NAREE names winners of annual real estate journalism competition

The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) announced the winners of its 71st Annual Journalism Awards today. The 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 in Miami at the Kimpton Epic hotel. A panel of expert judges from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University selected all winners. Medill Assistant Professor Ceci Rodgers chaired the panel.

Here are NAREE’s 2020 winners with judges’ comments:

Platinum Award – Best Overall Entry Winner: Michele Lerner, Freelance Writer, The Washington Post, “One Home, a Lifetime of Impact”

Judges’ comment: In a powerful “show don’t tell” narrative, Lerner illustrates how one Black family, whose great-grandmother bought a home in 1936, helped the family to build wealth over time. As she notes, homeowners’ median net worth is 80 times renters’ median net worth. Recognizing the power of numbers, she also points out that in the first quarter of 2020, only 44% of Black families owned their homes compared with 73.7% of white families. Importantly, Lerner also practices solutions journalism and suggests ways to close this gap and make the American dream more attainable for all races.

President’s Award – Best Freelance Collection: C.J. Hughes, Freelance Writer, The New York Times, “Brave New Arrivals,” “The Neighborhood Name Game,” “Pricing Your Apartment in a Slow Market”

Judges’ comment: When everyone else zigs, Hughes zags. A case in point is his story about the people who moved to New York City when many others were fleeing during the pandemic. In “The Name Game,” with a deep dive into newspaper archives, old postcards and maps, Hughes takes us on a fascinating journey through the evolution of neighborhood names (the Lower East Side was once known as Mackerelville, for example). The beauty of his storytelling is in the details and in his elegant writing.

Ruth Ryon Award – Best Young Journalist: Matthew Sedacca, Freelance Writer, New York Magazine, “Biography of a Building”

Sedacca captures the personalities of New York City’s quirky, unique buildings in this in-depth series. He grabs readers who may think they don’t care about the 1927 One Fifth Avenue building, for example, by setting it up as the spot where Robert Mapplethorpe shot the album cover for Patti Smith’s “Horses.” He also recognizes less well-known jewels of the city, including Graham Court in Harlem. Always, he includes the fascinating backstory, such as William Waldorf Astor commissioning what’s known as “Harlem’s Dakota.” Sedacca shares his enthusiasm for digging deep, dropping famous names, and crafting vivid images with his words.

SECTION I: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS, ALL MEDIA, SINGLE BYLINE

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

Winner:
Jacob Passy, MarketWatch, “Gaps in the CDC’s Eviction Ban Could Leave Some Renters Homeless, Housing Advocates Say”

Judges’ comment: Passy has consumers in mind as he points out the pitfalls and potential loopholes in the Centers for Disease Control’s ban on evictions during the pandemic. With clear writing and thorough reporting, Passy helps readers navigate the complex rules around evictions. He gets into the nitty-gritty that readers care about, and he offers crucial information about new developments in COVID policy that impact their lives. Passy and his editors set up a hotline to field tenants’ concerns and continued to cover the issue throughout 2020.

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

Gold Winner:
C.J. Hughes, Freelance Writer, The New York Times, “Brave New Arrivals,” “The Neighborhood Name Game,” “Pricing Your Apartment in a Slow Market”

Judges’ comment: Hughes’ range in this collection of stories is noteworthy, from a counter-intuitive trend (people moving to New York City when many others are fleeing during the pandemic) to a reader-service story about how to price properties to sell (before the pandemic). In “The Name Game,” Hughes takes us on a fascinating journey through the evolution of neighborhood names – sure to prove entertaining to a homebound readership.

Silver Winner:
Katherine Clarke, The Wall Street Journal, “Nile Niami is L.A.’s Megamansion King. Has He Built a House of Cards?” “COVID-19 Pounds New York Real Estate Worse Than 9/11, Financial Crash,” “How Citadel CEO Ken Griffin Built a $1 Billion Private Property Portfolio”

Judges’ comment: Clarke knows how to captivate readers with detailed and engaging narratives that are rooted in deep reporting and data. In “Nile Niami is L.A.’s Megamansion King,” Clarke digs beneath the real estate mogul’s bluster and questions whether his empire is about to collapse. In “COVID-19 Pounds New York Real Estate,” Clarke’s excellent sourcing allows her to write with an insider’s view about the exodus of the super-rich and the devastating impact it had on city real estate. Clarke’s stories are beautifully written.

