Entries for the inaugural Real Estate Today Awards close 9 November across 30 categories

Entries for the inaugural Real Estate Today Awards close at 11.59pm Sydney time on Monday 9 November, with 28 categories open for entry or nomination across Australia and New Zealand and no fee to enter.

The awards cover the whole industry, from sales agents, property managers and principals to networks, marketers, trainers and the businesses that serve agencies. Finalists will be published by category on Thursday 26 November, and winners will be announced at Cruise Bar, Circular Quay, on Thursday 4 March 2027.

The awards are run by Real Estate Today under the line "One industry. Two countries. United across the Tasman."

Who can enter

The awards are open to individuals, teams, agencies, networks and businesses working in or serving the real estate industry in Australia and New Zealand. Entrants can nominate themselves, or nominate a colleague, a team, an agency or an eligible organisation, in which case the nominee is invited to complete the submission.

There is no limit on categories. Entrants can enter every category they are eligible for, and each entry is assessed on its own merits against that category's criteria. Each entry is lodged in its market, Australia or New Zealand. Some awards are judged within each country, while others, including the network, culture and technology awards, can also be entered across both markets. Each category page sets out its own eligibility.

The 30 categories

The categories sit in ten sections:

• Network & Agency Excellence: Major Network of the Year (40 Offices or More), Boutique Network of the Year (Fewer Than 40 Offices), Agent Network of the Year and Team or Agency of the Year.
• Individual & Professional Excellence: Sales Agent of the Year, Property Manager of the Year, Business Development Manager of the Year, Buyer's Agent of the Year, Office Administrator of the Year, Network or Group Operations Leader of the Year, Rising Star of the Year, Thought Leader of the Year and Principal of the Year.
• Property & Specialist Excellence: Commercial Real Estate Professional of the Year, Rural & Regional Real Estate Professional of the Year, Strata & Body Corporate Professional of the Year and Auctioneer of the Year.
• Innovation, Technology & AI: the Innovation & Technology Award.
• Marketing, Social Media & Experiences: Best Marketing Campaign, the Events & Experiences Award and Marketing Professional of the Year.
• People, Culture & Growth: the Culture & Talent Excellence Award.
• Education & Industry Development: the Training & Coaching Excellence Award and Mentor of the Year.
• Media & Industry Partners: Media & Content Professional of the Year.
• Community, Leadership & Industry Contribution: the Impact Award, the Community Impact Award and the Industry Services Excellence Award.
• Special Recognition: the two Grand Awards, Real Estate Professional of the Year and Real Estate Organisation of the Year, which are selected through the judging process and are not open for direct nomination.

Rising Star of the Year is for people with under three years in the industry.

How entries are judged

Entries are judged on the evidence provided, against the criteria published for each category. Each category asks a set of written questions and allows supporting material such as documents, images and results.

Entry content is treated as confidential and used only for assessment.

Assessment is AI-assisted. The published criteria are applied consistently to each submission, with a written rationale for each criterion. The AI assessor reads the submission text and the names and descriptions of evidence, not the files themselves or the web, and awards administrators may check material claims against the evidence and independent sources.

"AI-assisted writing is neither rewarded nor penalised," the judging page states. "Specific, substantiated and verifiable claims matter."

Administrators review the assessment and evidence before finalists or winners are confirmed. Scores, reviews, overrides and finalist decisions are recorded with an audit trail, and nothing is published automatically.

How to enter

Entrants create an account on the awards portal, choose a category, complete the submission form, upload supporting evidence, then review and submit before 11.59pm on Monday 9 November. Entry is free and no membership is required.

Category details and eligibility are on the Real Estate Today Awards website, and entries are lodged through the portal at enter.realestatetodayawards.com.

The awards night

The awards night runs from 6.30pm to 10.30pm AEDT on Thursday 4 March 2027 at Cruise Bar, Circular Quay, on the harbour with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as the backdrop. The evening includes roaming canapés, a four-hour beverage package and a live DJ, and the winners are announced on the night. Presenters will be announced closer to the event.

Tickets are $160 plus GST and a booking fee through Humanitix and are open to the whole industry. Buying a ticket has no bearing on judging.

Partners

ActivePipe by MoxiWorks is the Presenting Partner. The Founding Platinum Partners are The Rent Roll Broker, GetConnects, Rent Roll Mastery, Real Estate Pulse, Next. by Real Estate Today and Buffer.

The Rent Roll Broker presents Team or Agency of the Year, Property Manager of the Year, Business Development Manager of the Year and Commercial Real Estate Professional of the Year. GetConnects presents Sales Agent of the Year, Office Administrator of the Year, Rising Star of the Year and the Culture & Talent Excellence Award.

Partners may enter categories they are eligible for, as partners are not part of the judging panel.

Full details, the categories and the entry portal are on the Real Estate Today Awards website.

See every upcoming industry event in Real Estate Today's ONE CALENDAR.

Source: Real Estate Today Awards website, judging page and entry portal.