Journalism for Excellence

The award goes to a journalist with three years or less experience who the judges believe to be already demonstrating great future potential as a journalist and making a significant contribution to property journalism in the future. Entrants must submit a body of outstanding work (not more than three stories, including proof of publication/broadcast) together with a strong motivation showing commitment to the vocation of news well above the norm – this motivation is a critical component of the judging process. The work must be related to the subject of real estate and/or the built environment. This category may only be entered once.

This category recognises excellence in property journalism, with a focus on shorter, breaking stories. It celebrates journalists who demonstrate a deep understanding of the property sector, consistently delivering accurate, insightful, and engaging content that informs the public and contributes to industry discourse.

Entries should highlight strong investigative work, impactful storytelling, and the ability to unpack complex property-related issues with clarity and relevance. Judges will be looking for pieces that not only respond to unfolding events but also shape the conversation around key developments in the property landscape.

Submissions will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• Was the article breaking news?
• Did the story indicate that the journalist had an extremely deep knowledge and understanding of the issue or subject matter?
• Was the article well researched?
• Did he/she consult a balanced range of credible sources?
• Are the facts in the story accurate and is this clear?

This category recognises excellence in long-form property journalism that delivers depth, balance, and context. Entries must be well-researched, draw on multiple sources, and offer clear, engaging journalism. Submissions based on a single source will not be accepted. Judges will look for originality, clarity, and the ability to explain complex property issues in an accessible way. Has he/she brought a unique and/or innovative perspective and was an original, fresh, and insightful angle presented on the story?

• Was the story relevant to the property industry?
• Is there strong evidence that in-depth accurate research was conducted?
• Does the story show strong use of engaging and descriptive writing and the ability to bring the subject matter to life, irrespective of its news value?

A publication is defined as a content-based medium that can be paged through – either in physical (hard copy) format or digitally (online), and should typically include advertising, editorial content from multiple writers, and opinion pieces. A publication should meet criteria such as being published regularly (daily, weekly, or monthly).

To qualify under this category, a publication must meet the following criteria:

• Are the stories contained relevant to the property industry?
• Does the publication edition have a well-developed clear focus that runs throughout?
• Did the writers succeed in presenting the various stories contained in an understandable, accessible way?
• Did the writers display quality language use in terms of style, tone, grammar, sentence construction?
• Did the journalists display a deep understanding of how to use the written word to communicate effectively with readers?
• Was there a strong, compelling introduction to each story?
• Are the stories well-organised and structured and the writing lively and engaging?
• Was the publication highly readable from start to finish?
• Is the publication visually appealing and professionally presented?

Entrants must ensure that the website submitted reports exclusively on property news. To qualify, the website should demonstrate a clear focus on the property sector and meet the following key indicators of performance which include newsletter subscribers, social media sharing, revenue, search engine rankings, and top performing articles.

Submissions will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• Is the website up to date?
• Are the stories contained relevant to the property industry?
• Do the stories indicate that the journalists had an extremely deep knowledge and understanding of the issue or subject matter? Did he/she conduct sound and insightful analysis and not just posting of press releases?
• Did the journalist succeed in presenting the topic in an understandable, accessible way? Are the stories well organised and structured?
• Has navigation between stories been made easy? Did the reporter make exceptional use of the mediums through innovative techniques?
• Are readers able to share the content onto other multi-media platforms (links to share via e-mail or social media)?
• To better assess the reach and performance of submitted publications, the following metrics should be provided wherever possible.
• Unique Visitorss
• Page Views
• Average Session Duration
• Newsletter Subscriptions
• Push Notification Opt-ins
• Social Media: Community, Shares & Comments
• Top Performing Articles
• Search Engine Rankings (SEO)
• Compliance & Accuracy / Trustworthiness ratings

This category encompasses all digital and broadcast platforms, including vlogs, podcasts, blogs, dedicated radio shows and television segments. It recognises engaging and informative content that effectively communicates property-related issues to a broad audience across multimedia formats.

Submissions will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• The extent to which the piece addresses significant property-related issues with accuracy, depth, and relevance to the intended audience.
• The ability to present complex information in an accessible, engaging, and compelling format suitable for digital or broadcast platforms.
• Innovative use of format, storytelling/interviewing/reporting, and production to convey information in a fresh and impactful way.
• Technical quality, including audio/visual clarity, editing, and overall presentation.
• Evidence of audience engagement, reach, or influence on public discourse or industry understanding.
• Effective integration of various digital tools and platforms (where applicable) to enhance the storytelling and user experience.