PropTech Today: Who would you vote for at the UKPA Awards?

The UK PropTech Awards are fast approaching. The window is open for applications and nominations and on May 2, the winners will be announced. 

After a brief paragraph of my thoughts on these new awards, I’m hoping to rally a bit of audience participation. Basically, before the shortlists are announced, who would you vote for? 

Please do drop a comment at the bottom telling me who you would vote for in what category and why. 

I’m asking for one, my own nosey interest, and two, to try and better understand the PropTech products, platforms, solutions, apps or innovations agents are actually using, liking, and extracting value from. 

Because I don’t necessarily believe that the PropTech which we are told agents are, or should be, using does not align with that which they are actually using. 

Maybe I’m wrong, and that’d be useful to know, too. So, as we look at the awards, I’m excited to hear who you think should be considered for which category. 

It could even be yourself; if you’ve got the guts to nominate yourself in the comments below, I take my hat off to your tenacity! 

Awards Categories

* Diversity Advocate (individual)

* Lifetime Achievement (individual)

* Most Collaborative Business (Resi. & Comm.)

* Deal of the Year (Resi. & Comm.)

* Greatest Social Impact (Resi. & Comm.)

* Best Marketing Campaign (Resi. & Comm)

* Exporter of the Year (Resi. & Comm.)

* Fastest Growing Business (Resi. & Comm.)

* Technology Adoption in Property (Resi. & Comm.)

* Association of the Year

* PropTech News Provider

The first thing about this list is how unique and unusual some of these awards are, especially for the property industry. 

Diversity Advocate, Greatest Social Impact, Most Collaborative Business; these all reflect the ways in which our industry is changing, the ways in which our culture is changing, too, and I for one think that UKPA should be applauded and widely copied across the awards ceremonies this year.

By reflecting the current climate in its choice of awards, UKPA has forced us to reconsider what we value: what exactly classifies success nowadays? What actions and philosophies should we be celebrating? What is the true role of property in broader society?

We can’t keep looking at our industry in the same way we always have done when everything around it, and increasingly within it, is changing so severely. 

Some call it progression, some call it evolution, some even revolution, but whatever you call it, it’s now vital that we celebrate those individuals and companies that best reflect that which we have come to see as being most important and valuable when representing the our industry. 

So, the question is there and I hope that I get some responses. Either drop them in the comments below or email my colleague Will (will@thedigitalmarketingbureau.com) who has kindly offered to collate all the responses for me. 

Who would you vote for, and why? No need to worry about all of the categories, just one or two where obvious potential winners jump out to you. 

Really looking forward to hearing your thoughts and thanks in advance.

*James Dearsley is a partner in PropTech Consult, digital transformation specialists for the real estate sector. To sign up to James’ Sunday PropTech Review, click here.