National Association of Real Estate Editors Announces 2026 Journalism Competition Winners

Mary Doyle-Kimball June 03, 2026

Miami - (June 3, 2026) - The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) announced the winners of its 76th Annual Journalism Awards today. This prestigious competition recognizes excellence in reporting, writing, and editing stories about residential and commercial real estate.

The awards were announced at NAREE’s annual conference held at the Kimpton Epic Miami in Miami, Florida. A panel of expert judges from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University selected all winners. Medill’s Karen Springen chaired the panel. Here are NAREE’s 2025 winners with judges’ comments:

Platinum Award - Best Overall Entry by an Individual - Real Estate

James Rodriguez, Business Insider

Editor: Bob Bryan

“Robert Reffkin v. Real Estate - The Compass CEO’s Crusade against Zillow will change how you find your next home.”

Judges’ Comment: In his deeply reported story about Robert Reffkin, the charismatic CEO of Compass, James Rodriguez deftly answers readers’ and editors’ key questions: So what? Who cares? Why now? He opens with the 46-year-old maverick behind the country’s largest real estate brokerage placing one of his legendary, random calls to one of his company’s more than 38,000 agents. Rodriguez can write with so much authority about the Jewish, half-Black alum of Goldman Sachs -- who enthusiastically takes on institutions like the National Association of Realtors and Zillow -- because he interviews so many people. They range from agents, industry leaders and scholars to Reffkin and even his mother, Ruth, a Compass agent who worked in real estate since her son was a young adult. Rodriquez’s piece proves the value of curious, knowledgeable journalists who are willing to do old-fashioned “shoe-leather” reporting.

President’s Award - Best Freelance Collection - Real Estate

Robyn A. Friedman, The Wall Street Journal

Collection Includes: “What Condo Owners Should Know Before a Special Assessment Hits,” “How to Shrink - or Even Eliminate - Capital Gains on Your Home Sale,” “Yes, It Pays to Share a Home With Family. But Plan for Some Challenges”

Judges’ Comment: In her engaging, easy-to-understand pieces about how condo owners can prepare for unexpected “special assessments,” how to reduce capital gains on home sales and how to manage multiple generations living under one roof, Robyn A. Friedman embraces The Wall Street Journal’s news mission to deliver stories through “the lens of business, finance, economics and money.” To illustrate her points, she uses helpful “show, don’t tell” examples of real people, such as a special-education teacher hit with a $102,000 assessment less than a year after retiring to Florida. Yikes. She also gives concrete tips, such as checking the minutes for condo association board of director meetings (to see if an assessment might be in the offing), saving receipts for home improvements (to reduce the tax burden for anyone who exceeds the allowable IRS exclusion in a lucrative home sale) and writing a cohabitation agreement (to prevent disputes among loved ones in a multifamily house). As Friedman skillfully conveys, home is where the heart is – and where the money is.

Ruth Ryon Award - Best Young Journalist - Real Estate

Madaleine Rubin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Collection Includes: “What does a possible Penguins sale mean for the Hill - after years of stalled development?” “Downtown’s $600 million revitalization plan is being tested as delays and costs pile up,” “Future of Donny’s Place in Polish Hill, once a safe haven for the queer community, remains uncertain”

Judges’ Comment: Madaleine Rubin’s work closely ties commercial real estate moves in Pittsburgh to the city’s identity. She recognized a trend of delays in downtown residential projects previously touted to revitalize and reshape the area, and she explained how the Pittsburgh Penguins’ potential sale would further throw a parcel of land owned by the team into limbo. She also described how the future of a now-shuttered gay bar, a safe space for members of the queer community for decades, remained unsettled after a non-decision by the city’s Historic Review Commission. Rubin’s stories all break down these issues key at points when stakeholders and residents are debating the future of these pockets of Pittsburgh, arming them with the knowledge and context needed to decide the next step.

Category 1: Kenneth R. Harney Award for Best Real Estate Consumer Education Reporting

Jeff Collins, Orange County Register, Southern California News Group 

“Hardening Homes Against Wildfires,” “How residents can complete home-hardening”

Judges’ Comment: In his stories, published the month after the Pacific Palisades and Altadena blazes, Jeff Collins delivers exactly what his Orange County Register readers want and need to know: how to fireproof their homes. He opens one piece with a powerful anecdote about an architect whose 3,500-square-foot Palisades residence was the only one still standing on his block. His secret: He designed it with fire in mind. Collins lays out how the home had no overhangs to trap embers and a garden of agave and cacti covered with lava rock instead of mulch. In his “home hardening” story, he briefly and specifically shares details about choosing fire-resistant gutters and roofs, dual-pane windows (with one pane using tempered glass) that won’t shatter during fires, and noncombustible materials like stone and concrete to place around a house’s perimeter. He also encourages homeowners to reduce fuel for fires by removing dead plants, shrubs and trees. Basically, he empowers readers, giving them the tools they need to save lives, including their own.

Category 2: Best Collection of Work by an Individual Covering Residential Real Estate 

Gold Winner: James Rodriguez, Business Insider 

Collection Includes: “The Boomer Home Dilemma,” “The mortgage buydown backfire,” “Robert Reffkin v. Real Estate”

Judges’ Comment: James Rodriguez places readers in the shoes of his characters, including millennials inheriting their boomer parents’ homes and homeowners who optimistically count on rates dropping soon so they can refinance before their payments bump up to the normal level. He skillfully weaves in statistics and expert commentary, explaining complicated financing options in an understandable way. He explains, for example, how builders “touted borrowing rates well below the prevailing levels, keeping sales moving by enticing buyers with cheaper monthly payments.” Even if they don’t realize it, readers respond to strong verbs like “tout,” strong adjectives like “enticing,” and strong central characters like Compass CEO Robert Reffkin. Rodriguez’s labor-intensive reporting pays off.

Silver Winner: Nicole Friedman, The Wall Street Journal

Collection Includes: “This Real-Estate CEO Is Waging War on Zillow,” “Why a Landmark Settlement on Realtor Fees Hasn’t Cut Costs,” “Homeowners Who Gambled on Lower Rates Are Paying the Price” 

Judges’ Comment: In her impressive collection, Nicole Friedman tackles important stories about who benefits -- and who doesn’t -- from changes in the industry. She knows the power of a revealing anecdotal lede: She begins her piece about Compass CEO Robert Reffkin with his mom sharing a story about her then-13-year-old son who pushed her to support his dream to become a DJ until she relented and agreed to buy him equipment and take him to gigs. Friedman’s gem of a quote from his mother: “You don’t say no to Robert.” Friedman’s stories go beyond the surface and dig into why the settlement on realtor fees isn’t cutting costs (the average commission paid to a buyer’s agent even increased slightly) and why homeowners who optimistically and incorrectly bet on lower interest rates are feeling some pain. Rather than just rely on figures and quotes from experts, she skillfully illustrates her key points with real homeowners.

Bronze Winner (tie): Henry Grabar, Slate

Collection Includes: Clearing the Barriers to Housing Abundance: “Cracking the Code,”  “Gavin Newsom Finally Gets Serious About the California Housing Crisis,” “The Solution to America’s Housing Crisis Might Be Built in a Factory”

Bronze Winner (tie): Deborah Acosta, The Wall Street Journal

Collection Includes: Florida Residential Real Estate Collection: “The Worst Housing Market in America Is Now Florida’s Cape Coral,” “Why Florida’s Condo Owners Are So Desperate to Sell,” “Miami Suburb’s Once-Vibrant Housing Scene Is Hit by Exodus of Migrants”

Bronze Winner (tie): Ronda Kaysen, The New York Times

Collection Includes: Life in Los Angeles After the Wildfires: “The Last House Standing,”  “Whisper Network Emerges in the Desperate Rush for Housing in L.A.,” “L.A. Faces Pressure From Wealthy Residents as Pacific Palisades Rebuilds” 

Honorable Mention: Jeff Ostrowski, Bankrate.com

Collection Includes: “Home prices are falling in these formerly hot markets. Why?” “Squeezed first-time buyers turn to six-figure payment assistance packages,” “Builders are dangling super-low mortgage rates - but there’s a catch”

Honorable Mention: Aarthi Swaminathan, MarketWatch. 

Collection Includes: The shifting balance of power in the residential real estate market: “Who can actually buy a house today? Meet the ‘elite’ buyers achieving the American dream.” “He was ready to pay $750,000 for his new house. Then the appraisal came in.” “Home sellers face an ‘absolutely brutal’ market that’s tilting in buyers’s favor”

Category 3: Best Collection of Work by an Individual Covering Commercial Real Estate

Gold Winner (tie): Aaron Elstein, Crain's New York Business

Collection Includes: “Secretive property baron Ben Ashkenazy plots a $750 million comeback,” “Midtown office landlord paid millions to CEO-controlled companies,” “Manhattan office buildings can make millions by changing their address”

Judges’ Comment: Aaron Elstein’s collection highlights the scale of commercial real estate and the key role journalists play in shining a light on players who operate largely behind the scenes. While tracing the influence and troubles of a property baron whose portfolio includes The Plaza hotel, he interviewed the billionaire, who hadn’t talked to the media in 24 years. He also reported on previously undisclosed payments in the millions made by Midtown landlord Paramount group, and explained how changing addresses — but not location — is a rebrand worth millions for some properties. These stories place needed attention on individuals making decisions on millions and billions of dollars’ worth of properties, affecting the thousands of tenants affected by them.

Gold Winner (tie): Kirk Pinho, Crain's Detroit Business

Collection Includes: “Apartment magnate had a $2B portfolio. Now, he’s in retreat.” “How Detroit transformed an ‘open-air drug market’ into a chic enclave,” “A Sky-High Opportunity”

Judges’ Comment: Kirk Pinho’s collection demonstrates the range of commercial real estate news to tell stories about how a city is shaped and evolves. He dives deep into the personal life and portfolio of an apartment magnate, breaks down the pros and cons of a skyscraper observation deck in Detroit and explores the controversial transformation of an area once known for open-air drug dealing into a fashionable enclave. His stories are thorough and detailed, and skillfully ties all this information back to the bigger picture of what this means for Detroit as a community.

Silver Winner: Nick Wooten, The Dallas Morning News

Collection Includes: “AT&T intensifies focus on Plano, Frisco in new office search,” “‘A world of trouble.’ Developer Harwood sells handful of towers, faces foreclosures,” “‘Golden ticket’ or sledgehammer? D-FW suburbs fight Texas’ new anti-NIMBY building law”

Judges’ Comment: This strong collection showcases how commercial real estate news can be framed and explained in ways that engage the entire community, not just the movers and shakers in multimillion-dollar deals. Nick Wooten’s reporting covered AT&T’s search for space outside of downtown Dallas, the troubles of big-time developer Harwood and the ramifications of a new state law that allows residential developments to be built without rezoning. In each of these stories, Wooten’s clear, crisp writing identifies the stakeholders and lays out the stakes, tracing the potential effects these moves would have on the Dallas-Fort Worth area immediately and years into the future.

Bronze Winner (tie): Chloe Gallivan, Bisnow

Collection Includes: “Behind Vanderbilt University’s ‘Insatiable’ National Expansion Plan,” “Cuts to Nation’s Weather Service Put More Pressure On Property Managers,” “Property Owners Caught In the Middle Of Florida’s New Open-Carry Law” 

Bronze Winner (tie): Madaleine Rubin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Collection Includes: “What does a possible Penguins sale mean for the Hill - after years of stalled development?,” “Downtown’s $600 million revitalization plan is being tested as delays and costs pile up,” “Future of Donny’s Place in Polish Hill, once a safe haven for the queer community, remains uncertain”

Honorable Mention: Michelle Jarboe, News 5 Cleveland (WEWS)

Collection Includes: “Report says Browns short 10,000 game-day parking spaces in Brook Park; suggests nearby businesses as solution,” “Other cities are looking to Cleveland as a Leader on office conversions. Here’s why.” “Cleveland candy maker’s sweet social media stunt melts bureaucratic barriers”

Category 4: Best Regular or Syndicated Real Estate Column

Gold Winner: Kirk Pinho, Crain's Detroit Business

“How 3 legends once made a deal nearly as big as Detroit”

Judges’ Comment: Kirk Pinho delivers an ambitious and deeply reported story that turns a complex real estate deal into a compelling narrative about power, land, and legacy. He makes massive scale understandable by tracing the evolution of Irvine Co. from a 19th century ranch to one of the most valuable real estate portfolios in the country. What sets the piece apart is its scope and storytelling. By linking Detroit business figures to California development, Pinho creates a surprising and nationally relevant narrative. Rich historical detail and strong character moments bring depth to what could have been a dry financial story. This entry wins for its range, clarity, and ability to turn history and finance into a story readers want to follow.

Silver Winner: Robyn A. Friedman, Freelance Writer, The Wall Street Journal

“What Condo Owners Should Know Before a Special Assessment Hit”

Judges’ Comment: Robyn A. Friedman turns a complex and often overlooked issue, condo special assessments, into clear and urgent journalism with real human stakes. By centering the story on a retiree hit with a six figure bill, she makes the consequences immediate and tangible, not abstract. The reporting is both explanatory and useful. Friedman breaks down how these assessments happen, why they are increasing, and what readers can do, all while grounding the story in broader policy changes following the Champlain Towers South collapse. Expert voices add authority without slowing the narrative. This entry stands out for its clarity, relevance, and impact, taking a complicated issue and making it understandable, personal, and actionable.

Bronze Winner: Matthew Power, Green Builder Magazine

“Music to their Ears”

Category 5: Best Economic Analysis - Real Estate

Gold Winner: Robyn A. Friedman, Freelance Writer, Kiplinger Personal Financel

“Should You Make the Switch to Solar Energy?”

Judges’ Comment: Robyn A. Friedman takes a complex financial and environmental decision and makes it clear, practical, and easy to understand. By walking readers through the real costs, savings, and tradeoffs of switching to solar, she turns a technical topic into useful, everyday guidance. What makes the piece stand out is its strong service journalism. Friedman combines real examples, clear calculations, and step by step explanations to show readers how to evaluate whether solar makes sense for them, from tax credits to payback periods. This entry stands out for its clarity, usefulness, and relevance, giving readers the tools they need to make an informed decision about a major financial investment.

Silver Winner: Deborah Acosta, The Wall Street Journal

“Why Florida's Condo Owners Are So Desperate to Sell”

Judges’ Comment: Deborah Acosta takes a complex housing issue and makes it immediate and deeply human. By starting with the story of a retired couple priced out of their own condo, she shows how rising costs are reshaping lives, not just markets. What makes the piece stand out is its clear explanation of a multifaceted crisis. Acosta connects insurance spikes, special assessments, new safety regulations, and tightening lending standards to show why costs are surging and why so many owners are trying to sell at once. This entry stands out for its clarity, depth, and impact, turning a regional real estate story into a broader look at affordability, risk, and the unintended consequences of policy changes.

Bronze Winner: John Gittelsohn, Bloomberg Businessweek

“Americans Are Getting Priced Out of Homeownership at Record Rates”

Honorable Mention: Jillian D’Onfro, The San Francisco Standard

“San Francisco is being swamped by an ‘unprecedented’ property tax mess”

Honorable Mention: James Rodriguez, Business Insider

“RIP Zoomtowns”

Honorable Mention: Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal

“How Vegas became a tourist punching bag, and what the numbers say for Nevada’s outlook”

Category 6: Best Interior Design Story

Gold Winner: Rachel Wharton, The New York Times - Wirecutter

“Why Your Kitchen Looks Like That”

Judges’ Comment: In this rich-with-history interactive piece, Rachel Wharton engagingly shows the evolution of home kitchens over the past century. As she notes, some appliances, like toasters and mixers, even, basically, stay the same. With vintage photos and architectural drawings that illustrate concepts like the “work triangle” and Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1934 “open kitchen.” Wharton produces the type of piece that readers forward to friends. It includes gems like a 1956 video clip of a beautiful housewife serenading her dream kitchen. Wharton’s chronological storytelling makes it easy for older readers to take a trip down memory lane, even showing a clip of Julia Childs with her “co-star” (her kitchen). Younger readers may chuckle (or groan) at details like a 1915 home-economics bulletin that asks, “Is not housework as worthwhile studying as the shoveling of coal?” Readers get to frequently interact with the piece, choosing whether, for example, they prefer one or two kitchen islands. This piece earns a flour-covered thumbs up.

Silver Winner: Robyn A. Friedman, Freelance Writer, The Boston Globe

“Are Formal Dining Rooms a Thing of the Past? Depends Who You Ask”

Judges’ Comment: Filled with historical tidbits, this piece by Robyn A. Friedman gives the dining room its due. She starts her story with the legendary first Thanksgiving in 1621 and notes that meals of that time took place in multipurpose rooms, with handmade wooden tables and hearths used for cooking and staying warm. Then, as New Englanders became more prosperous, they built formal dining rooms. Top-notch reporter that she is, Friedman finds a designer who spends four or five hours at a stretch hanging out with friends in this favorite spot, playing cards and games (not just eating). She also gets the numbers, citing a survey that shows 44% of consumers believe a formal dining room is important. Though readers may be unfamiliar with a “kicker,” Friedman knows how to craft one. She ends with a strong quote about the evolution of dining rooms, now more about “connection” than “presentation.”

