These Awards Are Looking For The People Who Will Shape The Future Of Real Estate

Sustainability, community impact, diversity, innovation, empathy. These are the issues and qualities that will define the future of real estate. And the BPF is looking to recognise the future leaders in real estate who are displaying them and driving this agenda.  

The BPF Futures Tomorrow’s Leaders Awards 2020 are now open for entry to find and celebrate the UK property industry’s rising stars, in partnership with Bisnow for a second year. 

The property industry is changing. Like all business sectors it is under pressure from its customers, investors and the communities it serves to demonstrate that it is a force for good. 

This year’s BPF Futures Tomorrow’s Leaders Awards will look to meet this challenge head-on and showcase the positive impact that future real estate leaders are making on social and economic wellbeing across the UK. 

To lead the social value agenda, the BPF launched the Redefining Real Estate campaign in 2019. It is a long-term programme of change built around four pillars: safeguarding the environment, reinvigorating and strengthening communities, nurturing a skilled and diverse workforce, and creating wealth and contributing to a productive economy.

In line with these key themes, the BPF Futures Tomorrow’s Leaders awards categories are:

BPF Futures Sustainability Award, sponsored by Lloyds

As long-term investors in towns and cities, the property industry is a vital steward of the environment and will be central to tackling the climate crisis. This award recognises an individual or team that has delivered a project with sustainability at its heart. This could involve encouraging “clean growth”, enhancing biodiversity, reducing carbon footprint, solving environmental challenges in partnership with customers, or any other initiative to make a business, a place or the industry more sustainable.

“Sustainability is now the key theme in property, and finance plays a vital role in incentivising businesses to act responsibly,” Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking Managing Director and Head of Real Estate and Housing Madeleine McDougall said. “The BPF Futures Sustainability Award not only recognises but rewards progressive businesses committed to tackling the climate crisis.” 

BPF Futures Community Impact Award, sponsored by M&G Real Estate

The real estate industry creates and maintains the physical fabric of thriving communities across the UK — places that are cohesive, safe, healthy and active. This award recognises someone who has delivered a project that has made a real positive impact locally working in partnership with local people and organisations, whether public sector stakeholders, community groups or local businesses.

“We firmly believe that community flows through the arteries of thriving places in which people want to live and work,” M&G Global Head of Real Estate Tony Brown said.

BPF Futures Better Business Award

The property industry is determined to become more diverse and inclusive, allowing it to recruit and retain the brightest and best, to better serve the communities in which it works, and to spur business success through encouraging creativity and freedom of thought. This award recognises someone who has personally driven projects that have contributed to a more positive culture within their workplace. This could mean work to implement or enhance an organisation’s values, to support colleagues through formal or informal programmes, or to attract and retain a greater range of talent.

BPF Futures Innovation Award, sponsored by Whitbread

UK real estate is fundamental to the economy, creating modern workplaces, enhancing productivity and delivering inclusive growth across the UK. This award recognises someone who has worked on a groundbreaking idea or project that has helped achieve greater business success — either for their own business, that of a client or for a local economy. This could mean the development of a new service or product that disrupts the status quo, achieving success through collaboration with clients or contractors, or tackling a long-standing business issue in an innovative way. 

“The BPF Futures Tomorrow’s Leaders Awards are a great initiative and we’re proud to have the opportunity to sponsor the Innovation Award and recognise the industry’s emerging talent,” Whitbread UK Development Director Alex Flach said. 

In addition, two further awards will be given out on the evening:

LandAid Award

This award recognises a committed and talented individual who has made an outstanding contribution to LandAid’s mission to end youth homelessness. The award will go to someone with passion, dedication, innovation, creativity and commitment — plus someone with evidence of successful fundraising, awareness-raising campaigns and/or outstanding contributions to LandAid’s Free Property Advice Programme. This award is to celebrate the work and dedication of LandAid’s supporters, partners and ambassadors. 

“LandAid is supported by so many talented, young and enthusiastic rising stars from across the industry,” Landaid Chief Executive Paul Morrish said. “They raise funds [and] our profile and we won’t be able to achieve our mission to end youth homelessness without their help.”

BPF Futures ‘One to Watch’ Award

This special award recognises an outstanding individual whom judges believe is demonstrating huge potential to shape the future of real estate. They could have initiated or led a groundbreaking project, demonstrated exceptional leadership capabilities, achieved a step-change in how their business works, or could be a role model or champion for the industry within and outside of the sector. Please don’t apply for this award — the winner will be chosen from all the nominations received.

This year’s judging panel will be:

Ian Marcus, Senior Adviser, Eastdil Secured and BPF Past President

Jo Allen, Chief Executive, Frogmore

Pamitta Mall, Sustainability Consultant, Turley and BPF Futures Advisory Board member

Victoria Merton, Director of Corporate Affairs, The Peel Group

Mike Philips, UK Editor, Bisnow

For eligibility and criteria, and to enter the awards, visit this webpage on the BPF website.

People can enter the awards on their own behalf, nominate a colleague or be nominated by a fellow real estate professional.

“The real estate industry has an incredible wealth of young talent, going above and beyond their job descriptions to create fantastic places for us to live, work and relax in,” BPF Chief Executive Melanie Leech said. “The BPF Futures Tomorrow’s Leaders Awards is now a well-established industry platform to ensure this ambition and innovation is celebrated, inspiring other individuals and challenging entire businesses to recognise that diversity and inclusion are vital to their future health.”

“It’s one thing to become a more attractive career option to school leavers, but keeping the diversity of talent that already exists in our sector is a different challenge,” CBRE Apprentice Surveyor and BPF Futures Chair Harvin Chohan said. “I hope that the BPF Futures Tomorrow’s Leaders Awards serve as inspiration to those building their careers in property that the sector is committed to fostering a culture of equality, one where we all feel welcome, and the opportunities for growth are endless.”