NAREE names best in real estate journalism

The National Association of Real Estate Editors announced the winners of its 64^th Annual Journalism Awards, recognizing excellence in reporting, writing and editing stories about residential and commercial real estate.

Josh Salman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, received NAREE’s Platinum Award for Best Individual Entry.

Salman and Michael Ratliff of Multi-Housing News were Gold Award Co-Winners of the Ruth Ryon Award for Best Young Journalist for journalists 30 years old and younger.  Nick Timiraos, Wall Street Journal, won the Bronze Award in the Young Journalist category.

The President’s Gold Award for Best Freelance Collection went to Mary Umberger, a freelance writer whose work frequently appears in the Chicago Tribune and New Home Source. Sarah Tilton, a freelancer for the Wall Street Journal, earned the Silver Award for her freelance work and Kenneth Harney, The Washington Post Writers Group and Inman News, took the Bronze.

The 2014 NAREE award winners, with judges comments, are:

Platinum Award for Best Overall Individual Entry

Platinum Award Winner – Josh Salman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Judges Comments: “An investigative heavy hitter, this reporter navigates public records with the ease of a journeyman. His work has exposed illegal activities by convicted felons and has led to an FBI investigation of a real estate fraud scheme by a government-sponsored non-profit. He is a home run hitter.”

Ruth Ryon Award for Best Young Journalist

Gold Award Co-Winner – Josh Salman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Judges Comments: “Although he writes for a small daily newspaper, he has the skills of a seasoned journalist. His ability to write about a variety of real estate topics is impressive.”

Gold Award Co-Winner – Michael Ratliff, Multi-Housing News

Judges Comments: “This reporter is skilled at spotting real estate trends and picking out the telling details that illustrate them. He writes well about both big and small pictures.”

Bronze Award Winner – Nick Timiraos, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “This is a talented reporter who is a credit to one of the country’s top newspapers. He obviously can recognize a good real estate story, and then he delivers it to readers with good writing that makes them want to keep reading.”

President’s Award for Best Freelance Collection

Gold Award Winner – Mary Umberger, Freelance Writer – Chicago Tribune and New Home Source

Judges Comments: “This columnist is a gem. She finds quirky topics and writes about them well with a voice that readers will enjoy.”

Silver Award Winner – Sarah Tilton, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “This reporter spends considerable time scanning the country looking for stories that others have missed. She constructs excellent narratives on a range of topics.”

Bronze Award Winner – Kenneth Harney, The Washington Post Writers Group and Inman News

Judges Comments: “His experience in covering real estate is obvious in everything that he writes. He tackles both easy and tough issues and makes all of them interesting and understandable to readers. As his newspaper says online, he ‘guides readers to smart solutions.’”

Category 1: Best Collection of Work by an Individual

Gold Award – Jeff Collins, Orange County Register

Judges Comments: “This reporter combines an eye for detail with a knack for handling reams of information effortlessly. His stories on drone use in real estate marketing, online auctions and adjustable-rate mortgages demonstrate broad command of subject matter related to real estate.”

Silver Winner – Sarah Tilton, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “This writer looks for real estate in the margins of most people’s maps. Memorable feature stories include an African-American winery, a thriving heirloom seed business in the Ozarks and a profile of the widow of vintner Robert Mondavi.”

Bronze Winner – Michelle Jarboe McFee, The Plain Dealer 

Judges Comments: “This reporter knows Cleveland real estate. From a comprehensive and compelling look at the city’s skywalk plans to an in-depth profile of a brother duo bringing their family business from the suburbs to the heart of the city, she offers a surprising variety of content to readers.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Kenneth Harney, The Washington Post Writers Group and Inman News

Judges Comments: “It is rare for a journalist to possess a mastery of sophisticated quantitative research methods and the deft skill to write for a mass audience. This reporter does this with ease, and the readers are the beneficiaries.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Candace Jackson, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “Comfortable in the high end of the real estate market, this reporter has uncovered an array of surprising trends in building and marketing luxury homes. Although the audience who can afford such luxuries is limited, her writing makes these subjects inviting to people of all backgrounds and economic classes.”