Bronze Winner: Emily Landes, The San Francisco Standard

“Extreme Staging: Selling a Home in the Bay Area Now Means Flipping It Yourself”

Honorable Mention: Casey Farmer, Mansion Global

“They Flipped a ‘Flophouse’ and Restored the Southern Charm to This Savannah Victorian”

Category 7: Best Architecture Story

Gold Winner: Anna Kodé, The New York Times

“The Politics of Brutalism”

Judges’ Comment: In her timely, history-rich piece, Anna Kodé looks at Brutalism – a polarizing style at odds with the current administration’s preference for public buildings with “classical architectural heritage.” Another “why now”: “The Brutalist,” the Oscar-nominated film. Drawing on interviews with architectural historians and others, Kodé examines what the obsession with this utilitarian style says about society at this moment. As she notes, Tucker Carlson said in 2021 that it’s to “oppress.” But it’s also an ode to the marvels of concrete and ingenuity. Kode´ captures the conflict and tension surrounding buildings that are turning 50 and showing their age. Should they stay or should they go? Undoubtedly, Kodé will keep readers posted on what’s next for a style that’s at odds with the taste of the current U.S. president.

Silver Winner: Ciara Long, Bisnow.

“Almost Every Window Ends Up in a Landfill. One Woman Is Leading the Charge to Recycle Them”

Judges’ Comment: Ciara Long skillfully tackles an important, pressing issue: the real-estate industry’s huge carbon footprint, responsible for 40% of the world’s emissions, by looking specifically at windows. She gathers vital statistics, noting the annual creation of 10 million tons of them –  “the weight of the Titanic 19 times over.” Why not recycle more of the glass? She lays out the sizable challenges. It’s tricky to separate the architectural glass from metal frames and from thin layers of metal that coat it, so most traditional recycling companies reject it. Demand for architectural glass recycling isn’t greater because of lack of awareness. Long comes to the rescue here, clearly explaining why it’s cheaper to recycle glass than to make it from scratch. She tucks in great “who knew” details, such as how furnaces that make new glass must be kept between 2,732 and 2,912 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 years (“hotter than molten lava”) whereas furnaces that recycle glass can run 30% cooler. It’s a hot read from a cool reporter.

Bronze Winner: Michele Lerner, Freelance Writer, Mansion Global

“‘Boulder’ Home Designs: Houses Are Taking the Rocky Topography Inside”

Honorable Mention: Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post

“The history of Potter Highlands told through a blond, brick building: Celeste Ballerino delivers Italiante duplex on the site of a former auto garage”

Category 8: Best Residential Real Estate Story – Daily or Weekly Newspaper

Gold Winner: Stephana Ocneanu, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Who ensures Western Pa. fire hydrants are working - or even available? The answer can be complicated”

Judges’ Comment: Many of us take fire hydrants for granted. They might be a mandatory stop if walking a dog, a moderate annoyance when trying to find street parking. This story recenters the importance of these life-saving devices and calls attention to communities in Western Pennsylvania where working hydrants aren’t always a given. Stephana Ocneanu approaches the issue as one of jurisdiction — or, more accurately, lack thereof. Yet while such a story might easily get bogged down by explanations of legalities and boundaries and gaps in coverage, Ocneanu never lets the story stray far from the most important matter: the experiences and fears of the people whose lives and property are at risk.

Silver Winner: Alexis Weisend, The Seattle Times

“These are the Seattle area’s Gen Z homeowners. How did they do it?”

Judges’ Comment: This story covers the newest generation of Seattle-area homeowners from all angles. Structured around the unique journeys of the few who have achieved this tenet of the American dream by their mid-20s, the piece breaks down what exactly it took and how homeownership looks for Gen Z. Alexis Weisend’s balanced approach resists lionizing those with mortgages or chastising those who continue to rent. This is no mere how-to for homeownership — it’s a multifaceted take that questions the affordability and achievability of the American dream for those under 30.

Bronze Winner: Jeff Collins, Orange County Register, Southern California News Group

“Wildfire survivors scramble to find housing”

Honorable Mention: Matt Yan, The New York Times

“Can’t Afford a House? Try Baltic Avenue.”

Honorable mention: Kristi Waterworth, Freelance Writer, Springfield Business Journal

“Animal shelters hit hard by knock-on effects of affordable housing crisis”

Category 9: Best Residential Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story - Daily or Weekly Newspaper

Gold Winner: Akiko Matsuda, The Wall Street Journal

“Her Senior Facility Filed for Bankruptcy, Then Wiped Her Out”

Judges’ Comment: Akiko Matsuda shines a bright light on a devastating problem: older people being displaced from continuing-care retirement communities that go bankrupt and their families losing over $190 million in the process. She draws in her reader with heartbreaking examples. In her anecdotal lede, she shows how an 89-year-old widow paid a $945,000 entrance fee and $5,700 in monthly fees. The place went bankrupt three times, and then the investor who bought it scaled back care so the widow needed to move – and her family expects to get less than a third of the $710,000 refund promised to her. Matsuda also knows how to zoom out and give the big picture, using court filings and a healthcare restructuring advisory firm to discover that among nearly 2,000 of these types of facilities nationwide, at least 16 of them filed for chapter 11 since the start of the pandemic. Numbers matter a great deal, and Matsuda gets them. In 2023, about 623,000 people lived in continuing-care retirement community facilities. Buyer beware.

Silver Winner: Michaelle Bond, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“How a First-Time Homebuyer Paid Less than $50 to Close on Her South Philly Rowhouse”

Judges’ Comment: It sounds too good to be true: paying $48.81 to close on a century-old South Philly rowhouse. Michelle Bond zooms in on this dramatic example of Teresa Nutter to open her story about how first-time home buyers can get help from government agencies, mortgage lenders and nonprofits. It’s refreshing to see an inspiring piece that spells out exactly how this particular lower-income administrator got help and how others can, too. Among other things, Nutter got a loan through the Federal Housing Administration and a $10,000 grant from Philly First Home (the city’s assistance program for newbie purchasers). Bond can write with authority because she tracks down and interviews the cast of characters who help make Philly ownership dreams come true.

Category 10: Best Commercial Real Estate Story - Daily or Weekly Newspaper

Gold Winner: Madaleine Rubin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Turning anger to hope: The development of the lower Hill has hit reset, and that could be a good sign”

Judges’ Comment: Madaleine Rubin takes a stalled development story and turns it into a powerful narrative about history, inequality, and the long consequences of broken promises. By contrasting two neighborhoods that started from nearly identical agreements but ended up on very different paths, she gives the story a clear and compelling structure. What makes the piece stand out is its depth of reporting and connection to lived experience. Rubin grounds policy and development decisions in the voices of residents who have waited decades for change, showing how past displacement and present day inaction are closely linked. This entry stands out for its clarity, context, and emotional weight, turning a local development story into a broader look at accountability, community, and what progress really means.

Silver Winner: Joe Gose, New York Times

“Office Market Poised to Rebound as Work From Home Policies End”

Judges’ Comment: Joe Gose takes a complicated and uncertain moment in the office real estate market and makes it clear, nuanced, and deeply reported. He shows that the story is not a simple recovery, but a split market where high end buildings rebound while lower tier properties continue to struggle. What makes the piece stand out is its command of data and trendlines. Gose uses concrete numbers on leasing, pricing, and vacancies to show where the market is improving and where risks remain, giving readers a grounded understanding of what "recovery" really means. This entry stands out for its clarity, balance, and authority, turning a complex economic shift into a story that is both accessible and essential to understand.

Bronze Winner: Laura Waxmann, San Francisco Chronicle

“Downtown S.F. is struggling while this adjacent neighborhood is thriving. Here’s why”

Honorable Mention: Ellen Rosen, The New York Times

“Can a University From Tennessee Help Accelerate Growth in West Palm Beach?”

Category 11: Best Residential Real Estate, Residential Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Magazine Story - General Circulation

Gold Winner: Aaron Elstein, Crain’s New York Business

“Apartments Sit Empty As Tenant Protection Laws Upend the Economics of Being a Landlord”

Judges’ Comment: Often people view landlords as the bad guys, but like their tenants, they can face financial hardships. Sometimes they’re so cash strapped that apartments wind up sitting empty in a city that badly needs more affordable housing. Aaron Elstein clearly explains how New York’s crackdown on tenant harassment is leaving some properties in “legal and financial limbo.” As he notes, rents for regulated units fail to keep up with inflation. As a result, owners can’t afford to make much-needed improvements because they’re unable to rent the apartments for market prices. Elstein avoids taking sides but lets his reporting show how sticking it to landlords can put buildings at risk. He uses numbers well: A brokerage firm partner says a 1,000-unit portfolio in the Bronx that likely would have gone for $150 million in 2018 is available for just $65 million. Will many people still want to be affordable-housing owners, given the role today seems to come with more perils than payoffs?

Silver Winner: Kristi Waterworth, Freelance Writer, U.S. News & World Report

“The Effects of Tree Inequity on a Home”

Judges’ Comment: Kristi Waterworth shines a light on “tree inequity” -- a problem readers should know about but probably don’t. Trees enhance mental and physical health and boost real estate prices but are more likely to be in wealthier suburbs than in urban areas. That’s a shame for many reasons. After all, the concrete, asphalt and brick surfaces in cities could use nature’s version of a shade umbrella. Through interviews with urban designers and others, Waterworth raises important questions about the role of nature and green spaces in providing the peace and calm that people say they want in their lives.

Bronze Winner: Shaina Mishkin, Barron’s

“A Shrinking Housing Market Means Upheaval for Buyers”

Honorable Mention: J. K. Dineen, San Francisco Chronicle

“San Francisco’s ‘Boom Loop’ May Be Underway - But Not in One Critical Industry”

Category 12: Best Residential Real Estate Trade or B-to-B Magazine Story

Gold Winner: Jake Indursky, The Real Deal

“Opendoor’s Meme Home”

Judges’ Comment: It’s difficult to report and write a revealing story when the chief character in it won’t talk. But Jake Indursky pulls it off. Immediately, he helps the reader picture Opendoor’s new CEO, Kaz Netajian, in a black T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Faster.” Indursky clearly explains Opendoor’s premise of no-hassle home buying and its readjustments. (It scrapped a “buy it now” button.) He also puts the company and the Netajian in context, noting that the leader’s wife, Candice Malcolm, founded a conservative news site that posted an interview with the far-right founder of the Proud Boys. When Netajian worked at Spotify, he “shuttered” some initiatives to help Black and Indigenous clients and faced heat from employees over political donations. People are understandably reluctant to speak about the controversial leader, even after Indursky reaches out on a popular Discord server for Opendoor investors. Netajian dreams of Opendoor being the Amazon of home sales, but as the reporting in this piece shows, that may be easier said than done.

Silver Winner: Jesse Hardin, The Real Deal

“As Mehrdad Moayedi Developed North Texas, He Defined DFW Real Estate Swagger”

Judges’ Comment: Jesse Hardin lands an in-person interview with Mehrdad Moayedi, the Tehran-born big name in North Texas real estate who may well be the biggest single-family lot developer in the area. Hardin gets great details about this “affable” man -- a Donald Trump supporter who bought a plane from the president in 2024 and keeps a MAGA hat on a lion’s head sculpture in his office. Despite some complicated legal disputes, Moayedi, at least so far, is prevailing in court and continuing to play an outsize role in suburban sprawl.  The developer shrugs off complaints, saying he is a land guy, not an architect. Hardin raises thought-provoking questions about what matters most – aesthetics or, as Moayedi notes in the kicker, good schools, parks and a roof over the head.

Bronze Winner: Kathryn Brenzel, The Real Deal

“Holy HUD!”

Honorable Mention: Michele Lerner, Freelance Writer, Pro Builder

“Homeowners Insurance: The Other Affordability Crisis”

Honorable Mention: Matthew Kaufman, Multi-Housing News

“The 24/7 Leasing Agent”

Category 13: Best Commercial Real Estate Trade or B-to-B Magazine Story

Gold Winner: Rich Bockmann, The Real Deal

“1-800-CALL-LEO”

Judges’ Comment: Lawyer Leo Jacobs takes a chauffeur-driven Bentley Flying Spur to work. It’s the kind of crazy detail that deserves to be in the first sentence of a profile, and that’s where Rich Bockmann wisely puts it. The 37-year-old’s specialty is working with borrowers who have signed personal guarantees and finding technical issues to exploit. He doesn’t work with lenders, which makes it easier for him to be tough on them. Bockmann puts the reader in the room, relaying how the 6-foot-3 Queens College alum compares himself to Winston Churchill. He shows how Jacobs lives large, recently purchasing a Tudor-style home in a tony part of Queens where Donald Trump lived as a child. His memorable kicker? “If you’re the right kind of client at the worst kind of moment, you call Leo.”

Silver Winner: Evelyn Lee, PERE

“Starwood, the Next Generation”

Judges’ Comment: In this succession story, Evelyn Lee talks with billionaire real-estate manager Barry Sternlicht, who co-founded Starwood Capital Group more than three decades ago, and his chosen successor, former Blackstone executive Jonathan Pollack. The 64-year-old Sternlicht tells Lee he hopes to move toward more of a coaching role with the 48-year-old Pollack. She gets both men to speak frankly about how to grow the business and retain talent – and rightly concludes with giving Pollack the last word. Basically, he wants Starwood to be the best place to work in the industry. Lee knows her readers want fresh insights about these leaders, not rehashed material, and her sit-down chats help her deliver.

Bronze Winner: Nellie Day, Multifamily & Affordable Housing Business

“Thinking Outside the Box to Solve Package Delivery Issues”

Honorable Mention: Keith Larsen, The Real Deal

“Moshe Silber’s Money Trial”

Category 14: Best Online Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story

Gold Winner: Libertina Brandt, The Wall Street Journal

“Apple Pies and Water Rights: Inside a Desert Community’s Fight to Finish 4,000 Homes”

Judges’ Comment: Libertina Brandt takes a seemingly idyllic master planned community and reveals the deeper tension shaping its future. By pairing the charm of Verrado, from welcome apple pies to tightly knit neighborhoods, with the hard reality of water scarcity, she creates a story that is both inviting and consequential. What makes the piece stand out is its balance of lifestyle and policy. Brandt grounds the story in vivid details about daily life while clearly explaining the complex water rules and development limits that are slowing growth. The contrast between rapid expansion and finite resources gives the story urgency and broader relevance. This entry stands out for its clarity, originality, and sense of place, turning a local real estate story into a larger look at growth, sustainability, and the limits shaping the future of American communities.

Silver Winner: Jeff Collins, Orange County Register

“As LA wildfires raged, these residents watched their homes burn on doorbell video”

Judges’ Comment: Jeff Collins takes a devastating wildfire story and finds a striking, modern lens through which to tell it. By focusing on residents watching their homes burn in real time through doorbell cameras, he captures a uniquely current experience of loss that feels immediate and unforgettable. What makes the piece stand out is its powerful use of firsthand accounts. Collins lets victims tell the story through vivid, emotional detail, showing how technology can both deepen trauma and provide a sense of closure. The reporting balances personal grief with broader context about the rise of video doorbells and how they are reshaping how people experience disasters. This entry stands out for its originality, emotional impact, and storytelling, turning a breaking news event into a deeply human story about technology, loss, and what it means to witness tragedy in real time.

Bronze Winner: James Rodriguez, Business Insider

“The golden age of house hunting is over”

Honorable Mention: Ryan Wangman and Maddy McCarty, Bisnow

“2026 World Cup Stakes Are Bigger Than A Trophy - U.S. Affordable Housing Is At Risk, Too”

Honorable Mention: Stefanos Chen, Dionne Searcey, and Urvashi Uberoy, The New York Times

“A Tower on Billionaires’ Row Is Full of Cracks. Who’s to Blame?”

Category 15: Best Online Commercial Real Estate Story

Gold Winner (tie): Marissa Luck, Matt Zdun, and Yasmeen Khalifa, Houston Chronicle

“Houston could see enough store vacancies to fill Toyota Center if Greg Abbott doesn’t veto THC ban”

Judges’ Comment: This story takes a fast-moving policy change and shows exactly who it will affect and how. By focusing on hemp shop owners, employees, and landlords, it turns a potential THC ban into a clear and immediate economic story with real stakes. What makes the piece stand out is its strong use of data and scale. The reporting quantifies the impact, from thousands of jobs to hundreds of storefronts and hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail space that could suddenly go vacant, helping readers understand both the human and market consequences.

