CATEGORY CRITERIA


1. Independent Estate Agency Firm of the Year Open to smaller fi rms, based in a local area and with no more than two offi ces.


2. Independent Estate Agency Chain of the Year Open to chains with between three and 10 offi ces.


3. National Estate Agency Chain of the Year Open to chains with 11 or more offi ces.


4. Independent Lettings Agency of the Year Open to local lettings agents with a recognised lettings department, and with no more than fi ve offi ces.


5. National Lettings Agency of the Year Open to any specialist lettings chain with six or more offi ces. Estate agency fi rms with a recognized lettings department that operates from more than six offi ces may also apply for this category.


Please answer all of the


following questions for categories one to fi ve. The judging panel requires as much evidence as possible to support each of your responses: ● How has the business developed? Please provide data that indicates your turnover and/ or profi tability over the last three years by completing the grid on the last page of this form. ● What new services/initiatives have you developed or launched over the last three years? Explain their rationale and the impact they have had on your business. ● How have you adapted to the current economic climate? ● What new innovations have you introduced? These could relate to technology, marketing or accounting. ● How have you developed your staff ? Explain your training philosophy, and how much you invest per member of staff each year on training and Continuing Professional Development. ● How have you supported your local community and the environment? For example, what fundraising or recycling initiatives have you developed? ● Which single thing would you consider to be your greatest landmark achievement of the last three years?


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6. Residential Auctioneer of the Year You cannot formally enter this category. The Negotiator will be forming a special academy of the UK’s most infl uential residential auctioneers, who will be asked to vote for their most admired fi rm.


7. Property Manager of the Year This award is open to property and block manager specialists, or teams from bigger multi- disciplinary fi rms, in property and block management. Please explain within your


500-word entry how you have had a positive impact on both the buildings you manage and their residents and, if relevant, their developers or owners. Provide testimonials for this


category, along with statistical evidence of your performance.


8. Franchise of the Year Please provide answers to all of the bullet points listed above for awards one to fi ve. You should also show evidence of: ● Franchisee growth ● Brand development ● Procurement management and development ● Support services development ● A system and procedural review strategy ● Training support.


9. Residential Mortgage Broker of the Year Open to in-house and independent mortgage brokers for whom at least 30 per cent of business is agency-related. For this award, entrants must provide evidence of: ● Average number of cases per month ● Average case value ● Innovation ● Agency support


10. Community Champion of the Year This award recognises agents’ corporate and social responsibility. Entrants should provide evidence of their engagement with their local community via charity fundraising challenges or local events, such as school sports days and fetes. Green initiatives to help reduce carbon emissions are also encouraged, and these may include paperless working practices or the installation of energy saving devices.


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11. Innovator of the Year Open to agents with any form of innovation that they believe has benefi ted their business or the industry in the last year, be it technical, fi nancial or in marketing. Provide a detailed explanation of the innovation, with examples of how it has impacted both the business and the wider agency market. A good testimonial or example of its impact would be useful.


12. Marketing Team of the Year Please provide details of new marketing techniques and examples of successful marketing campaigns run over the last year. Remember to provide


evidence of your marketing claims with facts and fi gures wherever possible. Also remember to include images with the examples you provide, which may be in form of testimonials, press cuttings, brochures, sample adverts, or web grabs, as part of your four-page entry submission. Please do not submit sample


brochures or other marketing material as part of your entry.


13. Employer of the Year Entries are welcome from the management of agency fi rms, or from members of staff , who genuinely feel that their fi rm is a great place to work. Your submission must explain why you consider the fi rm to be such a good place to work. Please also provide the fi rm’s staff churn rate, details of its recruitment strategy and training regime, plus any Continuing Professional Development undertaken. We also require evidence of


staff mentoring, and how the fi rm’s culture engenders employment best practice. Please also consider whether


the fi rm has an active social calendar, the standard of its offi ce facilities, any special perks for staff that make the fi rm stand out, and the diversity of staff gender and ethnicity. Also provide examples of


staff rewards for good performance and opportunities for career progression where possible.


14. Newcomer of the Year Open to agencies formed since January 1 2008. Please provide answers to all


of the bullet points listed above for awards one to fi ve. Please also provide an overview of the launch, including details of funding, business strategy and growth to date.


15. Rising Star of the Year This category is aimed at identifying the potential agency leaders of the future. It is only open to people born since January 1 1981. The trophy will be awarded


to someone who, for their age, has been exceptionally successful within agency. This may be in terms of growing their business, or perhaps through their work on behalf of one of the sector’s professional bodies or institutes. You can enter this category


yourself. Alternatively, you can nominate a colleague or peer. Your 500-word submission should detail a nominee’s career to date, their key milestones and why you believe that they will be an industry name to watch.


16. Agency Leader of the Year This award will be presented to the chief executive, managing director or senior partner of a fi rm, large or small, who has excelled consistently in the profession over the last few years. Entries are welcome from employees or marketing departments who would like to commend the leadership of their boss. Please provide details of the leadership skills of your nominee, plus a case study that highlights their contribution to staff development and business performance.


PLEASE NOTE: You must notify nominees about your entry prior to entering them into Categories 13, 15 and 16.


WHEN AND WHERE: THE HILTON PARK LANE, PARK LANE, LONDON 24 OCTOBER 2012.


DOWNLOAD THE ENTRY FORM AT: http://thenegotiator.co.uk/enter2012


TheNegotiator ● July 2012 ● 9


AWARDS 2012


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