Bronze Winner:
Jeff Collins, Orange County Register, “Renters Out of Work, Out of Time,” “Landlords Shoulder Burden of Months Without Rent,” “Home Offices a New Must-Have”

Honorable Mention:
Maura McDermott, Newsday, “A Scam Cost Her,” “Foreclosure Looms Again,” “Foreclosure Exposure”

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

Gold Winner:
Jacob Adelman, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Reaping Big Profits in Opportunity Zones,” “Towering Debt: New Hotels Owe Millions Before They are Even Opened,” Mall Owner Isn’t Feeling the Pain”

Judges’ comment: Adelman takes three different national real estate issues and brings them home to Philadelphia readers in a thorough, insightful and detailed manner. All three are well reported and written, but in “Mall Owner Isn’t Feeling the Pain,” Adelman focuses on a topic that employees, shareholders and management have grappled with throughout the pandemic: how much of the financial burden should company executives share with employees and taxpayers as they struggle to keep their doors open.

Silver Winner:
Miriam Hall, Bisnow, “90% Of Major Brokerage Leadership Is White, And That’s ‘Definitely a Problem,” “Confusion Over Rules Has Led NYC Brokers To Give Illegal CRE Tours,” “Australia Is On Fire. We Must Do Things Differently”

Judges’ comment: Hall tackles three different but very pertinent topics in her collection of stories, all of which are well researched and sourced. One story details how, despite New York state being on lockdown last spring, some commercial real estate brokers cited confusion over what was allowed and what wasn’t by law and were giving illegal tours of properties. Hall notes that some of the brokers said they walked around with plenty of masks and hand sanitizer, fearful that a deal wouldn’t close without face-to-face meetings.

Bronze Winner:
Arshiya Khullar, PERE, “Deep Dive: Has Chinese Capital Been Beaten Out of Western Markets?” “Exclusive: AEW Suspends Redemptions for $7.2bn US Core Fund due to COVID-19,” “Cover Story: Private Real Estate’s Debatable Part in the Global Affordable Housing Crisis”

Honorable Mention:
C.J. Hughes, Freelance Writer, The New York Times, The Real Deal, “As Winter Arrives, Heaters Become a Survival Tool for Businesses,” “Pummeled by the Pandemic, Hotel Owners Get Creative With Their Space,” “Real Estate Activity in Suburbs Catches Second Wind in COVID Era”

Category 4: Best Real Estate Column

Gold Winner:
Beth DeCarbo, The Wall Street Journal, “Ooo, That Smell: As States Legalize Marijuana, Battles Rage Between Those Who Smoke It and Those Who Hate Its Odor”

Judges’ comment: What happens when a property owner is a smoker – or even worse, a toker? DeCarbo tackles this increasingly common problem, given the growing number of cities and states with legalized marijuana. A strong reporter with a nose for the news and, in this case, for weed, she tracks down sources like the co-founder of Cannabis Real Estate Consultants.

Silver Winner:
Ronda Kaysen, Freelance Writer, The New York Times, “That Roof Deck Makes for a Nice One-Room Schoolhouse”

Judges’ comment: Kaysen knows how to use real people to capture a phenomenon — homeschooling during the pandemic. Some might quibble with her focus on wealthier parents who can send their children to makeshift classrooms on roof decks. Still, she expertly focuses on her “blade of grass” rather than on “the whole lawn.” Kaysen also wisely lets naysayers weigh in, quoting one developer who worries about liability and about potential concerns of childless residents. She’s a pro.

Bronze Winner:
Kelly Kreth, Freelance Writer, Brick Underground, “My Doorman Died from Coronavirus and My Building Will Never Be the Same”

Category 5: Best Economic Analysis

Gold Winner:
Candace Carlisle, CoStar News, “Nation’s Truck Hub Takes Elon Musk’s Tesla for a Spin in Hopes of Landing Plant”

Judges’ comment: Using text, an interactive timeline and charts, Carlisle tells the story of Texans’ love affair with trucks and how, despite being the top producer of oil and gas, the state jockeys to be home to a manufacturing plant that would build Elon Musk’s first battery-powered truck. Carlisle reviewed handfuls of documents, including SEC filings, in her research. Her reporting was prescient: A month after her story, Tesla announced it would build the manufacturing plant near Austin.