This entry stands out for its clarity, urgency, and depth, turning policy into a vivid story about livelihoods, risk, and the ripple effects across an entire industry.

Gold Winner (tie): Madaleine Rubin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“What does a possible Penguins sale mean for the Hill - after years of stalled development?”

Judges’ Comment: Madaleine Rubin takes a complicated real estate and ownership story and makes it urgent and easy to follow. By tying the possible sale of the Penguins directly to the future of the Lower Hill, she shows how business decisions at the top can shape the fate of an entire community. What makes the piece stand out is its accountability reporting. Rubin uses contracts, deadlines, and data to show the gap between what was promised and what was delivered, while grounding the story in the voices of residents who have been waiting for years. This entry stands out for its clarity, focus, and public impact, turning a complex deal into a clear story about responsibility, power, and what communities are owed.

Silver Winner: Craig Karmin and Allison Pohle, The Wall Street Journal

“The Waldorf’s Makeover Went a Billion Over Budget - and China Is Footing the Bill”

Judges’ Comment: This story works because it takes a highly technical sustainability issue and turns it into a clear, compelling narrative about innovation, scale, and industry change. By centering the story on one person and one idea, recycling architectural glass, it creates a strong entry point and then expands outward to show the massive environmental stakes and systemic challenges behind it. The reporting is especially effective in combining vivid specifics, like tons of glass waste and the complexity of the recycling process, with broader context about emissions, industry practices, and adoption barriers. It also balances optimism with realism, highlighting both the breakthrough and the logistical and economic hurdles that still exist. The result is content that feels both informative and forward looking, helping readers understand not just a new idea, but how difficult it is to change an entire system and why that change matters.

Category 16: Best Real Estate E-Newsletter Editor

Gold Winner: Kerry Barger, The Wall Street Journal

“WSJ Homes E-Newsletter”

​​Judges’ Comment: These newsletters earned gold because the content is tightly curated, purposeful, and consistently focused on what matters most right now. Each item is chosen with clear editorial intent, prioritizing stories that signal change, risk, or opportunity rather than simply summarizing everything available. They provide just enough context to turn headlines into insight, helping readers quickly understand why a development matters without slowing them down. At the same time, the content maintains a clear throughline, creating a sense of cohesion across multiple topics so the newsletter feels like a complete snapshot of a beat, not a random list. Most importantly, the information is practical and decision oriented, giving readers a clear sense of what changed, why it matters, and what to watch next, which is what ultimately makes a newsletter useful, engaging, and worth returning to.

Silver Winner: Jon Banister and Emily Wishingrad, Bisnow

“Bisnow's D.C. Rundown”

Judges’ Comment: This newsletter works because it delivers exactly what its audience needs: fast, high value information about a specific market. It pulls together multiple timely stories, deals, and policy updates into one place, allowing readers to quickly understand what is happening across the D.C. commercial real estate landscape. What makes it especially effective is its structure. The mix of short summaries, deal sheets, and trend driven headlines creates a rhythm that keeps readers moving. Each item is concise but meaningful, giving just enough detail to inform while encouraging deeper clicks for readers who want more.

Bronze Winner: Oshrat Carmiel, Highest & Best

“Tower to the People”

Category 17: Best Audio Real Estate Report – Online or Broadcast – Podcast or Radio

Gold Winner: Lee Hawkins, Freelance Journalist, Kelly Silvera, Executive Producer, Meredith Garettson-Morbey, Senior Producer, Marcel Malekebu, Producer, and Gary O'Keefe, Sound Engineer,  American Public Media’s Marketplace

“Unlocking the Gates: How the North Led Housing Discrimination in America”

Judges’ Comment: “Unlocking the Gates” won gold because the content is deeply reported, tightly structured, and built around a clear investigative throughline that unfolds across episodes. Instead of treating racial covenants as abstract history, the series grounds the topic in a specific place and set of families, showing how discriminatory housing practices were intentionally created, enforced, and carried forward over generations. The storytelling consistently connects past to present, using data, archival records, and personal narratives to show how policies that were outlawed decades ago still shape wealth, neighborhoods, and opportunity today. It also builds momentum across installments, moving from origin and expansion to consequences and accountability, so each piece adds new understanding rather than repeating information. What makes the content especially strong is that it does not just explain what happened, it explains how and why it still matters, turning history into a living, consequential story. The result is journalism that is both explanatory and emotional, giving audiences a clear sense of systemic impact while keeping them engaged through narrative, character, and stakes.

Silver Winner: Tracey Velt, HousingWire

“The Agent Mistake Costing You Millions, with Tom Ferry & Josh Altman”

Judges’ Comment: This podcast works because the content is highly focused, practical, and built around clear takeaways that listeners can immediately apply. It centers on a strong, timely premise, the gap in accessible, high quality training, and uses that as a lens to explore what actually separates top performers from the rest, grounding the discussion in concrete insights.

Bronze Winner: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED News

“These Bay Area Renters Are ‘Speed Dating’ to Find a Roommate”

Category 18: Best Video Real Estate Report Online or Broadcast – Streaming or

Television

Gold Winner: Michelle Jarboe, News 5 Cleveland (WEWS)

“It's one of Cleveland's hidden strengths. Other cities would love to emulate it.”

Judges’ Comment: This story earned gold because the content combines a clear local narrative with broader national relevance, turning Cleveland into a case study for a much bigger shift in how cities are adapting after the pandemic. It grounds the reporting in a specific project, the Rose Building redevelopment, while layering in data, history, and multiple perspectives to show how and why office conversions have become central to downtown survival. The piece also excels at connecting past and present, showing how Cleveland’s long history of repurposing underused buildings positioned it ahead of other cities now facing the same challenges. At the same time, it balances optimism with realism, explaining both the opportunity and the limits of conversions, which gives the story credibility and depth. The result is content that feels both informative and narrative driven, helping readers understand not just what is happening in one city, but why it matters for the future of urban development more broadly.

Silver Winner: Valerie Kellogg, Homes.com News

“CoStar Podcast: Every Home Has a Story”

Judges’ Comment: These Homes.com podcast episodes earned silver because the content consistently turns unique homes into compelling entry points for larger ideas about design, culture, and how people live today. Each story is anchored in a distinctive property, whether it is a never built Frank Lloyd Wright design finally realized, a reimagined lighthouse, or unconventional paths to homeownership, and then expands into something broader about creativity, access, or reinvention. The episodes balance storytelling with insight, using vivid, specific details to draw listeners in while also highlighting trends like changing buyer behavior, generational challenges, or the evolving role of architecture and branding. They also maintain a strong narrative focus, with clear characters and stakes, which makes each episode feel like a complete story rather than just a feature. Most importantly, the content is engaging because it blends inspiration with relevance, showing not just interesting homes, but what those homes reveal about ambition, identity, and the shifting housing landscape.

Category 19: Best Breaking News Real Estate News Story

Gold Winner: Jeff Collins, Los Angeles Daily News, Southern California News Group

“Southern California fire danger zones increase 76% in new maps,” “High fire zones expand in Altadena, through some destroyed areas left out”

Judges’ Comment: January’s devastating fires in Los Angeles placed an added layer of attention on the region’s regulations. When California released its fire maps, the first in 14 years, identifying where the probability of wildfire would be greatest during the next few decades, Jeff Collins quickly analyzed the changes and compared the zones with the areas ravaged by fires just a couple of months earlier. He found the high fire zone grew 1.1 million acres, meaning property owners in those zones would have to comply with stricter fire building codes. He also found, however, some areas just destroyed by the January fires were left out of those high-risk zones. His reporting resulted in a front-page package that not only outlined the fire mapping process but also explained its ramifications and scrutinized those changes.

Silver Winner: Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal

“Reno Suites: Confusion at ex-Harrah’s Reno tower as ‘guests’ get 7-day notice”

Judges’ Comment: When residents of a building in Reno were notified they had only a week to find new housing before the property closed for renovations, Jason Hidalgo’s reporting uncovered a loophole exploited to classify the people living there as hotel guests with fewer rights than tenants. Hidalgo’s reporting did not stop there. He talked to affected residents as well as the owners of the property, including a representative who used the word “tenants” to describe the residents. The story contextualized the issue, explaining how this practice had been banned in nearby California and how lack of affordable housing in Reno would leave the evicted people with few options. This reporting led to residents receiving an extension and assistance to move.

Bronze Winner: Paul Bubny, Connect CRE

“LA County Wildfires: A Guide to Relief Resources”

Category 20: Best Investigative Report or Investigative Series - Real Estate

Gold Winner: Hannah Beckler, Robert Leslie, Dakin Campbell, Erica Berenstein, Reem

Makhoul, Tyler Merkel, Marco Secci, and the Business Insider staff

Collection includes: The True Cost of Data Centers: “See where data centers are across the US on our interactive map,” “‘The AI boom’ pits neighbor against neighbor,” “Inside the secretive world of America’s AI data centers”

Judges’ Comment: Business Insider’s investigation on U.S. data centers is truly national in scope, collecting the best information available on data centers across the country. Artificial intelligence and the data centers that allow for AI’s massive growth are often discussed in a way that gives them an almost spectral quality, but this investigation grounds them geographically and visually with an interactive map, data tables, a half-hour-long video and photos, which all help put a face on an obscure force. This series is eye-opening about the effects of data centers on natural resources, local economies and the people who live next to them.

Silver Winner (tie): Rukmini Callimachi, Blacki Migliozzi, and K.K. Rebecca Lai, The New York Times

Collection includes: “How Insurers Are Forcing Families to Live in Toxic Homes,”  “‘Unsafe to Inhabit’: The Toxic Homes of L.A.” “How Did This Family End Up Back in a Toxic House?”

Judges’ Comment: Coverage of the Los Angeles fires in January 2025 was visual and visceral, but this New York Times investigation focuses on the unseen effects on nearby houses that were exposed to toxic chemicals released into the air by the fires. Times reporter Blacki Migliozzi logged more than 100 hours shadowing industrial hygienists working inside these toxic homes, documenting the damage. The series showed how insurance companies don’t test for these chemicals or use outdated research to deem homes “safe.” Though the investigation revolves around the aftermath of the L.A. fires, its importance goes beyond as wildfires become more prevalent. Each story also ends with a methodology section laying out how data was collected and analyzed, a transparent and thorough touch that adds to the credibility of the stories.

Silver Winner (tie): Josh Salman and Derek Gilliam, Suncoast Searchlight

“Power and Profit: Developers Gained Government Status, Then Got Bonds to Build Big”

Judges’ Comment: This investigation connected the dots between real estate developers and government bonds tied to independent special districts, which allow reins-free spending on the developers’ side while Florida homeowners foot the bill. Suncoast Searchlight illuminates this murky process obscured by complex legislation and a lack of oversight. The team had to follow the money and piece together the causes and effects of this system, which in many cases played out over years. This set of three stories lays out their findings, with clear explanations and graphics that help illustrate their findings.

Bronze Winner: Michaelle Bond and Joe Yeradi, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“The danger next door”

Bronze Winner: Matt Wasielewski, Bisnow

Collection includes: “EXCLUSIVE: Lawsuit Alleges Appraisal Institute Has Given States Fraudulent Test Results For Years,” “Appraisal Institute Vice President Forced Out As Sexual Harassment Claims Swirl,” “Appraisal Institute’s Lead Professional Designation Reviewer Hasn’t Held a License in 7 Years”

Honorable Mention: Jon Banister, Bianca Barragán, Taylor Driscoll, Ryan Wangman, Matt Wasielewski, and Emily Wishingrad, Bisnow

Collection includes: “Pullback From DEI Hasn't Derailed Commercial Real Estate's Slow March Toward Greater Representation,” “The Quiet Retreat: How White House Pressure Is Rewriting CRE’s DEI Playbook,” “CRE’s Diversity Leaders Are Still Doing the Work. They’re Just Not Calling It ‘DEI’”

Honorable Mention: Debbie Nathan, Freelance Writer and Alyssa Katz, Executive Editor, THE CITY

“The Terrible Truth About Sherita, Brooklyn’s Beloved Billboard Dinosaur”

Category 21: Best Multi-Platform Package or Series – Real Estate

Gold Winner: (tie) Jake Blumgart, Erin Reynolds, Gabe Coffey, and Michaelle Bond, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Collection includes: “Why one of Philly’s most iconic public art pieces is getting demolished,” “CHOP wants to build a huge parking garage in one of Philly’s most environmentally distressed neighborhoods,” “What’s Next for the Wanamaker Building?”

Judges’ Comment: This collection of real estate video stories shows a commitment to not only reaching audiences where they are (social media) but also expanding reach beyond the traditional readers of real estate news. The team producing these videos resists the urge to go for the quick and quirky stories that might go viral for a few days. Instead, they break down Philadelphia’s complex real estate issues, from the huge Wanamaker Building vacancy, to a children’s hospital’s plans to build a parking garage next to a playground, to the demolition of an iconic piece of public art. Each of these videos clearly lay out the array of different interests at play.

Gold Winner: (tie) Anna Kodé, The New York Times

“The Quintessential Urban Design of ‘Sesame Street’”

Judges’ Comment: The online presentation of this story beautifully melds the traditional web layout (paragraphs of text punctuated by horizontal photos) with the new aesthetics of social media (vertical photos with text that scrolls over the images). The accompanying video, shot vertically for Instagram and TikTok, is a thoughtfully and tightly scripted two-and-a-half-minute story that uses the “Sesame Street” set and archival clips to great advantage. The entire package comes together thoughtfully and cohesively, a bridge between old and new both in design and content.

Silver Winner: Patrick Clark, Bloomberg Businessweek

“American Mid: Hampton Inn’s Good-Enough Formula for World Domination”

Judges’ Comment: Patrick Clark’s deep dive on Hampton Inn’s huge success at being perfectly average is complemented by a 10-minute video that takes viewers inside this self-consciously mid brand. On the surface, that might not seem necessary – the hotel chain’s ubiquity means many have stayed at or at least driven by multiple Hampton Inns. But the video and the photos that accompany the story help highlight this curated averageness at work, complementary breakfast included. What our eyes might simply glance over in real life is seen through a new lens thanks to this Bloomberg story.

Bronze Winner: Francisco Alvarado and Nicole Guillen, The Real Deal

Collection includes: “Adam Neumann vs. El Portal,” “Adam Neumann’s Flow nabs $51M loan for $71M ElPortal site purchase, partners with Canada Global on mixed-use development,” “This controversial development site used to be a trailer park. Now it’s Adam Neumann’s next project”

Category 22: Best Real Estate Data Journalism Reporting

Gold Winner: Natalie Wong, Rachael Dottle, and Marie Patino, Bloomberg News

“A Wave of New Apartment Buildings Is Set to Take Over Midtown Manhattan”

Judges’ Comment: This story takes a complex shift in the real estate market and makes it clear, urgent, and highly relevant. By focusing on the transformation of empty office towers into housing, the reporting shows how cities are responding to both a housing crisis and a struggling office market at the same time. What makes the piece stand out is its strong use of data and examples. The story combines large scale trends with detailed reporting from specific projects, helping readers understand both the mechanics of conversions and their broader impact on affordability, policy, and urban life. This entry stands out for its clarity, depth, and relevance, turning a technical development trend into a compelling story about how cities adapt and who benefits from that change.

Silver Winner: Shaina Mishkin and Molly Cook Escobar, Barron's

“The LA Fires Burned Thousands of Homes. The Data Show Insurers Saw the Risks Coming.”

Judges’ Comment: This story takes a devastating wildfire and reveals the deeper, data-driven story behind it. By showing that insurers had already begun pulling back coverage before the fires hit, the reporting reframes the disaster as something that was not just tragic, but in many ways predictable. What makes the piece stand out is its powerful use of data and visualization. The reporting connects wildfire risk, home values, and insurance decisions, showing how high value homes in high risk areas created a perfect storm. The maps and comparisons make complex risk patterns clear and compelling. This entry stands out for its insight, clarity, and impact, turning a breaking news event into a deeper investigation of risk, markets, and the warning signs that were already there.

Bronze Winner: Veronica Dagher, Anne Tergesen, Stephanie Stamm, and Elizaveta Galkina,  The Wall Street Journal

Collection Includes: “Americans Have $35 Trillion in Housing Wealth - and It's Costing Them,” “More Homeowners Find Themselves Underwater”

Honorable Mention: Steph Kukuljan, Josh Renaud, and Nassim Benchaabane,  St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Collection Includes: The Forces Shaping St. Louis Housing: “On some St. Louis streets, 70% of tornado victims are uninsured. Can recovery happen?” “Firm buys 700 homes in St. Louis area with unusual offer of ‘easy’ cash,” “Rents soar across St. Louis Region, especially where investors buy homes”

Category 23: Best International Real Estate Story

Gold Winner: Damian Shepherd, Bloomberg News

“Foxtons Staff Faced Groping and Slurs at London Property Broker”

Judges’ Comment: Damian Shepherd delivers a powerful accountability story that exposes a troubling workplace culture inside one of London’s most prominent real estate firms. By centering the reporting on firsthand accounts from young employees, he makes the impact immediate and deeply human. What makes the piece stand out is its depth and rigor. Shepherd backs up personal stories with documents, messages, and interviews across multiple offices, revealing patterns of behavior rather than isolated incidents. The reporting also shows how systems meant to protect employees, including management and HR, often failed to act. This entry stands out for its courage, clarity, and impact, turning individual experiences into a broader investigation of workplace culture, power, and accountability.