Category 2: Best Column

Gold Award Winner – Mary Beth Breckenridge, The Akron Beacon Journal

Judges Comments: “This columnist has a fun, lively voice and yet packs a lot of information on diverse topics. The writing is conversational, making this a reliably great read.”

Silver Award Winner – Mary Umberger, Freelance Writer – Chicago Tribune

Judges Comments: “Writing about such unexpected topics as building McMansions in China and the value of pet photos in online rental listings, this columnist is consistently engaging and informative. Her expertise, built on years of column writing, comes through loud and clear.”

Bronze Award Winner – Kenneth Harney, The Washington Post Writers Group

Judges Comments: “It is not every day that a columnist can point to concrete results stemming directly from what he or she has written. However, this columnist’s examination of reverse mortgages helped a 91-year-old woman get her house back. In another column, he used a sophisticated statistical analysis to reveal that a national realty brokerage firm study was flawed and misleading.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Katherine Salant, Freelance Writer – The Washington Post

Judges Comments: “This columnist can handle the abstract and the esoteric equally well in writing about the psychology of irrational homeowners and LED light bulbs. Her work connects with readers as evidenced by the avalanche of mail.”

Category 3: Best Home and Design Feature

Gold Award Winner – Candace Jackson, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “Highlighting a creative way to keep older kids happy at home, this story detailed building such luxury amenities as secret passageways, video arcades and deejay mixing stations. Peppered with loads of examples and interviews with families, designers, builders, and architects, this reporter produced a story on a developing trend that has been largely ignored in the media.”

Silver Award Winner – Sanette Tanaka, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “Judges were surprised how some homeowners were creating spiritual spaces for meditation and prayer. The report contained a nice balance of the pluses and minuses of such spaces when it comes time to sell a home.”

Bronze Award Winner – Mary Beth Breckenridge, The Akron Beacon Journal

Judges Comments: “The judges have seen numerous stories about Frank Lloyd Wright homes, but this may be the first compelling feature on one of his houses that has not been built. The reporter interviewed the woman who commissioned the home plan in the 1940s and detailed why the house was never built. The narrative was a joy to read.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Bruce Irving, Design New England

Judges Comments: “The reporter blended historical research about New England’s warming huts for hikers with a tour that modern readers could follow and appreciate. The writing was simple and elegant.”

Category 4: Best Residential Real Estate Report in a Daily Newspaper

Gold Award Winner – Jeff Collins, Orange County Register

Judges Comments: “When people hear about drones, they automatically think of the military. However, this reporter showed that real estate sellers are using drone technology to get unique and stunning views of their properties. In what is one of the best, if not the best, feature story in this year’s contest, the reporter crafted a narrative that not only drew in readers but also compelled them to continue until the end. Among the significant topics covered in the story were the legal ramifications of potential privacy invasion.”

Silver Award Winner – Debbie Arrington, The Sacramento Bee

Judges Comments: “What are the hot new amenities that will sell big homes? Not what you think. They include puppy showers and charging stations, and this reporter showed that high-end homebuyers want houses with the works and explained why this is a trend.”

Bronze Award Winner – Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune

Judges Comments: “Already devastated by multiple hurricanes, residents of Plaquemines Parish south of New Orleans are being pummeled again. With a wealth of heart-wrenching detail, the reporter noted that homeowners were forced to pay either huge costs to elevate their homes or an equally large sum to insure them.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Sarah Kleiner Varble, The Virginian-Pilot

Judges Comments: “In a story that has one of the potentially largest impacts nationwide, this reporter described the significant decline in military families owning homes and why this occurred. The reporting was in-depth, clear, and compelling, bringing together both raw data and human emotions.”

Category 5: Best Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Report in a Daily Newspaper

Gold Award Winner – Nick Timiraos, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “This reporter examined a disturbing trend of investors snapping up the majority of available affordable housing, not to sell but to rent out. Investor landlords, making home ownership more difficult for entry-level buyers, are remaking the face of many communities. The lead was engaging and the writing was crisp.”

Silver Award Winner – Arielle Kass, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Judges Comments: “Homebuyers ready to close a deal found in this story an explanation for the last-minute shock of appraisals coming in below an agreed upon sales price. This was an important story for anyone seeking to get a home loan in a depressed market.”

