses that are not considered advisory or legal (we encourage those firms to enter Global Adviser and/or Legal Team). Judges will be looking for companies that can prove they have been market leaders across numerous geographies throughout the period under review and have adapted to the challenges brought about by the pandemic to ensure that their business has remained successful. Entries should clearly demonstrate robust financial performance and show clear indicators of success.

Legal Team Award

This category is open to real estate legal teams working on planning, transactions, investment, financing, development and construction, as well as in environment and regeneration. In particular, judges will be looking for firms that can demonstrate outstanding advice on major transformative deals; those that have responded proactively to the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading the way in providing a valuable service to landlords and tenants dealing with the consequences, including lease renegotiations and insolvencies; and those that can demonstrate a commitment to championing core values such as diversity, inclusivity and sustainability in their working practices. At least two client testimonials, with a client e-mail contact for verification for each, is essential to be considered for this category.

BTR Specialist Award

This award is open to developers, investors, operators and managers of purpose-built rented residential assets that have been active during the awards year. Investors that are executing on long-terms strategies to deliver homes to the market, operators that are delivering schemes that meet the needs of current and future generations and innovators that are providing new solutions that seek to solve not only housing issues, but societal and environmental issues are all invited to enter this category. Entrants should be able to prove they have been a market leader during the year under review and have adapted to the challenges or seized upon the opportunities brought about by the pandemic to ensure their business or business unit has remained successful – or outperformed. Entries should clearly demonstrate strong financial performance, show key indicators of success and provide information on transformational deals or instructions during the review period. Judges will be looking for clear evidence of the success of investment and operational strategies with tangible outcomes highlighted in submissions.

Industrial & Logistics Specialist Award

This award is open to advisers, operators, investors and developers that have been active in the industrial and logistics sector during the awards year. Judges will be particularly focused on operational excellence, clear evidence of strong financials or market share and innovation within the business operation. Entrants to this category should be able to prove they have been a market leader during the year under review and have adapted to the challenges or seized upon the opportunities brought about by the pandemic to ensure their business or business unit has remained successful – or outperformed. Entries should clearly demonstrate strong financial performance, show key indicators of success and provide information on transformational deals or instructions during the review period. A strong story as to why and how your business has succeeded during the year under review, with evidence of key achievements and execution of strategy, will help judges selected the very best in the industrial and logistics sector for this award.

Alternatives Specialist Award

This award is open to advisers (businesses and teams) and property companies operating in the alternatives sector. EG will be looking for entries from those active in the hotel, healthcare, student, retirement and data centre sectors. Entrants should be able to prove they have been a market leader during the year under review and have adapted to the challenges or seized upon the opportunities brought about by the pandemic to ensure their business or business unit has remained successful – or outperformed. Entries should clearly demonstrate strong financial performance, show key indicators of success and provide information on transformational deals or instructions during the review period.

Best Workplace Award

This award is open to advisers, occupiers, architects, designers and landlords that can provide solid evidence they have enabled the creation of the most functional and productive workplace in the UK.

In a period where our view of the workplace has shifted momentously, judges will be keen to see evidence of how office space has been adapted to meet the needs of more flexible workforce. Examples of how owners or operators have enabled workers to continue to operate in a hybrid function should be highlighted in any submission, as should examples where owners, developers or advisers can show activity during what has been a shifting period for workplaces. Entrants in this category should be able to prove they have been a market leader during the year under review and have adapted to the challenges or seized upon the opportunities brought about by the pandemic to ensure their business or business unit has remained successful – or outperformed. Entries should clearly demonstrate strong financial performance, show key indicators of success and provide information on transformational deals or instructions during the review period.

Public/Private Partnership Award

This award, introduced in 2021, seeks to celebrate partnerships between the public and private sector that are delivering solutions through real estate. Partnerships should have been established during the year under review or have achieved a significant milestone during the review period. Judges will want to see evidence of success of the partnership, including financials. Innovative partnerships that are providing solutions to societal and environmental issues should also be highlighted. All submissions should be made by both partners.

Rising Star Award
partnered by BNP Paribas Real Estate

For this category, you will be asked to provide:

• Your CV
• A submission no longer than 500 words and/or link to a two-minute video explaining why you think you should be one of EG’s 2022 Rising Stars
• Maximum two pages of support material outlining key company/company growth information or supporting statistics, documentation, references, images or designs.

The award is open to anyone working in the sector under the age of 35 (as of 31 December 2022). They can be traditionally trained or come from a non-property background, as long as they are making an impact on the industry right now. This award is open to everyone. Whether you are a digital disruptor, the outstanding up-and-coming dealmaker in your team, an entrepreneur or the next big thing in the agency world, we want you to enter this award and join our growing alumni of real estate’s future leaders.

Anyone shortlisted for this award will automatically become one of our 2022 Rising Stars and will be featured in EG magazine alongside some of their brightest peers.

This category is also open for nominations. These should include a submission no longer than 500 words or a link to a two-minute video as to why you are nominating this individual for EG’s 2022 Rising Stars, with key examples of the impact they are already having on the industry.

Sustainability Award
partnered by DWF

This award is open to all companies active in the built environment, including agents, developers, investors and architects. Judges will be looking for clear, quantitative examples of improvements being taken by your business, through your business practices and, if relevant, across your portfolio, to improve sustainability. This should include measures being taken to reduce carbon emissions, energy use, waste, etc. Clear examples of how key milestones in your journey to net zero have been met should form part of your submission. Judges will be looking for measures implemented and their impact, not just future plans.