Silver Winner: Sarah Rappaport, Bloomberg News

“Developers Aim to Tackle Central London’s Last Luxury Frontier”

Judges’ Comment: Sarah Rappaport takes a familiar real estate story, luxury development, and gives it a fresh and compelling angle by focusing on a neighborhood on the edge of transformation. By positioning Bayswater as central London’s overlooked frontier, she creates a clear and engaging narrative of change. What makes the piece stand out is its sense of scale and detail. Rappaport shows how billions in investment, high end developments, and rising prices are reshaping the area, while grounding the story in vivid descriptions of place and market dynamics. This entry stands out for its clarity, perspective, and storytelling, turning a development trend into a broader look at how cities evolve, who benefits, and what is lost in the process.

Bronze Winner: Deborah Acosta and Eliot Brown, The Wall Street Journal

“After Backlash, Jared Kushner Drops Plan to Build a Trump Hotel in Serbia”

Category 24: Best Team Report - Real Estate

Gold Winner: Aldo Svaldi, Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Judith Kohler, and Kevin Hamm, The Denver Post

Collection Includes: “At a Crossroads: Downtown Denver Is Waiting for Its Rebound,” “Downtown Denver at a crossroads as offices sit empty, buildings go into default and safety concerns persist,” “Can downtown get its swagger back? Denver leaders agree it’s both possible and vital”

Judges’ Comment: This team report on Denver’s slow post-pandemic recovery shows the power of strong local journalism to draw attention to crucial issues close to home. The stories in this collection – a three-month reporting effort -- examine safety, the need for a revitalized downtown and office vacancy rates (they’re at 40-year highs). The journalists write with style, including a line about how Covid-19 turned the downtown “from the place to be to a place to flee.” And they zero in on key needs for a rebound, notably making people feel safe on 16th Street. They note that even discounted office space won’t compensate for workers who would prefer quiet home offices to “having random strangers shout at them, aggressively panhandle for money or try to sell them drugs.” Yikes. This ambitious project also uses an interactive map to explore vacancy rates and distressed properties. Kudos to the members of this ambitious group effort.

Silver Winner: Adam Babetski, Jimmy Cloutier, Jacob Geanous, Leia Green, Megan Guza, Katie Hovan, Hal B. Klein, Stephana Ocneanu, Jeremy Reynolds, Madaleine Rubin, Lindsay Shachnow, and Hailey Talbert, as well as photographers/videographers Sebastian Foltz, Giuseppe LoPiccolo, Sarah Qu, Lucy Schaly and King Jemison,  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“The Pulse of Pittsburgh: 24 Hours Downtown”

Judges’ Comment: The team behind “The Pulse of Pittsburgh: 24 Hours Downtown” captures the magic of the Steel City’s people and places without being too boosterish. Through words, photos and videos, they introduce readers and viewers to locals like a bartender, commuters, volunteers, a parking attendant, the owner of a popular diner, a coffee owner and a barber. They pulled it off by getting a large cast of reporters, photographers and videographers to devote July 22 to this day-in-life storytelling project. Anyone intrigued by the mention of a pogo-stick championship that brought hundreds to Redbeard’s Sports Bar and Grill?! This powerful multimedia snapshot should go in a time capsule of this rejuvenated Pennsylvania city.

Bronze Winner (tie): Katherine Kallergis, Lidia Dinkova, Francisco Alvarado, and Kate Hinsche, The Real Deal

“Steve Ross’ Florida vision”

Bronze Winner (tie): Nicole Friedman and Dan Frosch, The Wall Street Journal

“A Rare Middle-Class Paradise in L.A. Was Swept Away by Flames”

Bronze Winner (tie): Noah Zucker, Jon Banister, Taylor Driscoll, and Billy Wadsack, Bisnow

“‘Affordable Housing Is an Oxymoron’: Why Homes for Low-Income Renters Are Far More Expensive to Build”

Honorable Mention: Kari Hamanaka and Suzannah Cavanaugh, The Real Deal

“Los Angeles Rising”

Honorable Mention: Kate King and Suzanne Kapner, The Wall Street Journal

“America’s Last Mall King Is Still in Charge, Even After a Deadly Diagnosis”

Honorable Mention: Ryan Wangman and Maddy McCarty, Bisnow

“2026 World Cup Stakes Are Bigger Than a Trophy - U.S. Affordable Housing Is at Risk, Too”

Honorable Mention: Deborah Acosta and Rebecca Picciotto, The Wall Street Journal

“Renters Are Conning Their Way into Luxury Apartments

Category 25: Best Design, Home or Shelter Magazine

Gold Winner: Peter Catapano and the Staff of Mansion Global, Mansion Global

Judges’ Comment: Mansion Global journalists deliver high-quality stories about high-end homes, interior design and resorts. They go beyond the ordinary, looking at “Earthships” (off-grid homes made from natural and recycled materials, often with greenhouses to grow produce), “boulder” designs (houses with giant chunks of granite from the property in foyers and even showers), glass ceilings (ideal for viewing sunsets and stars) and ski towns that aren’t Aspen (Big Sky, Montana; Telluride, Colorado; Whitefish, Montana; and Crested Butte, Colorado). Even readers with no desire to plop a huge slab of rock inside their residences should get a kick out of the intriguing, and often quirky, luxury real estate options highlighted in Mansion Global stories.

Category 26: Best Residential Real Estate – Trade Magazine

Gold Winner: Cara Eisenpress and the TRD Staff, The Real Deal, The Real Deal

December 2025 issue

Judges’ Comment: The Real Deal staff makes its magazine a must-read, full of stories about larger-than-life characters. A case in point: the December cover story on Patrick Carroll, the self-made residential real estate developer who bought into the Sun Belt early and then, after selling his company, started behaving bizarrely and firing guns from his boat. (He blames previously undiagnosed bipolar disorder.) Other well-reported stories look at reality TV star Josh Flagg, South Florida townhouse brothers Salim and Kamil Chraibi, Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian, brothers Oren and Tal Alexander, and Dallas-Fort Worth single-family lot developer Mehrdad Moayedi. Even the front-of-the-book quotes in “In Their Words” highlight the colorful, usually well-spoken figures in the industry. “Few people will leave a place they call home because of a new mayor,” says one. The photos and design are first rate, too.

Silver Winner: Paige Tepping, Real Estate Magazine, RISMedia

February 2025 issue

Judges’ Comment: In a publication packed with ads and stories, the journalists at Real Estate Magazine give readers what they need to do their jobs better – from trends to expect (more single-women buyers, who already hold a 24% share of the home-purchase market; all-cash buyers, who already account for 26% of home sales; and aging first-time buyers, with a median age of 38 now) to connection-building tips (asking clients what excites them most about moving to a new neighborhood). In the February issue, they highlight industry standouts, who often share inspiring quotes about why they love their jobs. One example, from the owner of YES Realty Partners: “Every day, I get to wake up and help people with one of the basic needs for their journey around the sun—shelter.”

Bronze Winner: Luke Baynes, Scotsman Guide Magazine, Scotsman Guide

July 2025 issue

Category 27: Best Commercial Real Estate – Trade Magazine

Gold Winner: Cara Eisenpress and the TRD Staff, The Real Deal, The Real Deal

April 2025 issue

Judges’ Comment: Who can resist opening a magazine with the cover line, “Mr. Witkoff Goes to Washington”? The April issue features that story about Steve Witkoff’s path from developing luxury condos in Miami and New York to becoming a global envoy. Interestingly, people seem to like him. It’s par for the course for the first-rate journalists at The Real Deal, who cover everything from “It” condos (like Witkoff’s Shore Club collection in Miami) to companies rolling back DEI to a lawsuit filed by model Karolina Kurkova and her husband. Stories serve up conflict and tension and always seem like urgent reads. In other words, they’re never boring. People plow big money into real estate – and Real Deal Journalists are standing by to expertly document it.

Silver Winner: Randall Shearin, Student Housing Business

November/December 2025 issue

Judges’ Comment: Student Housing Business packs its hefty November/December issue – with a cover package on top owners and managers -- with well-crafted, information-packed stories. The front-of-the-book “news in brief” section covers tidbits like a new joint venture planning 546 beds across 142 units near Penn State. A well-done Q&A with the executive director of university housing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign meets the timely test because of the school’s significant enrollment growth – from 5,500 in the incoming class in 2013 to 9,207 in 2025. It also addresses problems common at many universities, such as aging infrastructure and insufficient housing. Another piece looks at whether smaller Tier 2 and Tier 3 university markets are worth the risk. It’s hard to imagine being in the student housing industry and not reading this magazine cover to cover.

Bronze Winner (tie): Matt Valley, Hayden Spiess, Eric Taub,  Seniors Housing Business

August-September 2025 issue with ASHA 50 Supplement

Bronze Winner (tie): Samantha Rowan, Shihao Feng, Anna-Marie Beal, Randy Plavajka, PERE Credit

December 2025 issue

Honorable Mention: Suzann Silverman, Jessica Fiur and the CPE Editorial Team, Commercial Property Executive

July 2025 issue

Category 28: Best Real Estate Newsletter Issue Digital or Print

Gold Winner: Heather Stone and Glenn Demby, Commercial Lease Law Insider, Fair Housing Coach

May 2025 issue

Judges’ Comment: Commercial Lease Law Insider’s May 2025 issue takes “news you can use” to new heights. It not only lays out the how-to’s and what-to-consider’s when negotiating with tenants about shared spaces and dealing with damages, but also includes two example lease clauses that provide the language and format so owners and managers can be proactive about these issues. As companies continue to redefine what being “in office” looks like for employees, landlords also need to adjust, and this issue helps mitigate the need to learn the hard way.

Silver Winner: Greg Dool, Blueprint, PERE

September 2025 issue

Judges’ Comment: PERE’s Blueprint newsletter includes a variety of elements that make it a pleasant read from beginning to end — an introduction that serves as a summary for the entire issue so readers know what to expect; easily digestible briefs and blurbs of featured stories; and a pull quote, data snapshot and roundup of the latest published stories. It’s easy for newsletters to become merely serviceable, a copy-and-paste laundry list of the week’s work, but Blueprint’s streamlined approach betrays thoughtful editing at work, from the order of the offerings to the punny subheads such as “Swede spot” and “Knapp time.”

Bronze Winner: Sasha Jones, The Slice, Bisnow, Bisnow

August 2025 issue

Category 29: Best Newspaper Real Estate or Home Section

Gold Winner: Amanda Kludt and the Staff of The New York Times Real Estate Section, Senior Living Real Estate, The New York Times

November 2025 issue

Judges’ Comment: The New York Times’ Senior Living special issue is a beautifully curated treasure trove of information that combines features on unique living situations (retirees who live on a college campus and take classes!) with practical information those of a certain age can use immediately (do’s and don’ts of downsizing). There is a lot of discourse right now about the negative effects of artificial intelligence, but one story describes how AI is being used at some senior living facilities to detect and potentially mitigate falls. The issue achieves its aim of collecting resources to help society’s older members navigate their next era in a way that is informed and fulfilling.

Silver Winner: Lois Weiss, Christopher Cameron, David Christopher Kaufman, Heather Senison, Beth Landman, Oshrat Carmiel, and Christopher Bunting, Palm Beach Boat Show, New York Post

March 2025 issue

Judges’ Comment: The New York Post’s Palm Beach Boat Show issue is fun, flashy and finely designed. From the front-page “You’ve Got Sail” to cheeky plays on words (“Livin’ La Vida Boca”) and typography (“Yacht$ to Watch”), the headlines lean into the often ostentatious stories necessitated by such an event. It might be tempting to let the visuals do the talking when you can choose from a plethora of images of supersize boats, hotels and mansions, but robust stories accompany each of these features. The result is a visual and informative guide to the latest real estate developments in Palm Beach.

Bronze Winner: Heather Halberstadt, Mansion, Wall Street Journal

January 2025 issue

Honorable Mention: Lois Weiss, Christopher Cameron, Christopher Bunting, and Anissa Lorenzi Boukourizia, Commercial Real Estate, New York Post

January 2025 issue

Category 30: Best Real Estate Web Site

Gold Winner: Stuart Elliott and the TRD Staff, The Real Deal

January 2025

Judges’ Comment: The Real Deal’s committed use of photo illustrations visually highlights stories beyond what a headline and lede/nut graf can do. The overall effect as you scroll through the website is a cohesive, curated look that unites the design elements of a magazine with the agility of a daily news site. The curated feel doesn’t end with the photo illustrations — the navigation bar; tabs for top stories, latest stories and stories “for you”; and regional sections as you scroll farther down the home page all make the website easy to navigate depending on the reader’s needs and interests.

Silver Winner: Catie Dixon, Mark F. Bonner, and Bisnow Staff, Bisnow

July 2025

Judges’ Comment: Bisnow’s layout is clean and easy to navigate. Stories are clearly marked with labels indicating region and topic area, and sponsored content is clearly demarcated while still integrated seamlessly in the web design. The use of different colors further helps categorize and organize, with job listings (blue) and press releases (teal) standing out separately from Bisnow’s orange scheme. Instead of a smorgasbord that can lead to information overload, the website is streamlined and pleasant to navigate, allowing for users to either find a particular story quickly or stay and scroll through the latest headlines.

Bronze Winner: Kerry Barger and Heather Halberstadt, Mansion, The Wall Street Journal

February 2025

Honorable Mention: Laura Kinsler, GrowthSpotter, Orlando Sentinel

September 2025NAREE’s 77th Annual Real Estate Journalism Competition portal will be open from February 1, 2027 to March 1, 2027 at 11:59 PM EST. First-time entrants should look at both the notes under the Awards tab and read the entry instructions carefully. Look below to see who won the overall awards and awards in each of 30 categories this year. New for 2026: both the single-bylined writer and the editor of the entry winning the Platinum Award for Best Overall Entry will be recognized.

Eligibility for 77th annual competition:

Entrants must be independent journalists working for the news division of independent news outlets — covering commercial and residential real estate. Submit print, digital, online and on air news and feature stories, multi-platform and investigative reports, series, columns, e-newsletters, podcasts and publications on home building, green building, luxury homes, architecture, interior design, remodeling, home buying and selling, mortgage lending, housing policy. all aspects of commercial real estate from urban design, mixed-use, multifamily to real estate investing, the business of real estate, and many other topics in the broad field of real estate.

• Bona fide digital, print and broadcast journalists — freelance or staff writers, reporters, editors, columnists and broadcast producers for work published in bona fide news outlets are eligible to enter.

• A question to help you determine if this contest is for you: Are you producing journalistic content for a real estate company, a real estate-related association a real estate marketplace, or public relations /marketing firm? Is your site affiliated with a lobby group? If you can answer "yes" to the above questions, this is not the right competition for you. NAREE’s journalism competition is open to working journalists members and non members who qualify for NAREE membership. NAREE defines its media membership this way:

Active members shall have as their principal occupation the reporting, transmitting or editing of information about real estate and/or housing for a news media that is independent of a sponsoring organization or advertising control. (Principal occupation means more than 50 percent of their time.)

Contest Deadlines:

• The work entered must have been published, posted, or aired between Jan. 1, 2026 and Dec. 31, 2026. Work must be written or broadcast in English. Work published, posted or aired outside the US may be entered.

• Competition entry forms must be submitted online on or before March 1, 2027by 11:59 PM EST on naree.org through the contest portal.

Submission Requirements:

Please have all PDF attached files, links and summaries ready before initiating the entry submission process. Files must not be larger than 100 MB. Accepted formats: PDF, MP3 and MP4. If you are entering a category that requires 3 pieces of work such as Categories #2 or #3 "Best Collection of Work" consolidate the three pieces into a single PDF and a single link.

Why judges need PDFs:

Link errors occur more frequently than you think and slow down the judging process. Sometimes passwords to links are also faulty. If the judges can’t open a link, they can’t judge it.

Faulty links may be due to entrant error or software developer changes on your site. Sometimes usernames and passwords to links expire after multiple clicks or before the contest judging is completed. Some links to websites take the user to the live site instead of the work entered in 2025 but produced in 2024. The judges understand that links may provide a fuller picture of the entry, but if they can’t open the links, then they have nothing to judge.

Entrants may submit only one (1) entry per category, but may enter as many categories as they choose after determining eligibility. Please choose a category that best suits your story. Please don’t enter the same entry in Best Story AND Best Column — it’s either a story or a column. Click here to see all categories.