Bronze Award Winner – Julie Satow, Freelance Writer – The New York Times

Judges Comments: “Energetic and muscular writing made for an engaging story about how New York City’s One Madison 60-story building was “a poster child of the boom era” of construction. The writer reintroduced to readers this property, which will be reopened in 2014, by tracing its troubled history.”

Category 6: Best Commercial Real Estate Report in a Daily Newspaper

Gold Award Winner – Craig Karmin, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “In perhaps the most novel topic in the contest, the reporter tracked the rise of jails and prisons being converted to high-end hotels. The story brought together examples from multiple cities and augmented the report with a nifty, online slide show.”

Silver Award Winner – Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle

Judges Comments: “This was a sprawling story bringing together lots of news angles and great maps to detail the biggest building boom in recent San Francisco history. The reporter’s lyrical writing made this more than just a business roundup, and photographs and graphics made this a visual treat.”

Bronze Award Winner – June Fletcher, Naples Daily News

Judges Comments: “This was a mesmerizing story about an Everglades slumlord hotel owner who takes advantage of a similarly named hotel nearby to lure unsuspecting guests. The reporter tracked down and exposed the owner, who also operated run-down properties in other states.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Matt Hudgins, Freelance Writer – The New York Times

Judges Comments: “This reporter revealed the creation of new distribution hubs serving as a ‘just in case’ model in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. He sought to explain why retail stores shelves were empty despite the widespread availability of goods.”

Category 7: Best Small Daily Newspaper Report

Gold Award Winner – Kimberly Miller, The Palm Beach Post

Judges Comments: “This story packed a punch with a high outrage factor. It showed that banks received millions of taxpayer dollars, which were used to pay attorney and foreclosure fees, while struggling homeowners, who were supposed to benefit the most, saw little of the money. The reporter did an excellent job of telling a complicated story in a clear fashion.”

Silver Award Winner – June Fletcher, Naples Daily News

Judges Comments: “The reporter provided a colorful look at southwest Florida’s abundance of ‘zombie homes’. Utilizing public records as well as great interviews, the story illustrated how such homes drag down the owners, the neighbors and the unwitting squatters duped into renting them illegally.”

Bronze Award Winner – Josh Salman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Judges Comments: “In this ambitious story, the reporter investigated the rise of property flips with a comprehensive look at all 1,200 properties bought and resold in a six-month window. The article also mapped each local flip in a searchable, online database. The reporter should be commended for taking on such a project.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Carol Hazard, Richmond Times-Dispatch

Judges Comments: “The reporter found a new angle in the perennial house-flipping story: how to successfully flip a home in a down market. The writing was brisk, colorful, and pragmatic. ”

Category 8: Best Weekly Newspaper Report

Gold Award Winner – Sam Black, Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal

Judges Comments: “This well-written report pulled together considerable data on developed and undeveloped lots in Minneapolis and St. Paul, showing the growing influence of large corporate builders. The graphics, map and photographs revealed a familiar narrative: big national firms taking down the local guys.”

Silver Award Winner – Gus Delaporte, Commercial Observer

Judges Comments: “This story examined the big-time New York City developers’ renewed affection for Brooklyn. The reporter captured Brooklyn’s still untapped real estate potential for those working in the city.”

Bronze Award Winner – Donna Knipp, Commercial Mortgage Alert

Judges Comments: “The writer revealed the existence of chat rooms by institutional bond buyers and raised questions of whether laws were being broken through price fixing in mortgage-backed securities. The story included stories from some people about the clubby nature of chat-room participation.”

Category 9: Best Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Magazine Report

Gold Award Winner – Roger Grody, Unique Homes

Judges Comments: “Unique Homes delivered a unique perspective on how superb design increases the desirability of a listed home. Affluent audiences will appreciate the move away from conventional mansions as this story treated them to a pictorial display of some of the finest distinctive residential architecture in America.”

Silver Award Winner – Ian Robinson, Angie’s List Magazine

Judges Comments: “This enterprising report examined toxic building products and the invisible dangers they pose in homes. The story was not just a list of the products but a narrative woven with the faces of those affected.”