Social Impact Award
partnered by Hollis

This award is open to all companies active in the built environment, including agents, developers, investors, lawyers, architects, local authorities and industry bodies. Judges will be looking for evidence of businesses using their position and status to deliver a positive impact on society. This should include examples of working with communities to tackle societal issues such as modern slavery and homelessness, creating opportunities for growth and learning within local communities and establishing initiatives that recognise, measure and value the importance of people and communities. Achieving social impact could come through partnership, investment, pro-bono work or employee-led initiatives. Entrants should provide evidence that initiatives will have a lasting impact and judges will be looking for examples of initiatives with the potential for wider application and a wider social impact. Pioneering ideas and approaches that can be replicated and scaled to increase social impact will be particularly powerful in judges’ deliberations.

Employer Award

This award is open to all employers active in the built environment, from advisory practices to developers and investors, asset and fund managers and relevant public sector bodies. It seeks to celebrate businesses that both get the basics right and go the extra mile for their staff.

Judges will be looking for evidence of strong leadership, innovation and commitment to employee development. They will want to see evidence that employers are building a business for the future by focusing on their staff and demonstrating a commitment to championing core values such as diversity, inclusivity and sustainability in their working practices.

Specifically, they will want to see evidence of leadership, innovation and commitment in the following areas:

• Staff retention and development
• Employee engagement with corporate values and strategic goals
• Wellbeing
• Corporate social responsibility
• Creating a diverse workplace

Future of Real Estate Award
partnered by Aldermore

This award celebrates the individuals, the companies and the products that are doing more than ensuring their own success. The category is for those that are creating a solid future for the success of the real estate sector. Judges will be looking for clear evidence of business or individuals that are utilising new technologies, new methods or new ways of thinking or approaching business to deliver a real estate proposition for the future. A solid business plan with outlined indicators of success will enable judges to identify the future winners in the business of real estate. From developments in tech to the shifting nature of the built environment, from the race to embrace modern methods of construction to new ways to persuade the public how the industry can be a force for positive change, there is no shortage of potential candidates for this award. Nominations for this category are also welcome.

City of the Year Award

A new category in 2021, the City of the Year Award seeks to celebrate the UK’s cities and the work they are doing to create liveable, successful places. EG invites submissions for cities from any significant built environment players in those cities, from local authorities and city leadership. Judges will be looking for clear evidence of successful implementation of measures to create liveable and successful cities. Submissions should include examples of how cities have come together with the built environment to create places for a sustainable future. Key examples of solutions that have enabled your city to not just survive but thrive, creating homes to allow all people to live safely and happily, an economy that allows businesses to grow and develop and spaces that allow the planet to thrive, should be included in your submission. Showcasing work that is creating cities that are protected from environmental and societal crises, highlighting strong leadership and key actions that have enabled cities to grow, attract investment and deliver on the need for equality will help judges select EG’s City of the Year. Shortlisted cities will be featured in a special Leading Cities interview in EG.

Outstanding Individual Award
partnered by HB Reavis

This award is open for nominations as well as submissions and seeks to celebrate an individual in the built environment who has had an outstanding impact on the sector. EG will be looking for an individual who has created amazing places, been involved in some of the most transformative deals or created real change across the industry. This could be a lifetime of work or an individual who has burst on to the scene but has already made a huge impact. All nominations or submissions for this award should include a 500-word testimonial highlighting the key achievements of this individual and what their impact on the industry has been.

Inclusive Design Award

New for 2022 and born out of our Future Leaders programme, this is an award for any project, spanning any sector, that has been completed in the period under review where the entrant can demonstrate that inclusiveness was at the heart of the design and that the project is accessible and functional to any person. While this award is primarily focused on physical disability, judges will also be looking for neurodivergent-friendly design and that the process has been inclusive in the widest sense of the word.

Entrants are encouraged to watch EG Future Female Leader Suzan Ucmaklioglu’s TedX-style talk Separate is Not Equal to fully understand the important and purpose of this award.

London Deal Award

The property industry continues to thrive on deals: eye-catching transactions that deliver results. This award celebrates the best of those deals. It is open to investors, lenders, developers, advisers and occupiers. Corporate deals, including mergers and acquisitions among advisers and tech businesses, are eligible. All deals should have been completed during the awards year. Judges will be looking for evidence of innovation and high returns, perhaps even of opening up a sector or region for future growth. Deals should involve assets based in the UK, though global transactions undertaken by UK-based parties will also be considered. Corporate, investment and occupier deals from any property sector are eligible.

Regional Deal Award

The property industry continues to thrive on deals: eye-catching transactions that deliver results. This award celebrates the best of those deals. It is open to investors, lenders, developers, advisers and occupiers. Corporate deals, including mergers and acquisitions among advisers and tech businesses, are eligible. All deals should have been completed during the awards year. Judges will be looking for evidence of innovation and high returns, perhaps even of opening up a sector or region for future growth. Deals should involve assets based in the UK, though global transactions undertaken by UK-based parties will also be considered. Corporate, investment and occupier deals from any property sector are eligible.

EG Tech Award

The EG Tech Award is not open for submissions – businesses wanting the opportunity to win this coveted award should enter EG’s Tech Awards. All winners from the EG Tech Awards are automatically shortlisted for this award. Entries for EG Tech Awards, which take place on 6 July, closed 15 April.