Competition judges reserve the right to decide if an entry is in the proper category, and to move those they determine need reassignment. Judges also reserve the right not to give awards in a particular category.

Writers may enter their own work in any category. An entry entered in any of the individual categories may also be used as one of the three entries in the Best Collection of Work categories, but entrants must submit this piece both in the "Best Collection" category 2 or category 3 and submit that entry in the other category where multiple stories are required. In other words, every time you want to enter that same story, you need to send in a PDF (and include a link if you would like) of that story for that particular category.

Editors must enter the work of each individual staff reporter and/or freelancer with an individual byline by paying the processing fee (membership fee) for that staff member or freelancer associated with that byline. If an editor is entering work with a joint or multiple byline (and the editor’s name is not on that byline), the editor must pay the processing fee (membership fee) for at least one bylined member of the team.

Editors must enter their own bylined work in any eligible individual category under their own membership or processing fee. 

Editors must enter a print or digital newspaper section, magazine, newsletter or Web site under their own membership or processing fee. Editors will be recognized on the award in those publication categories.

Each completed entry in each category must include:

1. Entry Fees

Paid 2027 NAREE Members: First entry is free. Second entry and each additional entry and each additional entry is $25.Email mdkimball@naree.org for your-aid 2026 free entry code.

Non members - $75 processing fee for the first entry. Second entry and each additional entry is $25. Processing fee includes 2026 membership.

2. Entry Form

Each line must be completed on the form. (Entry may be disqualified if lines are skipped.) Provide the email and phone number of the bylined journalist, not just the contest coordinator or editor who is entering the work. There is a spot for the contest coordinator’s contact information as well.

3. Summary

Attach a brief summary (no more than 150 words not including instructions, user name and passwords) describing the intended audience for the publication, Web site or broadcast. Explain why the entry serves the target audience, what is original about the story idea/content, why the reporting is innovative, and if applicable, how a creative risk was taken. If you researched, compiled and analyzed data and created your own graphics, rather than relying on other journalists or graphic designers, include that information in your narrative. If social media was used, please explain why it was significant. Note: judges request summaries be included for each entry because they rely on them for context. Please enter your paywall password at the end of the summary. Remember PDF s are more reliable than links..

4. Entry

Submit at least one PDF, MP3, MP4 or link.

Include passwords for all entry links behind a paywall in the summary field. Make sure the paywall password doesn't expire until December 1, 2026, and can be used multiple times, by the same user - judges and contest administrators. Remember, if the judges can’t open it, they can’t judge it. So if you have ever had paywall issues, or expect a code to change, it’s much safer to upload PDFs, and much more convenient for the judges.. Remember paywall passwords do not count as part of the 150 words in the summary.

Tip for uploading links: if you are experience trouble uploading links, please refresh your screen or close and re-start your browser and try again.

Categories 2, 3, and 21 require more than one work sample to be judged. Category 20 can include a single investigative report or all parts of an investigative series. Please make a single PDF for all of the work to be judged as a single entry. You may also upload a single link with all three samples, rather than 3 separate links which require three times the time to open.

Best Web site Entry - category #30, include a URL, username, and password for access to view in the summary. Judging criteria will include editorial content, design, and ease of use. Passwords to open all links must not expire until December 1, 2025 and must allow judges to use it multiple times.

Freelance journalists with one paid entry only, please note:

If you are a freelancer with a single entry for this contest in any of the categories requiring a single piece of work and you also want to enter that piece in the Best Freelance Collection (which does not require an extra fee):

1. Create a PDF containing ALL 3 (three) pieces of work required for Best Freelance Collection. Position the piece you want judged in the individual category first, then add the other two pieces.

2. Upload the PDF or specify the link in any one of these categories for individual journalists: 2-23. Work submitted in category 1, can only be submitted in category 1, not as a part of any other category (including a collection).

3. At the end of your summary, please confirm by headline that the first piece is the entry to be judged in the category and indicate by headlines that the second and third pieces of work are added to this category only to be judged as part of the "BEST Freelance Collection" – which requires THREE work samples. If you enter a category that requires three work samples such as Best Collection (catorgories 2 and 3) simply check the box indicating you want this entry judged for Best Freelance Collection. Please check the “consider for Best Freelance Collection box only once.

Judging

The competition will be judged by journalism faculty of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Judges will be the sole arbiters of the awards. Judges may choose not to bestow an award in a particular category. Judges will consider criteria appropriate to the category including, but not limited to:

• clarity of writing

• objectivity

• originality

• depth of reporting

• design (if applicable)

• Notes about multi-platform packges: The judges would like to see the full package. So if the multi-platform package simply has some part of the story told in print with embedded links to visuals that’s fine. But if there are multiple components used to tell the story then include all — no matter how many.  For example, include the dashboard (If created) to navigate print, video, still photography "albums" with detailed captions, and any variety of additional data visualization elements such as interactive maps, diagrams, graphs, charts, tables, scatter plots, illustrations, animation, floor plans and/or other original graphics, etc. To recap, the judges would like to see all pieces that are part of the same story package. In the 150-essay entrants might want to list at least the main elements and explain how they are essential to tell the story.

"Best Section," "Best Magazine," "Best Web site," and "Best Newsletter" entries will be judged on overall graphics presentation and use of graphic elements to help communicate the message to the readers.

QUESTIONS AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Email: NAREEjcontest@gmail.com

Mary Doyle-KimbalNAREE Executive Director 

2026 Award Categories -

OVERALL AWARDS

Platinum Award - Best Overall Individual Entry - Real Estate (Chosen from single-bylined entries in categories 2-23) $1,000 cash award. NAREE’s Platinum Award recognizes the writer and the editor of the piece. The cash award will continue to go to the writer.

President’s Award - Best Freelance Collection - Real Estate (Chosen from 3 single-bylined pieces submitted by the same freelancer in categories 2-23) $500 cash award

Ruth Ryon Award - Best Young Journalist - Real Estate (Chosen from single-bylined entries in categories 2-23 submitted by journalists who were 30 years or younger on Dec. 31, 2024) $250 cash award

CATEGORIES

Note: Categories 1-13 recognize the work of a single journalist and must have a single byline. Categories 14-23 allow single or multiple bylines. Category 24 recognizes a team of journalists and requires at least two bylines. Awards for work entered in categories 25-30 recognize the work of publication editors and writers.)

Gold Awards in categories 2-30 come with a $250 cash award. Award certificates will be presented to Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention winner at NAREE’s award ceremony at the annual conference. All winners are invited to NAREE’s full Conference. Conference, June 1-4, 2026 at the Kimpton
Epic on he water in downtown Miami. Awards Day is Wednesday, June 3, 2026. SAVE THESE DATES! NAREE can help award winners with hotel costs.

SECTION I: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS, ALL MEDIA, SINGLE BYLINE - Multiple bylined submissions will be disqualified.

Category 1: Kenneth R Harney Award for Best Real Estate Consumer Education Reporting ($1,000 award) Submit a single-bylined in-depth report, column or series of up to three reports in any medium – print, online or broadcast – with a single byline – that show dogged, original enterprise reporting on current real estate policy and/or practices impacting the consumer – including mortgage finance, real estate brokerage, housing affordability, discrimination and other watchdog issues. Submit a single PDF or one link to the work to be judged. The winning entry chosen for this award is not eligible to win an award in any other category.

Category 2: Best Collection of Work by an Individual Covering Residential Real Estate (Submit three single-bylined stories)

Category 3: Best Collection of Work by an Individual Covering Commercial Real Estate (Submit three single-bylined stories)

Category 4: Best Regular or Syndicated Real Estate Column (Column submissions are limited to writers who have a regular column in a print or online publication, or to non-columnists journalists who publish a column in a regular guest column space. (Single byline work only. Entrants must explain in the summary how their piece is a column rather than a story. Note the entry cannot be submitted as a column and as a story.)

Category 5: Best Economic Analysis - Real Estate (Single byline)

Category 6: Best Interior Design Story (Single byline)

Category 7: Best Architecture Story (Single byline)

SECTION II: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS - DAILY OR WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS – PRINT OR DIGITAL, SINGLE BYLINE - Multiple-bylined submissions will be disqualified.

Category 8: Best Residential Real Estate Story – Daily or Weekly Newspaper (Single byline)

Category 9: Best Residential Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story – Daily or Weekly Newspaper (Single byline)

Category 10: Best Commercial Real Estate Story – Daily or Weekly Newspaper (Single byline)

SECTION III: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS – MAGAZINES – PRINT OR DIGITAL- SINGLE BYLINE - Multiple-bylined submissions will be disqualified.

Category 11: Best Residential, Residential Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Magazine Story – General Circulation (Single byline)

Category 12: Best Residential Real Estate Trade or B-to-B Magazine Story (Single byline)

Category 13: Best Commercial Real Estate Trade or B-to-B Magazine Story (Single byline)

SECTION IV: INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM AWARDS – ONLINE PUBLICATIONS

Category 14: Best Online Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story - (Story should have a residential focus.) (Single or monoredultiple bylines)

Category 15: Best Online Commercial Real Estate Story (Single or multiple bylines)

Category 16: Best Real Estate E-Newsletter Editor – This award recognizes the bylined editor of a daily or weekly news compilation or summary. The piece will be judged on its introduction and the briefs/detailed teasers that link to stories written by the newsletter author and/or other reporters. This entry also may include e-news editor interviews with journalists who wrote the stories hyperlinked in the e-newsletter, to provide insight on why those pieces stand out and/or may have interesting backstories. The e-newsletter copy, covering residential and/or commercial real estate, should be no more than 2,500 words (not including links) and must be delivered by email. Awards in this category recognize the e-newsletter author for informing readers in short form and enticing them to click on the links for more, while Category 28 - Best Digital or Print Newsletter Publication recognizes a publication issue and its staff, much the same way a magazine issue is awarded.

SECTION V: INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM AWARDS – ONLINE or BROADCAST – COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL

Category 17: Best Audio Real Estate Report – Online or Broadcast – Podcast or Radio – local, network, subscription or internet channels (Commercial or residential, voiced by one or more journalists)

Category 18: Best Video Real Estate Report Online or Broadcast – Streaming or Television – local, network, subscription or internet channels (Commercial or residential; by one more more journalists)

SECTION VI: INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM AWARDS – ALL MEDIA - COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL

Category 19: Best Breaking Real Estate News Story (Commercial or residential; single or multiple bylines)

Category 20: Best Investigative Report or Investigative Series - Real Estate (Commercial or residential; single or multiple bylines)

Category 21: Best Multi-Platform Package or Series - Real Estate; Story package URL can include audio, video, text, photos, graphics or interactive features (Commercial or residential; single or multiple bylines)

New for 2024 Work:

Category 22: Best Real Estate Data Journalism Reporting - An award to recognize the work of a real estate reporter or team covering residential or commercial real estate for their collection of data, visual presentation of that data and subsequent analysis.

Category 23: Best International Real Estate Story (Commercial or residential; single or multiple bylines)

SECTION VII: TEAM AWARDS – ALL MEDIA, MULTIPLE BYLINES REQUIRED - COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL

Category 24: Best Team Report - Commercial or Residential Real Estate (Multiple bylines required)

SECTION VIII: INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM AWARDS – (Award recognizes the work of the publication staff and its editor(s) - digital or print - categories 25-29; digital - category 30)

Category 25: Best Design, Home or Shelter Magazine

Category 26: Best Residential Real Estate Trade Magazine

Category 27: Best Commercial Real Estate Trade Magazine

Category 28: Best Digital or Print Real Estate Newsletter Issue - Submit one newsletter issue with stories representing a comprehensive deep-dive (not a summary for the purpose of linking to top stories as seen in category 16) into topics pertaining to Residential, Commercial, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate, Luxury, Green Building, Home, or Urban Design - This award honors excellence evidenced in a stand-alone issue of a real estate newsletter publication. The edtior as well as staff will be recognized for their work..

Category 29: Best Newspaper Real Estate or Home Section

Category 30: Best Real Estate Web Site

NAREE Announces Winners of the 75th Annual Real Estate Journalism Competition

PRESS RELEASE

NAREE's 75th Annual Journalism Competition Winners

New Orleans - (June 18, 2025) - The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) announced the winners of its 75th Annual Journalism Awards today. This prestigious competition recognizes excellence in reporting, writing, and editing stories about residential and commercial real estate.

The awards were announced at NAREE’s annual conference held at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana. A panel of expert judges from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University selected all winners. Medill’s Karen Springen chaired the panel. Here are NAREE’s 2025 winners with judges’ comments:

Platinum Award - Best Overall Entry by an Individual - Real Estate

Cecilia Reyes, Business Insider

“Locked Out”: “When renters get locked out, they may never get back in,” “Unprotected at the margins of the rental market

Judges’ Comment: In her enterprising stories about illegal lockouts, Cecilia Reyes powerfully illustrates the toll of evictions on parents and children. She digs through data, including thousands of 911 calls, housing complaints and court records, to find evidence that suggests an increase in the number of people whose landlords throw them out or lock them out. Sometimes they even skirt laws by changing locks or shutting off utilities. Renters, who can’t get inside to get their work uniforms or cope with the pressure, can miss days on the job or even lose their employment. And their kids can end up skipping, or dropping out of, school. Reyes zooms in on individual people – and zooms out to show variations in state laws. In the process, she exposes an under-covered problem that potentially affects many Americans: Half of U.S. renters – more than 22 million households – face financial stress over housing costs.

President’s Award - Best Freelance Collection - Real Estate

Colette Coleman, Freelance Writer, The New York Times

“Beyond the Shortage: Stories of Different Groups’ Adaptations and Innovations Amid Housing Scarcity”: “Blaxit: Tired of Racism, Black Americans Try Life in Africa.” “For a Growing Number of Latinos, Home Buying Is a Family Affair.” “The Design Trend Taking Over Rural America.”

Judges’ Comment: The best reporters write articles that make readers say, “Wow. I didn’t know that.” In her real-estate stories for The New York Times, Colette Coleman tackles Black Americans finding new houses in Africa, Latino families combining incomes and making home-buying a multigenerational collaboration, and the popularity of “barndominiums” or “barndos” (a mashup of barns and condominiums). Coleman knows to just use quotes that are gems. For example, a project manager in the “barndo” world of open floor plans tells her, “People want to play basketball in their living room.” And a Black American who relocated from Harlem to Ghana says, “Here, we’re rich.” As she covers stories that matter, such as the “trans-Atlantic exodus,” she gives an expert class on how to surprise and delight readers.

Ruth Ryon Award - Best Young Journalist - Real Estate

Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times

“The Chaos of California’s Housing Market”: “Out-squatted: Handyman Flash Shelton will squat with your squatters - until they leave,” “An ambulance, an empty lot and a loophole: One man’s fight for a place to live,” “In the Mojave Desert, a gold rush sparks a mini real-estate boom for old mines”

Judges’ Comment: In his quirky, but important, stories, including one about a vigilante-style handyman and YouTuber known as the “Squatter Hunter,” Jack Flemming captures how owners and renters are navigating California’s chaotic housing market. With the landlords’ blessings, squatter-for-hire James Shelton moves into homes to drive away occupants who won’t leave. He dirties the bathroom, blasts music, “commandeers” the TV remote control and wears a hat that says, “Get Out.” Flemming shows how this unorthodox technique does the trick and helps owners frustrated with the legal system go rogue if they feel they can’t boot trespassers in a more traditional way. Through old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting, Flemming gives the reader an on-scene look at how people live. His pieces, including a story about a hippy-esque 30-year-old who lives in an ambulance, are never boring and always thought provoking.

Category 1: Kenneth R. Harney Award for Best Real Estate Consumer Education Reporting

Harney Winner: James Rodriguez, Business Insider

“The Brave New World of Homebuying”: “The end of the Realtor monopoly,” “’The biggest change in 100 years’,” “Inside the battle of America’s hidden homes”

Judges’ Comment: James Rodriguez knows how to explain complicated situations – like the National Association of Realtors’ $418 million settlement to end class-action lawsuits over agent commissions – in a conversational, easy-to-understand way. He uses, but never overuses, numbers, explaining that commissions hovered between 5% and 6% of the sales price for decades. He always explains what something means. In this case, the recent deal could push more buyers to forgo hiring an agent or to work out an alternate payment structure. Also, this settlement may not prevent a showdown between the NAR and the Department of Justice. But the new rules will force buyers to think about how their agents get paid. Rodriguez’s deep knowledge of the industry and his excellent Rolodex make it possible for him to educate consumers in an understandable, engaging way.