Bronze Award Winner – Dennis Rodkin, Chicago Magazine

Judges Comments: “This was a comprehensive and well-organized guide to the Chicago homebuyers’ market. Readers were offered categories of content, allowing them to zoom in on details about specific homes in specific neighborhoods. This interactive piece was very user friendly.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Lisa Gibbs, Money Magazine

Judges Comments: “This was very much a story that offered readers news that they could use about gaps in home insurance coverage. The reporter plowed through the fine print of such agreements to warn readers about limits on water damage, holes in the full replacement benefit and ways that owners could protect themselves.”

Category 10: Best Trade Magazine Report

Gold Award Winner – Patricia Kirk, Urban Land Magazine

Judges Comments: “The reporter started with the coverage of an event, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon in Orange County, California, but quickly moved into an in-depth examination of entrants’ projects. The result was more of a story about issues than the event itself.”

Silver Award Winner – Mike Ratliff, Commercial Property Executive

Judges Comments: “This story examined the growth of urban downtowns over the surrounding suburbs. Packed with surprising facts, such as the construction of only one enclosed mall in the U.S. since 2006, the reporter pointed to a future of walkable, livable urban centers.”

Bronze Award Winner – Kyle Clapham, Professional Builder

Judges Comments: “This reporter told the story of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Challenge Home. Offering a look at the future, this was a recounting of some of the successes and obstacles that homebuilders will soon need to pay attention to.”

Category 11: Best Commercial Trade Magazine Report

Gold Award Winner – Michael Ratliff, Multi-Housing News

Judges Comments: This story examined the emerging trend of college students wanting more amenities in their housing from tanning beds to game rooms to outdoor volleyball courts to swimming pools. The reporter detailed these amenity packages across the country in a very readable and colorful account.”

Silver Award Winner – Adam Pincus, The Real Deal

Judges Comments: “This entry was an unconventional way to present information to the reader. Eschewing traditional narrative in favor of exploded graphics, he x-rayed the Empire State Building to reveal its managers and users floor by floor.”

Bronze Award Winner – Paul Rosta, Dees Stribling and Suzann Silverman Commercial Property Executive

Judges Comments: “Natural disasters often bring swift second guessing after the fact. This report marshaled an impressive number of sources—and not just the usual suspects—to detail what needed to be done to minimize the impact of future storms like Hurricane Sandy. The writer should be commended on the quick turnaround on this detailed report.”

Category 12: Best Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Report or Feature

Gold Award Winner – Teke Wiggin, Inman News

Judges Comments: “A lively introduction put the reader in the middle of an identity theft scam in real estate. This was a notable public service piece that raised awareness of the risks involved in making online contacts for real estate deals. It personalized a somewhat complicated story.”

Silver Award Winner – Prashant Gopal, Bloomberg News

Judges Comments: “This story spotted a trend on the disproportionate impact that the housing crash had on black Chicago neighborhoods, beginning with where President Barack Obama got his start as an organizer. It was laced with deeply personal antidotes from the many interviews done by the reporter.”

Bronze Award Winner – Heather Perlberg, Bloomberg News

Judges Comments: “A fresh look at house flipping, this report examined turnover in what some would consider the least desirable properties (zombie homes). The reporter detailed the work of enthusiastic buyers who take on the ugliest homes and revitalize a neighborhood, turning trash into gold.”

Honorable Mention Award – Paul Hagey, Inman News

Judges Comments: “The reporter detailed a clash between the country’s largest Realtor association and a popular transaction software website. This is of intense interest to people who make their living buying and selling real estate, particularly in California.”

Category 13: Best Commercial Real Estate Report

Gold Award Winner: David Levitt, Bloomberg News

Judges Comments: “This report about the real estate remaking of lower Manhattan pulled together a wide range of sources to portray the many ways in which landlords were scrambling to fill empty space. Targeting a new demographic of ‘skateboard millionaires,’ landlords are trying everything from bicycle parking to free wifi to transform millions of square feet of space formerly devoted to banking.”

Silver Award Winner – Mark Heschmeyer, CoStar News

Judges Comments: “As this report revealed, commercial real estate was becoming increasingly comfortable with the tools of social media. The story surprisingly punctured the myth of CRE performing poorly with these new platforms.”

Bronze Award Winner – Randyl Drummer, CoStar News

Judges Comments: “In a story about the aging of office buildings, the reporter detailed how owners and investors in several cities re-engineered their office spaces to meet current workplace needs. It was a solid piece of journalism.”