Silver Winner:
Eli Segall, Las Vegas Review-Journal, “Las Vegas Has Tried for Decades to Wean Itself Off Casinos. It Hasn’t Worked.”

Judges’ comment: With a descriptive, anecdotal lede about a laid-off casino host, Segall begins a deep dive into why Las Vegas remains heavily reliant on the leisure and hospitality industry, despite past efforts by politicians to diversify the city’s economy. While generating revenue, casinos are still prone to the whims of the larger economy – which he carefully documents with historical context.

Bronze Winner:
Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal, “Reno Area is Falling Critically Short in Building New Apartments. Here’s Why.”

Honorable Mention:
Jacob Passy, MarketWatch, “This ‘Incredibly Powerful’ Home-Insurance Policy Will Make Payouts Even If Your Property Isn’t Damaged”

Category 6:  Best Interior Design Story

Gold Winner:
Amy Gamerman, Freelance Writer, The Wall Street Journal, “The Walk-In Kitchen Pantry is the New Designer Shoe Closet”

Judges’ comment: A master of “show, don’t tell” details, Gamerman starts her story about the pandemic-fueled popularity of home pantries with an Arizona mom who wanted one “that would make Costco bulk goods look as glamorous as a row of Christian Louboutins in a designer shoe closet.” Her thorough reporting includes the statistic that the walk-in pantry, even before the coronavirus, had become the most desirable kitchen feature for home buyers. The owner of a $15,000 walk-in notes that “unloading groceries in that pantry is fun.” So is reading this piece.

Silver Winner:
Christina Poletto, Freelance Writer, The Wall Street Journal, “Custom Art is Helping High-End Homeowners Paint a Clearer Picture”

Judges’ comment: As Poletto adeptly shows, staging an upscale residence these days can go well beyond just repainting and refurnishing. It extends to artwork, and even to commissioning new pieces. In her well-reported story, filled with examples of for-sale properties with showstopper art, Poletto notes that some new homeowners buy the pictures along with the house.

Bronze Winner: 

Ronda Kaysen, Freelance Writer, The New York Times, “Could the Avocado Green Kitchen Make a Comeback?”

Honorable Mention: 

Nancy Keates, The Wall Street Journal, “For Black Designers, a Surge of New Visibility and Business is ‘Bittersweet’”

Category 7: Best E-Newsletter by an Individual Journalist 

Gold Winner:
Eileen McEleney Woods, Boston Globe, “Address: Fall House Hunt”

Judges’ comment: Woods writes smart, brief entries that make readers want to click on the “continue reading” buttons. Thumbnail graphics and photos by each item add to the appeal. The newsletter gives a nice mix of service, news, features and trend stories and of serious and more lighthearted fare. The “fall house hunt” looks at why sellers overvalue their homes. Fun real estate eye candy: a picture of the $7.9 million “home of the week,” with a blurb that includes its wine room with a cork floor.

Silver Winner:
Deirdra Funcheon, Bisnow, “Newsletter: Felonious CPA Seeks Millions in Lawsuits Involving Jorge Perez, Stephen Ross”

Judges’ comment: Unlike newsletter authors who mainly aggregate, Funcheon breaks news, too. She reports on a lawsuit brought by a “felonious CPA” against “condo king” Jorge Perez. Is the CPA a fall guy for a wealthy developer? She also tackles a legal battle over the financing of a private Florida train and reports on a settlement with an agent who said a big Miami condo developer owed her hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid commissions. And she links to a good mix of “in case you missed it” stories by her Bisnow peers.

Bronze Winner:
Kathryn Brenzel, The Real Deal, “The Daily Dirt”

Honorable Mention:
Mike Phillips, Bisnow, “Newsletter: These Nobel Prize Winners Think You’re Selling Your Real Estate Badly”

Category 8: Best Architecture Story  

Gold Winner:
Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, “A Monumental Man”

Judges’ comment: Alexander pens a nuanced profile of renowned Black architect David Adjaye, who designed the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The British-African opens up to her about his childhood and his views on race, including why he opposes removing controversial statues. Wisely, she interviews many people about him but gives him the last word: Expect bigger and better cities.

Silver Winner:
Stefanos Chen, The New York Times, “Quarantined in a Museum”

Judges’ comment: Chen eloquently writes about the resident caretakers who live inside New York landmarks – perhaps “the strangest work-from-home assignment in the city.” He tracks down stewards like Roy Fox, an 80-year-old who minds the 29-room King Manor Museum in Jamaica, Queens, and gets them to reveal nuggets. For example, Fox gets someone to cover for him when he visits major and minor league ballparks around the country. Through his thorough reporting, Chen showcases a fascinating subculture.