Category 2: Best Collection of Work by an Individual Covering Residential Real Estate

Gold Winner (tie): Sarah Rappaport, Bloomberg News

Collection Includes: “Freddie Mercury’s London Residence Lists at £30 Million,” “Inside Wytham Abbey, the £15 Million Castle Effective Altruism Must Sell,” “London’s Luxury Real Estate Developers Up the Ante with Botox, Wegovy”

Judges’ Comment: Sarah Rappaport knows how to cover the lifestyles of the rich and famous by looking in great depth at their homes. One example: To woo the well-heeled - luxury housing builders are going beyond fancy pools by offering over-the-top amenities like vitamin drips, Botox and weight-loss drugs via the residents’ services app. In another story, Rappaport looks at singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury’s London house, listed for £38 million by his longtime friend Mary Austin, who inherited it following the Queen star’s 1991 death. She delivers - telling details about the place, with its eight bedrooms and its Japanese-inspired garden. Finally, she looks at 500-year-old Wytham Abbey – another lux home for sale. Armchair quarterback? Try armchair high-end realtor.

Gold Winner (tie): Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times

Collection Includes: “An ambulance, an empty lot and a loophole: One man's fight for a place to live,” “Out-squatted: Handyman Flash Shelton will squat with your squatters - until they leave,” “In the Mojave Desert, a gold rush sparks a mini real-estate boom for old mines”

Judges’ Comment: Jack Flemming knows how to come up with offbeat story ideas – and then execute them with flair. He writes about a 30-year-old man who creatively gets around Southern California’s exorbitant housing prices by buying an ambulance and living in it, with a portable toilet stashed inside. He also reports on a guy who beats squatters at their game. And he heads to the Mojave Desert to look into a mini gold rush, fueled by the price of the precious metal soaring to an all-time high of $2,630 as of the story’s publication. Flemming finds compelling characters like Sean Tucker, who previously founded a deep-sea treasure hunting company that tried to find sunken treasures in shipwrecks off the coast of Colombia before switching to treasure buried in California. These pieces are thoroughly reported -- and thoroughly enjoyable to read.

Silver Winner: Aarthi Swaminathan, MarketWatch

Collection Includes: “The new battle in divorce: Who gets custody of the low mortgage rate?” “These sellers don’t want to pay 6% commissions – so they’re pushing back,” “They don’t make $1.8 million houses like they used to: Home inspectors use TikTok to reveal ‘shoddy’ new homes”

Judges’ Comment: Aarthi Swaminathan uses compelling examples, writing about how home inspectors are taking to TikTok to post videos of shoddy workmanship in hastily built new houses. Their fear-inducing clips show rotten wood, unanchored bathtubs and toilets not firmly rooted to the ground. Yikes. Another story explains how divorcing couples sometimes even stay in the same house, with one person in the basement, to keep their pandemic-era low interest rates. Using numbers, of course, Swaminathan shows that breaking up is hard to do -- especially when it means giving up rates of 2.8% and refinancing at 7%.

Bronze Winner: James Rodriguez, Business Inside

Collection Includes: “Our Zestimate Obsession,” “The Age of DumBro,” “Home Sellers Are Facing a Summer from Hell”

Honorable Mention (tie): Katherine Kallergis, The Real Deal

Collection Includes: “How Goldentayer’s game won her a top spot in Miami luxury real estate,” “‘Bloodbath of competition’: What could happen when Miami’s pipeline of condo-hotels is delivered,” “How David Martin plans to deliver the biggest project of his career”

Honorable Mention (tie): Julie Lasky, Freelance Writer, The New York Times

Collection Includes: “A Suitable Retreat in a Postwar Environment,” “A Finn’s Trove,” “Tucking Herself Into a Place That Has Everything”

Category 3: Best Collection of Work by an Individual Covering Commercial Real Estate

Gold Winner: Aaron Elstein, Crain’s New York Business

Collection Includes: “Helmsley Building heading to foreclosure,” “SL Green sees opportunity in office carnage,” “Midtown residents risk losing their homes as co-ops face ground lease renewal”

Judges’ Comment: Elstein’s work is an impressive collection of breaking news (he scooped the competition on the Helmsley Building foreclosure), as well as enterprise and contextual journalism. In “SL Green sees opportunity,” Elstein’s sources reveal the giant landlord’s aspirations in the troubled commercial sector, and he contextualizes it with critical numbers, such as the large number of short sellers in the stock. His story on the ground lease battle affecting Manhattan co-ops takes care to humanize those affected and does an excellent job explaining the byzantine ownership structure’s long history. Elstein’s writing is crisp and clear, and his sourcing is first-rate

Silver Winner: Natalie Wong, Bloomberg News

Collection Includes: "'Billionaire Stephen Ross Believes in South Florida – and is Spending Big to Transform It,” “There’s Finally Hope for the Office Real Estate Market,” “Adam Neumann’s Latest Project is a WeWork Competitor”

Judges' Comment: Wong’s collection demonstrates her range, from sharp analysis that puts her readers ahead of the curve in the highly competitive commercial real estate market to a deeply reported look at the motivations behind billionaire Stephen Ross’s massive projects in West Palm Beach. Wong finds the pandemic-era flood of New York transplants tapering, and octogenarian Ross angling for an outside boost (such as a Vanderbilt University outpost) for what is most likely his capstone project. An eye for detail and smooth prose round out this winning collection.

Bronze Winner: Keith Larsen, The Real Deal

Collection Includes: “Inside the turmoil at Columbia’s Master of Science in Real Estate Development program,” “Behind the unraveling of Nir Meir,” “Riverside Abstract’s dedication to client service may have gone too far”

Honorable Mention: Lidia Dinkova, The Real Deal

Collection Includes: “‘Day of reckoning’: South Florida multifamily investors feel sting of rising interest rates, insurance,” “‘A lot of square footage’: Six office buildings are on tap in Miami Beach. Will all get leased?” “‘Miami has jumped the shark’: Analyzing South Florida’s office sales slump”

Category 4: Best Regular or Syndicated Real Estate Colum

Gold Winner: Kirk Pinho, Crain's Detroit Business

“Skyscraper boom could have consequences for birds”

Judge’ Comment: Kirk Pinho calls attention to the threat posed by Detroit’s changing skyline to millions of birds whose migration paths cross the city. His column is a work of clarity and balance, weaving together explanations of birds’ seasonal movements, concerns of activists and environmentalists, and actionable practices that buildings can and should be taking to minimize bird collisions and deaths. He uses his column as a place to hold accountable specific buildings that pose the highest risks, calling on these members of the Detroit cityscape to help protect Detroit’s avian visitors.

Silver Winner: Julie Lasky, Freelance Writer,  The New York Times

“Living Small” column - Collection Includes: “Maximizing Comfort in a Minimalist Space,” “They Found a Rare Species in the Catskills,” “Tucking Herself into a Place That Has Everything”

Judge’ Comment: Julie Lasky invites readers into the homes of people who have led lives as unique as their lodgings. With Lasky’s descriptive words woven with the use of quotes from the homeowners, there’s no need to imagine the look and feel of a 74-square-foot loft in Rotterdam, a 192-square-foot cabin in the Catskills and a 345-square-foot tiny house in North Carolina. But instead of simply holding us in voyeuristic awe of these people and their small patches of square footage, Lasky draws us in on what we all have in common: the search for a house that feels like home, no matter what that may look or feel like.

Bronze Winner: Robyn Friedman, Freelance Writer,  The Wall Street Journal

“You Have Homeowners Insurance. Is It Enough to Rebuild Your House?”

Category 5: Best Economic Analysis - Real Estate

Gold Winner: Nicole Friedman, The Wall Street Journa
“Insurance and Taxes Now Cost More Than Mortgages for Many Homeowners”

Judges’ Comment: Friedman’s story, built on data analysis, reveals an alarming trend in home ownership: A growing number of people are paying more in taxes and insurance than for their mortgage. Miami and New Orleans are among the worst cities for this phenomenon, not surprisingly because of hurricanes and flooding, but so are Rochester, New York, and Syracuse, New York. Friedman’s storytelling is well-supported by data and experts, but her true gift is in the real people she finds, such as the Florida woman who wants out of her condo (and sky-high insurance premiums) but hasn’t been able to find a buyer. Friedman’s human touch demonstrates how an economic analysis can both inform and engage.

Silver Winner: Mike Wereschagin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Post-Gazette investigation: Pittsburgh’s budget on the brink in 2025”

Judges’ Comment: Wereschagin analyzes Pittsburgh’s worsening fiscal crisis through a comprehensive examination of city budget documents and tax records. What he finds is waning property tax revenue from troubled office high-rises and overly optimistic budget assumptions. Wereschagin breaks down the complex economic reality for readers in clear, well-written prose. He engages the reader right away by describing the impact of a proposed cut in police and emergency services overtime on popular parades and other city events. Strong visuals and graphics also help make this a winning story.

Bronze Winner: Paulina Cachero, Bloomberg News

“How Gen Z Ended Up in So Much Debt”

Honorable Mention: Matt Wasielewski, Bisnow

“Facing Billions in Budget Shortfalls, Cities Scramble for Solutions”

Category 6: Best Interior Design Story

Gold Winner: Sarah Paynter, The Wall Street Journal

“Champagne Bars, Tanning Booths and Revolving Shoe Racks: The $1 Million Closet Has Arrived”

Judges’ Comment: Yes, wealthy homeowners are dropping as much as $1 million on closets, including a two-story one with a spray-tan booth and an elevator. Sarah Paynter avoids passing judgment on anyone’s silk wallpaper or meditation areas. Instead, she uses her eyes and ears during interviews with people like Kimmie Turiansky, who hosts her girlfriends in her $120,000, 470-square-foot space – with amenities like a center island with a brass charging port for her Chanel handbag with an LED screen. She also tucks in details about guys, who apparently like leather finishes and places to store collections of 200 shoes (hip-hop promoter Damon Dash and singer Elton John). Like the best reporters, Paynter gets memorable quotes about everything from “closet-reveal parties” to metal mesh shelves that let shoes “breathe.”

Silver Winner: Amy Gamerman, Freelance Writer, Mansion, The Wall Street Journal

“He Didn’t Want to Move. So He Built a Small One in the Backyard.”

Judges’ Comment: Amy Gamerman knows a trend in the making. In this thoroughly reported piece, she showcases the latest luxury: an exquisite miniature house designed to complement the big one out front. Traditionally, homeowners built accessory dwelling units for aging parents or adult offspring. But now a growing number seem to be moving into the tiny houses, which are set on solid foundations and are equipped with plumbing, bathrooms, kitchens and washer-dryers. Full of anecdotes and real people, like the ADU-dwelling dad who gifted the big home to his 49-year-old daughter (“I said, ‘Do you want the house? You’re going to get it sooner or later.’”), this expertly crafted piece might make mansion builders think twice.

Bronze Winner: Emily Jensen, Business Insider

“Extreme Apartment Makeover”

Category 7: Best Architecture Story

Gold Winner: Amanda Abrams, Freelance Writer, The Intercept

“The Little-Known Reason Counties Keep Building Bigger Jails: Architecture Firms”

Judges’ Comment: Whoever heard of “justice architecture”? In this heartbreaking story, Amanda Abrams writes that architecture companies produce “feasibility studies” and “needs assessments” that inevitably assume a future with more inmates and recommend bigger jails – and then lobby to get the contracts to draw up the plans for them and use public funds to build them. They don’t seem to improve life for inmates. As she notes, the word “architect” might “conjure images of soaring ceilings and big windows.” But these firms are rarely creating innovative designs. So inmates, like a 41-year-old with a history of mental illness who went off his medication and quickly committed three robberies, wind up spending years behind bars in spaces ill-suited to help them.

Silver Winner: Anna Kodé, The New York Times

“The Fight to Save Googie, the Style of Postwar Optimism”

Judges’ Comment: This well-reported homage to old-school restaurants with huge, space-age neon signs designed to catch the attention of people driving by in cars captures why so many Americans are lamenting the loss of these wacky-looking places. The giant Arby’s cowboy hat exemplifies the style known as Googie, adopted by Southern California drive-ins, motels, donut shops and other roadside businesses during the 1940s through 1970s. She gives excellent historical context, noting height and size limits – and Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 “America the Beautiful” initiative that spread the idea that “commercial clutter” was taking over U.S. roads. Readers, are remaining Googie signs an eyesore -- or a nostalgic nod to a more fun, creative time?

Bronze Winner: James Rodriguez, Business Insider

“America Has a Serious Ugly Home Problem”

Honorable Mention (tie): Sarah Rappaport, Bloomberg News

“Party Barns Are the Hottest Amenity for UK’s Countryside Rich”

Honorable Mention (tie): Michele Lerner, Freelance Writer, Mansion Global

“Log Cabin Living – But Luxuriously”

Category 8: Best Residential Real Estate Story – Daily or Weekly Newspaper

Gold Winner: Debra Kamin, The New York Times

“The Homeowners Who Beat the National Association of Realtors”

Judges’ Comment: Medical reporters try to track down “patient zero” -- the first person to become infected with a disease. Debra Kamin finds the six ordinary home sellers in Missouri who took on the National Association of Realtors over its seemingly nonnegotiable rules on broker commissions, which they feel is unfair. One of them, a police officer, says his real estate agent quoted him a “law-enforcement special” of 5.5% and then charged him 6% anyway. Kamin knows the power of numbers and uses them effectively. One of the couples owed $107,000 on their mortgage, sold the house for $126,000, netted $18,000 – and then paid 40% of that amount to commissions for their agent and the buyer’s agent. As the owner says, “It was a hard pill to swallow that we were walking away with so little.” Solid reporting, and lots of it, pays off.

Silver Winner: Will Parker, The Wall Street Journal

“Dreading the Constable’s Knock in an Eviction Capital”

Judges’ Comment: In Phoenix, a popular, landlord-friendly city with high rents, constables for eviction courts remove people from their homes when they stop paying rent. Pandemic assistance programs are over, and local laws are on the side of owners who want to get their money promptly. As Will Parker notes, the time between late rent and an eviction filing in Arizona can be as few as five days. Evictions in the “Silicon Desert” make work for attorneys, locksmiths, moving and storage companies, and extended-stay hotels. Also effective: Parker’s use of one of the constables, a Republican who in a past life was evicted twice himself. It’s a haunting and riveting story.

Bronze Winner: Nicole Friedman, The Wall Street Journal

“The Hidden Costs of Homeownership Are Skyrocketing”

Honorable Mention (tie): Marissa Luck, Houston Chronicle

“Forget pools and home theaters. Whole-home generators are the new ‘must have’ for Houston mansions.”

Honorable Mention (tie): Robyn Friedman, Freelance Writer, The Boston Globe

“One Big, Happy Family: The Rise of Multigenerational Living in America”

Category 9: Best Residential Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story – Daily or Weekly Newspaper

Gold Winner: Akiko Matsuda, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy, The Wall Street Journal

“Retirees’ Life Savings Can Vanish in Continuing Care Bankruptcies”

Judges’ Comment: When continuing care retirement communities fail financially, they put their residents and their heirs at risk of losing hefty, “fully refundable” entrance fee deposits. To illustrate how devastating this is, Akiko Matsuda zooms in on real seniors. One World War II veteran paid $145,000 to Henry Ford Village in suburban Detroit, which filed for bankruptcy, and his heirs learned they would recoup only $18,000 of it. His daughter calls it an “insult to the dignity and the integrity of a life well lived.” Matsuda also zooms out, explaining that 1,900 so-called continuing care or life-plan communities operate across the U.S. with 623,000 residents. After their retirement communities go belly up, seniors can lose their physical homes, their healthcare, and their life savings. Tragic.

Silver Winner: Jacob Geanous, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“‘Nobody Wants to Leave Their House’: Evictions jumped nearly 20% in Allegheny County in 2023”

Judges’ Comment: To show how the increase in evictions is devastating some Pittsburgh residents, Jacob Geanous turns to a reporter’s best tools: numbers and real people. The number of evictions filed in the county jumped nearly 20% in a year – from 11,115 in 2022 to 13,225 in 2023. Among them: a mom of five who found herself locked out of the federally subsidized apartment, where she lived for a decade, after she lost her job and failed to pay rent. As Geanous explains, unemployment and inflation intensified an already bad situation after the pandemic-era federal eviction moratorium ended in August 2021. Who suffers most? Communities of color.

Bronze Winner: Heather Senison, Freelance Writer, The New York Times

“One Family’s Road to Building a House Despite the Obstacles”

Honorable Mention: Richard Mize, The Oklahoman

“Homeowners Insurance Is Through the Roof in Oklahoma – and the Roof Might Not be Covered, Either”

Category 10: Best Commercial Real Estate Story - Daily or Weekly Newspaper

Gold Winner: Konrad Putzier, The Wall Street Journal
“The Real Estate Nightmare Unfolding in Downtown St. Louis”
Judges’ Comment: Putzier delves into the post-Covid remains of downtown St. Louis and writes compellingly about its self-perpetuating "doom loop." In a 15-block stretch, he meticulously mapped, there are two empty storefronts for every occupied one. He pulled cell phone data showing visits downtown are half what they were in 2019. Putzier knows what details will bring the story to life: An attorney complains his firm has no place to get lunch after the nearby Panera closed; signs warn visitors to “park in well-lit areas”; and a parking garage’s ceilings are crumbling, propped up by makeshift poles. The story’s beautiful photos and color-coded map help illustrate the decay.