Category 14: Best Blog

Gold Award Winner – Valerie Kellogg, Newsday

Judges Comments: “This blog is a constantly updated source on the Long Island real estate market. It features news and photographs, home buying and selling tips, celebrity mansions and engaging commentary.”

Silver Award Winner – Sheree Curry, Freelance Writer – AOL Real Estate

Judges Comments: “This blogger offers a wide range of lively content. Included are consumer oriented tips and unusual features, such as a report on the protest inspired by a marine seeking to convert his garage into a gathering space.”

Bronze Award Winner – Ilyce Glink, Think Glink Media

Judges Comments: “National and consumer real estate figures prominently in this blog. Posts include stories on trends in individual cities as well as nationwide issues facing homebuyers and owners.”

Category 15: Best Broadcast Report – Online, Radio or Television

Gold Award Winner – Gina Cervetti, Wall Street Journal This Morning

Judges Comments: “This radio report of the one-year anniversary of the Hurricane Sandy destruction revealed surprising details about the large number of people still displaced by the disaster. The reporter put a human face on those still suffering and unsure of their future.”

Silver Award Winner – Alisa Parenti, MarketWatch.com Radio

Judges Comments: “This was an eye-opening look at the escalating steps that buyers and sellers were taking to reach a deal in the hot housing market. It made good use of ambient sound as well as insightful interviews.”

Bronze Award Winner – Andrew Schneider, KUHF FM – Houston Public Media

Judges Comments: “In Houston’s explosive rental market, this reporter provided a useful guide to those moving into the city and feeling overwhelmed. It revealed a tilt in the market toward high-end construction, putting greater pressure on young professionals.”

Category 16: Best Breaking News Report

Gold Award Winner – Katherine Clarke, The Real Deal

Judges Comments: “The reporter’s deep source base was invaluable in tracking down rumors that New York City’s top real estate agent, Dolly Lenz, was starting her own firm. Katherine Clarke was the first to break this story, which was being chased by numerous publications in the city.”

Silver Award Winner – Mark Heschmeyer, CoStar News

Judges Comments: “A new law, which increased the maximum number of investors in private real estate offerings, was tracked by this reporter to see the effect of the relaxed rules.”

Bronze Award Winner – Ralph Bivins, CultureMap Houston

Judges Comments: “This scoop was about a 41-story skyscraper in downtown Houston.”

Category 17: Best Investigative Report or Investigative Series

Gold Award Winner – Graham Moomaw and Carol Hazard with Nancy Madsen and Ted Strong, contributing writers, Richmond Times-Dispatch

Judges Comments: “This report, in the strongest category in this year’s contest, combined the best elements of journalism: speed and depth of reporting on a rapidly unfolding scandal related to real estate shenanigans by the Virginia governor and his wife, resulting in their indictments for violating federal corruption laws.

Silver Award Winner – Josh Salman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Judges Comments: “This was a meticulous investigation tracking a predator, who convinced homeowners to hand over their property deeds for $100, then evaded mortgage lenders and tax collectors. Because of the newspaper’s reporting, the FBI began investigating this kind of activity.”

Bronze Award Winner – David Migoya, The Denver Post

Judges Comments: “In a continuing investigation, this reporter discovered that only two law firms handled the bulk of real estate foreclosures throughout Colorado, inflating their fees and forcing homeowners to pay for lawsuits that were never filed.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Heather Perlberg and John Gittelsohn, Bloomberg News

Judges Comments: “This was an excellent public service. It detailed how a large hedge fund purchased a third of the rental properties near Dayton and then sought the largest tax cuts in county history. The reporter’s exposure prevented the firing of sixteen teachers and other job losses, which would have been caused by the tax cuts.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Sanjay Bhatt, Rami Grunbaum, Kelly Shea and Katrina Barlow The Seattle Times

Judges Comments: “This series dug into a bank failure in Seattle. Building on scores of public records, it exposed a pattern of questionable lending to experienced builders.”

Category 18: Best Series

Gold Award Winner – Paul Hagey, Inman News

Judges Comments: “These stories revealed an experiment that was too bold: an attempt to create a transparent, consumer-oriented database of real estate agents’ performance.”