Silver Winner: Oshrat Carmiel, Freelance Writer, New York Post

“How Canny Foreigners Are Investing Their Way Into a Green Card”

Judges’ Comment: Wealthy foreign investors have long used real estate investment as a fast track to getting a green card. But the $800,000 they used to invest in big city projects must now go to rural communities. Carmiel’s story is an intriguing look at some of the unexpected projects that have grown out of this change, including a religious Jewish community in Florida and a flour mill in Oregon. Carmiel talks to several developers who solicit funding for the ventures and finds it’s a booming area. The story is thoroughly reported, well-written and entertaining.

Bronze Winner: Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune

“Financial crisis at Heartland Alliance leads to furloughs, program cuts and an attempt to sell hundreds of affordable housing units”

Honorable Mention: Daniel Geiger, Business Insider

“Luxury developer Michael Shvo has big plans. Bitter disputes and a soft real estate market threaten to thwart them”

Category 11: Best Residential Real Estate, Residential Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Magazine Story - General Circulation

Gold Winner: Robyn Friedman, Freelance Writer, Kiplinger Personal Finance

“Is a 55+ Community Right for You?”

Judges’ Comments: A big question for aging homeowners in an era of “active adult” communities: Should they stay, or should they go? Robyn Friedman lays out the pros and cons, using dollars and real seniors. One sixty-something couple, who sold their Silicon Valley house, bought into a North Carolina 55+ development and happily spends their days playing pickleball and going to happy hours and concerts. A couple who bought into a Washington state community love the on-site water aerobics and line dancing. It’s all low maintenance, with the homeowners’ association handling landscaping and snow removal. Always balanced, Friedman also spells out downsides, including rules that may limit how long grandkids can visit and HOA fees that may increase faster than expected. Her practical tips include considering a test drive known as a “stay and play weekend.”

Silver Winner: Prashant Gopal, Bloomberg Markets Magazine

“Empty Rentals Burn Vacation-Home Owners Near Florida’s Disney World”

Judges’ Comment: In this lively, richly reported story, Prashant Gopal looks at how investing in Mickey Mouse – in this case, properties near Walt Disney World -- isn’t always a sure bet. He zooms in on Kissimmee, the 21-square-mile Orlando suburb with over 30,000 Airbnbs and other short-term rentals, more than any other U.S. city. The old rock-bottom interest rates fueled a buying binge there. But now post-pandemic travel to places like Disney World is slowing, rental income is falling, and investors are questioning a strategy called BRRRR (for buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat). Gopal tracks down hope-springs-eternal types, like a guy who will “theme” a house with, say, a 10-foot “Transformers” robot replica. Enjoy.

Bronze Winner: Emily Landes, The Real Deal

“How Icon Emerged from the Ashes of Corcoran’s First Major Franchise, Global Living”

Category 12: Best Residential Real Estate Trade or B-to-B Magazine Story

Gold Winner: Kate Hinsche, The Real Deal

“The Last Piece of Paradise: Palm Beach Battles for Its Only Major Dev Site Left”

Judges’ Comment: In Palm Beach, “not in my backyard” takes on a whole new meaning. Kate Hinsche, a master of “show, don’t tell” storytelling, starts with the doomed tale of a 5.8-acre parcel – basically a parking lot --that would seem ripe for developing. Nope. Opponents to building an apparently well-conceived space with 37 residential units included Liza Pulitzer, the great-granddaughter of newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer. After all, as Hinsche captures in her tale, this is Palm Beach. Fewer than 2,500 homes sit on the 16-mile-long island, perhaps best known for its estates like Mar-a-Lago and for its status as home to the highest concentration of houses priced at $50 million or more. As Hinsche points out, neighboring West Palm Beach is happily embracing developers. Noted.

Silver Winner: Sheridan Wall, The Real Deal

“Can Ryan Serhant Scale a National Brokerage Built on His Personality?”

Judges’ Comment: Sheridan Wall captures the essence of Ryan Serhant, a TV star with an eponymous brokerage in New York and seven other states. How many brokers boast 2.2 million followers on Instagram or a reality show – in his case, “Owning Manhattan”? Wall details his legend, from his start as an AT&T hand model to his 19-episode run on “As the World Turns” to nine seasons on Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing New York.” His “eat-sleep-sell” mentality seems exhausting (he worries about “not doing enough”), but Wall simply lays it out there rather than celebrating it or passing judgment. First-rate reporting.

Bronze Winner: Moira Ritter, CoStar News

“Hurricane Fallout Tests North Carolina Agents Working Through Home Buying Season’s New Reality”

Category 13: Best Commercial Real Estate Trade or B-to-B Magazine Story

Gold Winner: Rich Bockmann, The Real Deal

“Inside the Family Feud of the Multibillion-Dollar Sol Goldman Empire”

Judges’ Comments: Family feuds can make compelling yarns, and Rich Bochmann more than delivers in this deeply reported, “Succession-esque” tale about the four children of real-estate investor Sol Goldman. He pieces through trial testimony and court documents and interviews the key players. Sol Goldman’s will named his youngest daughter, Jane, and his son, Allan, who recently died of Parkinson’s, as his co-executors. Four decades later the family is in court. At stake: control of a $4 billion to $16 billion empire that includes properties like 96 Fifth Avenue. And of course, it’s complicated. For example, Sol Goldman begged his wife not to divorce him and scrawled on a yellow legal notepad that she would get a third of his fortune when he died if she stayed. And Sol Goldman’s daughter Amy, perhaps the world’s premiere vegetable gardener, most strongly opposes her sister Jane these days. It's screenplay material.

Silver Winner: Emma Whalen, The Real Deal

“Inside Jay Shidler’s Ground Lease Kingdom”

Judges’ Comment: Hawaii-based Jay Shidler likes to own the land beneath buildings – a business model used by the king of the islands that later became an American state. Extensive reporting makes it possible for reporter Emma Whalen to convincingly draw that comparison and to tell an intriguing tale about how Shidler uses this real-estate strategy. He’s a compelling character who has contributed $238 million in cash and ground leases to his alma mater, the University of Hawaii. It’s a kingly amount.

Bronze Winner (tie): Evelyn Lee, PERE

“Ryan Cotton’s Outsider Perspective”

Bronze Winner (tie): Jeff Shaw, Seniors Housing Business

“Development Lessons from Abroad”

Category 14: Best Online Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story

Gold Winner: Deborah Kearns, Freelance Writer, RISMedia

“Mortgage Industry Exodus: ‘Nearly Half’ of Producing Loan Officers Have Left the Business”

Judges’ Comment: Deborah Kearns shines a spotlight on mortgage loan officers as thousands have been laid off in the past few years. She balances data giving a macro look at the challenges facing the industry alongside personal anecdotes of loan officers trying to navigate the uncertainties of the real estate industry in terms of their own careers and livelihoods. She clearly shows how the overlapping pressures of higher interest rates, low housing industry and concentration of business in the hands of the top loan originators creates a “no-win situation” for those not at the top, who turn to multiple side gigs or exit the industry entirely.

Silver Winner: Kate Wood, NerdWallet

“What the Fed’s Rate Cutting Plans Mean for the Housing Market”

Judges’ Comment: Kate Wood clearly broke down for buyers and homeowners looking to refinance or sell how the Federal Reserve’s cuts could affect them, not just in the immediate aftermath of the cut but as the domino effects for the market play out. Wood brings in experts as well as takes data from recent historical trends to give those looking to buy, sell or refinance the information they need to decide the best path for them.

Bronze Winner: Libertina Brandt, The Wall Street Journal

“Public Beach or Private? Homeowners in Florida Draw a Line in the Sand”

Honorable Mention: Andrew Dehan, Bankrate

“How Generative AI Is Changing The Mortgage Process”

Category 15: Best Online Commercial Real Estate Story

Gold Winner: Ethan Rothstein, Maddy McCarty and Jarred Schenke, Bisnow

“A VC-Backed Startup Turned Houses into Stocks. Its Bets Are Failing, Leaving Its Tenants and Investors in Limbo”
Judges’ Comment: Rothstein, McCarty and Schenke were ahead of the curve on this exceptional story about fractional real estate company Landa, a start-up that sold investors small shares in properties and claimed it was “democratizing” home ownership. Later, many of those investors couldn’t access their money or get answers from Landa. The reporters visited properties and talked to tenants, who said the homes offered cheap rent but weren’t maintained. Schenke’s photos helped document the abandoned and neglected properties. Meticulously reported and well-written, the story proved prescient, as a judge later ordered Landa to divest more than 100 properties that were mismanaged and in default.

Silver Winner: Patrick Clark and Prashant Gopal, Bloomberg News
“Why NYC Apartment Buildings Are on Sale Now for 50% Off”

Judges’ Comment: Clark and Gopal detail the impact of new (2019) rent-control restrictions on New York City landlords in this deeply reported story. Their findings are dramatic: Rent-controlled buildings have lost an estimated $75 billion in value, a sharp reversal of their big gains under the old rules. Landlords, no longer rewarded for their efforts, have stopped upgrading the buildings. Some have sold their buildings, sometimes for half what they paid, while others have stopped renting out their units altogether. Clark and Gopal provide a nuanced analysis and history of rent control, and interview tenants who count on the reduced-rate digs.

Bronze Winner: Emily Wishingrad and Jon Banister, Bisnow

“’Shocking’ Plunge in Office Values Reveals Depth of D.C.’s Looming Economic Crisis”

Honorable Mention: Matt Wasielewski, Bisno

“The Average Appraiser is Aging Out of the Workforce. A Crippling Labor Shortage Looms”

Category 16: Best Real Estate E-Newsletter Editor

Gold Winner: Katharine Carlon, Maddy McCarty, and Billy Wadsack, Bisnow

The Texas Tea

Judges’ Comment: This conversational newsletter is like sitting down across from a friend or neighbor to discuss and dissect the latest neighborhood gossip. It tackles the biggest headline news of the area with nuanced commentary and shares the best of Bisnow with appetite-whetting, quick-hitting blurbs full of context that make readers want to click on the link and get the whole story. The calendar at the end of the newsletter is a nice touch that nods to the sense of community this newsletter is cultivating.

Silver Winner: Steph Kukuljan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Brick City

Judges’ Comment: Brick City offers St. Louis a consistent, reliable rundown of the most important stories affecting the local real estate market. Kukuljan’s news judgment shines through the selection of top stories, a sharp and surgical breakdown of an ongoing saga of reinvestment in north St. Louis and the handy “reporter’s notebook” highlighting interesting odds and ends. It has established itself as a must-read of STL real estate news.

BRONZE: Greg Dool, PERE

Blueprint

Category 17: Best Audio Real Estate Report – Online or Broadcast – Podcast or Radio – local, network, subscription or internet channels

Gold Winner: Stephanie Ricca, Hotel News Now

“Tell Me More: A Hospitality Data Podcast”
Judges’ Comment: The best podcasts make the listener feel like they’re part of the conversation. Ricca hits the mark in this deep dive into hotel and travel trends featuring three guests and lots of valuable insights. A guest from Expedia identifies trends for 2025, such as Gen Z’s booming affinity for all-inclusive resorts. Ricca’s engagement with her guests, easy banter and well-placed questions help to break up potentially dense material. Strong production values round out this winner.

Silver Winner: Jordana Rothberg, Multi-Housing News

“MHN: Top Marketers: The Psychology of Marketing”

Judges’ Comment: Rothberg is a skilled host who engages warmly with her guest, a respected multi-family marketer who is full of tips for getting desirable tenants to commit. From ending every email with a question (to encourage more communication) to urging potential tenants to touch everything during property tours, this podcast offers actionable advice for marketers, with a psychological twist. Rothberg knows what will keep the listener on the hook and delivers it with strong production values and professionalism.

Bronze Winner: Sarah Wheeler, Housing Wire Daily

“Logan Mohtashami on Mortgage Rates Under a Trump Presidency”

Honorable Mention: Paul Rosta, Commercial Property Executive

“Investment Matters: Forging Development Success”

Category 18: Best Video Real Estate Report Online or Broadcast – Streaming or Television – local, network, subscription or internet channel
Gold Winner: Jared Kofsky, Maia Rosenfeld, Steve Osunsami, Howard Tate, Steve Senn, Mike Ladisa, Stephen Mucci, Steve Widner, Sabrina Cedeno-Tobon, Cindy Galli, and Eric Ortega, ABC News and ABC Owned Television Stations

“Our Inheritance is Washing Away: Shiloh Revisited”

Judges’ Comment: ABC's prime-time video story follows up on their previous investigation into flooding on land in Alabama after a new state highway was built. The land, owned for the past 150 years by 12 Black families, floods repeatedly when it rains, but the state refuses to acknowledge the flooding has anything to do with the new highway just yards away. The news coverage prompts then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to visit, and ABC tags along. The story’s compelling characters make viewers care about a far-flung community and root for a solution.

Silver Winner: Michelle Jarboe, News 5 Cleveland (WEWS)

“’Just providence.’ There’s a plan to save two historic mansions on Cleveland’s East Side”
Judges’ Comment: Two old mansions are the last survivors on a Cleveland street in a once-deemed “bad neighborhood.” The local preservation society is raising money to restore them. Jarboe tells that story, but it’s wrapped in the more poignant tale of how the owner, Frances May, fought hard to earn landmark status for the homes to ensure their survival after her death. One of May’s sons visits the house with Jarboe to reminisce and to view items May collected for a future museum in the home. The story is beautifully crafted and makes good use of historic photos, music and graphics.

Bronze Winner: Francisco Alvarado, Nicole Guillen, and Sydnee Bursik, The Real Deal

“How Wynwood became Miami’s hottest neighborhood”

Honorable Mention: Jesse Williams, RISMedia

“Brokers Expect Post-Election Sales Jump, With Rates Dependent on Outcome”

Category 19: Best Breaking Real Estate News Story

Gold Winner: Patrick Clark, Natalie Wong, and Diana Li, Bloomberg News

“A $560 Billion Property Warning Hits Banks From NY to Tokyo”

Judges’ Comment: This collaboration between reporters in the U.S. and Japan took overnight breaking news of New York Community Bancorp’s and Tokyo-based Aozora Bank’s stocks plunging and reported with an eye beyond just the immediate effects on the market. They showed how various factors such as increased regulation and fearful investors were keeping the commercial real estate market in a state of precarity that would have ramifications beyond just the troubled office market. Their work painted a picture of a complex web with no easy fix and warned of the possibility of long-reaching effects.

Silver Winner: Katherine Kallergis and Sheridan Wall, The Real Deal

“Lawsuits accuse top broker Oren Alexander, brother Alon of rape”

Judges’ Comment: This story broke the news of lawsuits accusing a top broker and his twin brother of rape. Katherine Kallergis and Sheridan Wall untangled the series of cases stacking up against Oren and Alon Alexander, giving context and nuance to the headlines and stories that have proliferated since on the Alexander brothers. The story broke down the lawsuits, explaining both the allegations and the legal implications in New York, where the suits were filed, showing sound news judgment on which details to include.

Bronze Winner: Maddy McCarty, Bisnow

“$384M In Houston Multifamily Properties Set For Auction Block Tuesday As Distress Mounts”

Honorable Mention: Kirk Pinho, Kurt Nagl, David Eggert, Crain's Detroit Business

“RenCen plan would demolish 2 towers — but it hinges on public money”

Category 20: Best Investigative Report or Investigative Series - Real Estate

Gold Winner: Lizzie Kane and Talia Soglin, The Chicago Tribune

“Verbal abuse, a ‘sex-driven’ culture: Ex-employees describe toxic environment at Guaranteed Rate”

Judges’ Comment: Lizzie Kane and Talia Soglin’s in-depth reporting on employees’ experiences working for residential mortgage company Guaranteed Rate uncovered a toxic culture characterized by verbal abuse and misogyny. Kane and Soglin interviewed dozens of former employees and reviewed court records, internal company emails, exit interviews and text messages, meticulously piecing together a picture of a workplace environment that affected employees’ mental health and led many to quit, despite a public-facing employee-wellness campaign toted by the company. Kane and Soglin make it easy to follow the many layers of their investigation, a showcase of masterful and meticulous reporting.

Silver Winner: Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal

Series Includes: “Families say misplaced headstones and poor upkeep at Mountain View Cemetery compounded their grief,” “Conflict over Reno’s only Muslim cemetery test the area’s Muslim community”

Judges’ Comment: Jason Hidalgo uncovers a pattern of mismanagement and conflict at a Reno cemetery that serves the local Muslim community. He shines a spotlight on problems, such as bodies being moved to different spots in the cemetery, poor upkeep, extra fees being charged and headstones being lost or misplaced — that is, placed on the wrong graves. Hidalgo contextualizes the significance to the community of having a dedicated Muslim cemetery, explaining the traditions of Muslim burials and increased ability of families to visit their loved ones. His reporting creates a multi-dimensional picture, highlighting both the personal and legal ramifications of this conflict.

Bronze Winner: Sydnee Chapman Gonzalez, Freelance Writer, The Utah Investigative Journalism Project

Series Includes: “Utah in danger of losing hundreds of affordable housing units in next few years” The Utah Investigative Journalism Project & KSL.com; “St.George complex among hundreds of affordable housing units expiring in the next few years” St George News; “Ogden complexes among hundreds of affordable housing units expiring in the next few years” The Standard-Examiner.

Honorable Mention: Alex Nitkin, A.D. Quig, and Cam Rodriguez - Chicago Tribune and Illinois Answers Project

Series Includes: “Luxury Home or Vacant Lot? Cook County Assessor Misclassifies Hundreds of Properties, Missing $444M in One Year Alone,” “How We Reported on Cook County Assessment Errors” Illinois Answers Project; “Misclassifications, missed millions,” “How much have county assessors back taxed?” “How we reported on assessment errors” Chicago Tribune.

Category 21: Best Multi-Platform Package or Series - Real Estate

Gold Winner (tie): Caroline Spivack, Crain’s New York Business

“Subway & Retail SOS”

Judges’ Comment: Spivack’s story is a visually stunning data-driven investigation of the mall spaces beneath the New York City subway in Manhattan. They’re 80% vacant, worse than the worst-performing shopping malls, Spivack finds, while transit ridership has mostly rebounded after Covid-19. She interviews transit experts who say the dark, empty spaces make riders feel unsafe. The story is layered with historical and international context alongside a vertical timeline dotted with text, numbers, video, photos and pull-quotes that add a wonderful sense of discovery to the reader’s experience. It’s an impressive piece of work.

Gold Winner (tie): Marissa Luck and Amelia Winger, The Houston Chronicle

Series Includes: “Houston is filled with empty office buildings no one wants. Why aren’t more turned into housing?” “How $100M turned a vacant downtown Houston highrise office into luxury apartments,” “Why converting offices to apartments won’t save a broken office market in Houston”

Judges’ Comment: Empty office buildings beg the question – what will become of them? Luck and Winger attempt to answer that question for Houston’s empty buildings in this outstanding series of stories. Costs are steep, but the city could provide tax incentives, developers tell them. One of the stories allows the reader to scroll over a floor plan of an office to see how it can transform into residential units. Another explores a recently converted property that’s succeeded. Luck and Winger leave few stones unturned in this deeply reported series, and their writing style is clear and accessible.                                                         

Silver Winner: Natalie Wong and Patrick Clark, Bloomberg News

“The Brutal Reality of Plunging Office Values is Here”

Judges’ Comment: Wong and Clark surveyed the state of the U.S. office building market as deals resumed post-Covid 19, and produced a compelling story that’s impressive in both scope and depth. With more than $1 trillion in commercial real estate loans coming due, property owners must either default or sell buildings for a fraction of what they paid. With nuance and context and plenty of detail, Wong and Clark write coherently about the reckoning. An explainer video further articulates the issue with high-quality production values, writing and interviews.

Bronze Winner: Jonathan LaMantia and Jasmine Anderson, Newsday

“Why Long Island homebuyers can’t catch a break in a market where prices are up 86% in 10 years

Honorable Mention: Erin Reynolds, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Real estate social video stories”

Category 22: Best Real Estate Data Journalism Reporting

Gold Winner: Ronda Kaysen and Ethan Singer, The New York Times

“Millions of Movers Reveal American Polarization in Action”

Judges’ Comment: Ronda Kaysen, Ethan Singer and the graphics team literally show what happens when people who are Democrat and Republican relocate from more politically balanced neighborhoods to ones that are more red or more blue – that is, more ideologically homogenous. (Independents choose more balanced places.) Kaysen and Singer sift through extensive data, including voter-registration records, and interview many movers to show how partisanship plays a powerful role when Americans uproot and find a new home. This widens the gap between blue and red communities. In essence, as this fascinating story and its compelling visuals show, it seems Americans’ home is increasingly where both their hearts and the members of their political party are.

Silver Winner: Nicole Friedman and Alana Pipe, The Wall Street Journal

“Boomers Buying Houses Had It Bad in the ‘80s. Millennials Have It Worse.”

Judges’ Comment: It’s official: The environment for buying a home is even worse today than in the 1980s. Back then, mortgage rates were even higher. Yet the supply was bigger. Nicole Friedman and Alana Pipe show with numbers why millennials and Gen Zers feel frustrated as they cross their fingers for more home building. The Wall Street Journal team finds the data, crunches it, shows it in charts and clearly explains it in this thoroughly reported numbers-heavy story. Yes, it’s true that the median age of first-time and repeat buyers is getting older and older. And it’s true that the inventory of single-family homes for sale is down. Interestingly, the popularity of adjustable-rate mortgages is plummeting. Boomers who felt the pinch in the ‘80s may feel lucky after they see this story.

Bronze Winner (tie): Kate Hinsche and Adam Farence, The Real Deal

“The Miami Paradox”

Bronze Winner (tie): Carmen Arroyo, Natalie Wong, Aaron Gordon and Christopher Cannon, Bloomberg News

“The Commercial Real Estate Crash Is Battering Even the Safest Bonds”

Honorable Mention: Frank Kummer, Kevin Riordan, Jake Blumgart, Joseph N. DiStefano, and Erin McCarthy, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Millions of square feet of warehouses have dramatically altered the Philly area. Towns are starting to push back.”

Category 23: Best International Real Estate Story

Gold Winner: Colette Coleman, Freelance Writer, The New York Times

“Blaxit: Tired of Racism, Black Americans Try Life in Africa”

Judges’ Comment: Colette Coleman weaves together the stories of Black Americans who have relocated to Africa, building homes and living in places without the deep-rooted racism and discrimination they faced in the U.S. Coleman crafts, with care, a complex look at what changes for these families after their move - from their material situations, to the psychological effects, to navigating new tensions that arise. These unique perspectives add dimension to our understanding of the challenges still facing and remaining unaddressed in American society.

Silver Winner: Mark Faithfull and Mike Phillips, Bisnow

“The Green Building Certification System Is Worth Billions — But It Isn't Helping”

Judges’ Comment: Mark Faithfull and Mike Phillips explore the business behind green building certification as it experiences a “golden age.” Their reporting shows how the certification system, meant to award and encourage buildings and companies to aim for sustainability, is failing at helping the real estate industry cut carbon. A bloated system and varying standards for what constitutes a net-zero building have not helped the process. But Faithfull and Phillips don’t stop there — they identify ways to improve the system and make it more effective, shining a light on a possible path forward.

Bronze Winner: Michele Lerner, Freelance Writer, Green Builder Media

“Should I Expat to Own a Home?”

Category 24: Best Team Report - Real Estate

Gold Winner: Madeline Berg and Dan Latu, Business Insider

“Homes on billionaire hot spot Nantucket are falling into the ocean at an alarming rate – but the wealthy won’t stop buying”

Judges’ Comment: Berg and Latu set out to explain why Nantucket remains a magnet for the ultra-wealthy despite erosion that threatens its multimillion-dollar homes. The story is full of colorful anecdotes and quotes (“..once the septic falls in, it’s a pretty shitty situation”) from residents who gamely stay put. The story soars on such tidbits as a local golf club applying for a demolition permit “in case,” and a coastal home selling for $600,000 instead of the $2.3 million asking price. Meanwhile, a real estate agent worries the industry isn’t doing enough to warn potential buyers. Berg and Latu do a masterful job with this schadenfreude-esque story.

Silver Winner: Teri Errico Griffis and David Slade, The Post and Courier
“Charleston-area employers are buying property to house workers. Could this become a trend?”

Judges’ Comment: Responding to a tip, Griffis and Slade discovered a surprising trend in the Charleston area. A few employers, including the owner of a pharmacy, were buying homes and then renting them to employees at a reduced rate. The reporting duo drilled down on the area’s high cost of housing amid a shortage of affordable homes and found examples in other South Carolina communities, such as Hilton Head, where employer-subsidized housing was taking hold. The story is comprehensive, packed with examples and supporting data, and ahead of the curve.

Bronze Winner: Zachary Hansen and Drew Kann, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Georgia wanted to attract more data centers. Now it needs more power.”

Honorable Mention: Lillian Dickerson and Taylor Anderson, Inman News

“Jason Oppenheim identified as mystery broker in kickback plot”

Category 25: Best Design, Home or Shelter Magazine

Gold Winner: Pete Catapano, Mansion Global

Experience Luxury

Judges’ Comments: This high-end magazine covers lifestyles of the rich and famous with panache. Beautifully photographed, well-reported pieces about multimillion-dollar log cabins and mansions jutting off the side of a cliff are par for the course in this publication. It’s written and edited with panache and clever headlines, including, “Living Like Lincoln – But Luxuriously.” The ads are gorgeous as the editorial pages, and that’s part of the fun and charm of this coffee-table winner. Curl up with Mansion Global and browse through sale listings for properties such as the $37.8 million Sullivan Estate in Hawaii. And then flip back to a story about “wellness” travel to retreats in Bali and New Mexico. This guilty pleasure is decadent and delightful.

Category 26: Best Residential Real Estate - Trade Magazine

Gold Winner: Stuart Elliot, Editor-in-Chief; Cara Eisenpress, Features Editor; Sheridan Wall, Cover Story Reporter and the TRD Staff , The Real Deal

August 2024 issue

Judges’ Comments: The Real Deal knows how to both inform and entertain. It’s hard to resist flipping ahead to “Dirty Deeds: This month in real estate crime and punishment” and reading about an armed, tattooed investor fleeing arrest in Los Angeles. But all the sections are interesting and well named, including “Comings & Goings,“ “Obituaries,” and “In Their Words.” In this issue, TRD tackles “Which Side of the Aisle” – a look at the outspoken, big-spending political players in real estate. It's timely and intriguing. (Trump gets more real-estate donations than Harris.) Other strong pieces: a ranking of LA’s top brokers and a cover about TV star broker Ryan Serhant. It’s a high-quality, hard-to-stop-reading, dishy magazine.

Silver Winner: Paige Tepping, RISMedia Real Estate magazine

February 2024 issue

Judges’ Comments: This magazine gives agents and brokers what they need to know, under sections called “headliners,” “coaching,” “team talk,” “business builders” and “trends and issues.” It also highlights newsmakers, like CoStar founder and CEO Andy Florance, who recently started a big homes.com marketing campaign. The magazine runs a Q&A with a young woman realtor with a side gig as a “golf content creator” – and another Q&A with the president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ New York Properties’ New York City brokerage. It also gives its readers good “news you can use.” For example, a Q&A called “Tips for Talking to Potential Buyer Clients About Commissions” talks about being open about not working for free and about bringing up and explaining the NAR lawsuits. The “hall of fame” profiles also seem like a must-read for people in the industry.

Bronze Winner: Matt Power and Alan Naditz, Green Builder magazine

May-June 2024 issue

Category 27: Best Commercial Real Estate - Trade Magazine

Gold Winner: Stuart Elliot,  Editor-in-Chief; Cara Eisenpress, Features Editor; Keith Larsen, Cover Story Reporter and the TRD Staff, The Real Deal

April 2024 issue

Judges’ Comment: The arresting cover line, “Real Estate’s Rasputin,” is classic for The Real Deal, which zeroes in on colorful characters whose stories illustrate larger issues in the industry. (In this case, Nir Meir lived a life of luxury and chaos and wound up at Rikers Island.) TRD is irreverent, in the best way. A regular two-page spread called “In Their Words” shows photos of real-estate newsmakers along with pull quotes from them. As a good industry magazine should, it also includes explainers, including one on why the NAR settled its antitrust lawsuit and what it means. In classic fashion, it also looks at the winners and losers. TRD is never dull, which wonderfully extends to its headlines (“Big Bad Wolfe: Dallas Syndicator Kenny Wolfe may have blown his own house down when he took on office-to-resi conversion”). Read it cover to cover, learn a lot, and smile at the skillful reporting, writing and cleverness.

Silver Winner: Randall Shearin, Shopping Center Business

May 2024 issue

Judges’ Comments: This monthly may seem niche (it is, after all, focused on shopping centers), but it’s fascinating, well reported and well executed. A cover story on Ovation, a planned 80-acre, upscale, mixed-use center in Orlando for adult travelers and locals, explains plans for different themed “zones.” (Zone 5, for example, will be nightlife.) Another piece looks at lessons learned for urban areas from three mixed-use developments in Georgia. And yet another one peeks at that mall staple, Wetzel’s Pretzels, and its new concept, Twisted by Wetzel’s. And as it should, this industry publication includes nuts-and-bolts news about, for example, a new, 135,000-square-foot Target in Provo, Utah, in “Newsline,” and about, for example, a new Freddy’s Frozen Custard airport location in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in “Retail News.” A sign of this magazine’s vibrance: Its 133 pages, including ads.

Bronze Winner: Charlotte D’Souza, Evelyn Lee, Harrison Connery, Jonathan Brasse, Christie Ou, Stuart Watson, Sarah Marx, Lucy Scott, Guelda Voien, PERE

September 2024 issue

Category 28: Best Real Estate Newsletter Issue - Digital or Print

Gold Winner: Heather Stone and Glenn Demby, Fair Housing Coach

July 2024 issue

Judges’ Comment: In this newsletter, Fair Housing Coach tackled the discriminatory issues that come with using AI-based services to screen potential tenants. The pages are filled with explanations of how the tenant-screening industry has increasingly turned to artificial intelligence, how discrimination still seeps through AI and what landlords can do to ensure they are not falling into this pattern of discrimination. It is a robust guide full of detailed best practices and additional tips to help landlords navigate this murky and evolving landscape.

Silver Winner: Kathryn Brenzel, The Real Deal

“The Daily Dirt: Broker-fee bill, brought to you by TikTok”

November 2024 issue

Judges’ Comment: Kathryn Brenzel delivers a conversational and informative newsletter to subscribers’ inboxes. She combines the tone of columnist and reporter as she breaks down the influence of TikTok on the passage of a City Council bill. On one hand she’s the slightly befuddled Millennial who prefers Instagram, on the other she’s pressing council members for more context on how the bill came together and explaining the next hurdles it would need to clear to become law. The rest of the newsletter is a quick-hitting scroll through the more tidbits of New York real estate news, balancing importance with piquing interest.

Bronze Winner: Randy Plavajka, PERE Credit

“Term Sheet”

October 2024 issue

Category 29: Best Newspaper Real Estate or Home Section

Gold Winner: Nikita Stewart and the NYT Staff, The New York Times

“The Renters Issue”

Judges’ Comment: The New York Times’ Renters Issue is a wonderfully curated collection of stories bursting with information for the city’s renters and those contemplating buying. The pages hold a balance of practical advice, personal anecdotes and profiles, and features full of photos showing beautifully lived-in spaces — the place people call home. It is a rich archive of the breadth of renters’ experiences.

Silver Winner: Heather Halberstadt, The Wall Street Journal

“Mansion”

Judges’ Comment: The Wall Street Journal’s Mansion brings together a wide array of real estate stories from around the world, but they all feel at home in this gracefully laid-out section that manages to prioritize both the written words and stunning visuals. Where else can you stroll through Parisian neighborhoods, then turn a page and land in Texas? Take a tour through Tom Ford’s real estate portfolio, then learn about the effects of a landslide in Wyoming and Idaho?

Bronze Winner: Lois Weiss, Steve Cuozzo, Christopher Cameron, Christopher Bunting, and Anissa Lorenzi Boukourizia, New York Post

“October Commercial Real Estate Special”

Category 30: Best Real Estate Web Site

Gold Winner: Stuart Elliott, Jerry Sullivan, Ina Cordle, Ellen Cranley, Erik Engquist, Cara Eisenpress, Caysey Welton, Rachel Stone, Joel Russell, Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, The Real Deal

Judges’ Comment: The Real Deal is a consistently rich repository of real estate news. It serves as a home for everything from quick hits to deep dives, covering all corners of the industry. The visually appealing site orders this deluge of information in clearly marked sections and labels, so users can either easily find what they’re looking for or scroll leisurely through to peruse all the offerings.

Silver Winner: Pete Catapano, Mansion Global

Judges’ Comment: Mansion Global is a destination real estate website that uses its space to highlight beautiful homes and locations to devastating effect. The clean, crisp design and enjoyable user experience makes navigating this website a pleasure. One must find the will to stop flipping through the gorgeous photos featured in the listings, but the creative columns and peeks into celebrity homes are up to the task.

Bronze Winner: Jennifer White Karp, Celia Young, and Evelyn Battaglia, Brick Underground

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