Silver Award Winner – Paul Rosta, Commercial Property Executive

Judges Comments: “This three-part special report was an enterprising look at urban-property planning and risk management pegged to the recent Hurricane Sandy disaster in New York and New Jersey. Particularly effective was a question-and-answer story with insurance experts about wind damage.”

Bronze Award – Sanjay Bhatt and Alexa Vaughn, The Seattle Times

Judges Comments: “This was a comprehensive view of the apartment boom in the Seattle metropolitan area, providing large and small detail of how soaring rents were changing lifestyles. Particularly useful were maps and graphics that explained the emerging apartment rental market, neighborhood by neighborhood.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Camilla McLaughlin, Unique Homes

Judges Comments: “This was an interesting roundup of the luxury market throughout the U.S. since the real estate bubble burst. Judges were impressed by the thoroughness of the state by state and regional roundups.”

Category 19: Best Team Report

Gold Award Winner – Michelle Conlin and Brian Grow, Reuters

Judges Comments: “Amid a media sea of stories on fracking, this investigation rose to the top with its surprising horror tales of unsuspecting home buyers and owners who did not realize they did not own ‘what lies beneath’. It artfully wove together details from thousands of properties from California to Florida with the personal impact on individual homeowners. The oh-my-god moment, when they interviewed individuals was journalism at its finest.”

Silver Award Winner – Heather Perlberg and John Gittelsohn, Bloomberg News

Judges Comments: “This article immediately stood out because of its can’t stop reading introduction about a corporate lock picker. It drew readers into a comprehensive picture of how institutional investors have become the nation’s largest homeowners, to the detriment of minorities and young people.”

Bronze Award Winner – Nadja Brandt, Oshrat Carmiel and Dan Levy, Bloomberg News

Judges Comments: “This was an eye-opening introduction to the growing influence of Chinese investments in U.S. real estate. It took readers on a trip with a group of Chinese developers, who were flush with cash and trolling for available property, both commercial and residential.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Marc Stiles, Brad Broberg, Steve Goldsmith and Karen Ducey, Puget Sound Business Journal

Judges Comments: “This group of stories examined an emerging trend in neighborhood development in Seattle: clustering living spaces around access to mass transit. A surprising detail, which may become more common in the future, was the construction of apartment complexes with no parking spaces.”

Category 20: Best Design, Home or Shelter Magazine

Gold Award Winner – Gail Ravgiala, Jenna Talbott and Courtney Kasianowicz, Design New England

Judges Comments: “This magazine stood out not only because of its beautiful photographs but its range of stories. From the feature of apple trees to a historical look at hikers’ huts in the White Mountains, readers were treated to a rich slice of New England.”

Silver Award Winner – Andrew Conway, Editor; Melissa Gillespie, Managing Editor; Ryan Jolley, Creative Director; Hugh Malone, Publisher; Rick Sedler, Group Publisher, Ocean Home Magazine

Judges Comments: “Judges were grieving that they were not sitting on a stunning beach like those appearing throughout this magazine. A wide range of well-written stories offered an insiders’ take on featured locales.”

Bronze Award Winner – Richard A. Goodwin, Kathleen Carlin-Russell, Mark Moffa and Jonathan Bayley, Unique Homes

Judges Comments: “Written for those who purchase homes at the high end of real estate, this lush magazine was a pictorial feast. It marshaled a huge amount of information, carrying photographs and text of the most desirable homes in America.”

Category 21: Best Residential Trade Magazine

Gold Award Winner – Matt Power, Green Builder Media

Judges Comments: “This magazine packs a lot of information in a small space. It broke new ground by challenging readers to do better with features on living with a smaller carbon footprint and detailing environmental crises of our time. The photography helps this publication stand out.”

Silver Award Winner – Stuart Elliott, The Real Deal

Judges Comments: “This is a scrappy magazine that breaks news in the most competitive real estate market in the country. The controversial profile of super broker Dolly Lenz was one especially well done since it required pulling together multiple sources on deadline. Also noteworthy was the analysis of Brooklyn home prices and their comparison to Manhattan.”

Category 22: Best Commercial Trade Magazine

Gold Award Winner – Erik Kolb, Robin Marriott, Jonathan Brasse, Evelyn Lee, Katherine Boccaccio and Michelle Phillips, PERE Magazine  

Judges Comments: “This slick publication offers news analysis, attractive design, and considerable industry data on market trends. Particularly useful are the regional roundups with a wealth of information.”

Silver Award Winner – Sule Aygoren, Nick Koutoufas, Paul Bubny and Rayna Katz, Real Estate Forum

Judges Comments: “It has a good mix of editorial and advertising content that is extremely helpful to readers. The twentieth anniversary issue, about women of influence, offered timely and comprehensive analysis of the present and future of female industry leaders.”

Bronze Award Winner – Lisa Nardone, Joanna Masterson and Jessica Porter, Construction Executive

Judges Comments: “This is a useful mix of both general information about best practices and focused, in-depth discussion of types of construction projects from historic restoration to new health-care construction. It is of interest to readers ranging from small family businesses to large corporate contractors.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Matt Valley, Jane Adler, Robin Sherman and John Nelson, Seniors Housing Business

Judges Comments: “This publication is informative and engaging. It has tight writing and extensive use of property photographs and charts.”

Category 23: Best Newsletter

Gold Award Winner – Patricia Garcia, New Home Source – Home of the Week

Judges Comments: “This e-newsletter offers far more than its home of the week feature. It covers the hottest trends from cool gadgets and gizmos to the future of the mortgage interest deduction.”

Silver Award Winner – Jennifer Molloy, Susan Sharpe, Loretta Clodfelter and Larry Gray The Institutional Real Estate Letter – Asia Pacific

Judges Comments: “This newsletter offers investors and managers a vast amount of information. It is almost encyclopedic in nature.”

Category 24: Best Newspaper Real Estate or Home Section

Gold Award Winner – Dion Haynes, The Washington Post

Judges Comments: “This section is a nice mix of content, including hard news, practical advice and fun features. There is a lot of information laid out attractively with good photographs. Someone new to Washington or even a long-time resident will find many surprises here.”

Silver Award Winner – Emily Gitter, Beth DeCarbo and Matthew Strozier, The Wall Street Journal

Judges Comments: “The newspaper’s readers must look forward to Friday to the latest edition of this section. It has solid photographs and stories that the judges did not see anywhere else. Examples of the latter included building a $100,000 closet, moving an 8,000-foot dream home and negotiating to buy the contents of a home as well as the house itself.”

Bronze Award Winner – Dan Beucke, Jeff Collins, Marilyn Kalfus, Jonathan Lansner and David Ferell, Orange County Register

Judges Comments: “Of all of the entries in this category, the Orange County Register had the best and most attractive visual presentation. Homeowners and renters alike will find compelling, well written stories.”

Honorable Mention Winner – Emily Fancher, Blanca Torres, J.K. Dineen, Mary Ann Azevedo, Eric Young and Nathalie Pierrepont, San Francisco Business Times

Judges Comments: “This is a well focused news product for those in the Bay area. It combines weekly data on commercial and residential development with stories on the changing face of San Francisco.”

Category 25: Best Website

Gold Award Winner – Andrea Brambila, Morgan Brown, Matt Carter, Paul Hagey, Eddison Lim, Laura Monroe and Teke Wiggin, Inman News

Judges Comments: “This web site is intelligently designed for easy and quick navigation. News and commentary from a variety of contributors is constantly updated and inviting to the reader. Always fresh material makes this site worthy of repeated visits.”

Silver Award Winner – Suzann Silverman, Anna Spiewak, Michelle Matteson, Paul Rosta, Michael Ratliff, Keat Foong, Veronica Grecu, Alex Girda, Adrian Maties, Adriana Pop, Gabriel Circiog, Eliza Theiss, Amalia Otet, Anca Gagiuc and Balazs Szekely, Commercial Property Executive

Judges Comments: “The graphics are clean and bright, the navigation bar is well organized, and it offers a variety of data analysis, interviews and features. The organization of news by community, where users can click by city, is extremely helpful.”

Bronze Award Winner – Diana Mosher, Jessica Fiur, Keat Foong, Michael Ratliff and Michelle Matteson, Multi-Housing News

Judges Comments: “This site is consistently updated with useful news and includes unusual features, such as a user poll.  It serves a niche market with interviews and tightly focused content.”