Bronze Winner:
Ronda Kaysen, Freelance Writer, The New York Times, “How One Couple Transformed Their Brooklyn Brownstone to Age in Place”

Honorable Mention:
Regina Cole, Freelance Writer, The Boston Globe, “The Stage is Set: Poured Concrete Creates a Fun Canvas, But Builders Search for a Use That’s More Environmentally Friendly”

SECTION 2: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS- NEWSPAPERS, PRINT OR DIGITAL, SINGLE BYLINE

Category 9: Best Residential Real Estate Story – Daily Newspaper

Gold Winner:
Tim Logan, The Boston Globe, “Delays and Debt Mount as State Rent Relief Program Strains to Meet Demand”

Judges’ comment: This is a thorough and impactful story about a rent relief program in Massachusetts that was ill-equipped to meet overwhelming demand from renters during the pandemic. Logan found compelling anecdotes of tenants’ grief and frustration and explains how the program’s labyrinthian application process is to blame. The state subsequently streamlined the process.

Silver Winner:
Prashant Gopal, Bloomberg News, “How New York City’s Eviction Protections Put Tenants on Path to Ruin”

Judges’ comment: In this smart story, Gopal explores the dark side of extended eviction protections – namely that tenants are racking up thousands in debt that will one day come due. We meet one tenant – the only person among her five roommates with a job — whose landlord threatens to sue her for $20,000 in back rent. In Gopal’s deft hands, a complex story becomes readable and relatable.

Bronze:
Christina Poletto, Freelance Writer, The New York Times, “Discovering Paradise’s Costs (Welcome to Homeownership)”

Honorable Mention:
Arielle Kass, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Across Region, Buying, Selling Homes Jolted by Pandemic”

Category 10: Best Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story – Daily Newspaper

Gold Winner:
Jacob Adelman, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Family Ties Bind Bank Behind $50M Taxpayer-backed Coronavirus Loan to Poconos Casino”

Judges’ comment: Adelman writes in clear and devastating detail about how a small bank owner with alleged mob ties funneled a government-sponsored pandemic relief loan to a casino owned in trust by his children. Document-digging and interviews with bankers, experts and regulators, reveal that the transaction, though shady, is perfectly legal, after the government eliminated conflict-of-interest rules for pandemic lending programs. Adelman’s deeply sourced and carefully reported story is watchdog reporting at its best.

Silver Winner:
R.A. Schuetz, Houston Chronicle, “Mortgage Lenders Tighten Credit Requirements Amid Uncertainty”

Judges’ comment: Schuetz displays a keen nose for news in this story about lenders suddenly tightening credit requirements on FHA and VA mortgage loans in the panicky early days of the pandemic. She illustrates the human impact with a compelling anecdotal lede about an Army veteran who learns by text that the mortgage on his planned first home has fallen through. Through interviews with mortgage brokers and experts, Schuetz tells a comprehensive story in easily understood language.

Bronze Winner:
Oshrat Carmiel, Bloomberg News, “Poconos Water Park Shuttered by Pandemic Faces Mortgage Woes”

Honorable Mention:
Jon Gorey, Freelance Writer, The Boston Globe, “How to Seek Forbearance on Your Mortgage”

Category 11: Best Commercial Real Estate Story – Daily Newspaper

Gold Winner:
Joe Gose, Freelance Writer, The New York Times, “Distressed Real Estate Market Beckons Opportunistic Buyers”

Judges’ comment: Gose writes a clear, succinct story that anyone can understand about real estate funds stashing cash – sometimes billions of dollars – even before the economy went into a deep freeze with the goal of buying commercial real estate later for a song. Gose notes investors expected discounts on properties during the Great Recession only to be disappointed. Through research and knowledgeable sources, Gose explains why this time would be different, including those involved in taking a long-term view.

Silver Winner:
Esther Fung, The Wall Street Journal, “Malls Spent Billions on Theme Parks to Woo Shoppers. It Made Matters Worse.”

Judges’ comment: With statistics, specific dollar amounts and solid sourcing, Fung details how malls, in an effort to lure shoppers in and away from online shopping, spent millions on theme-park-like attractions only to find those attractions shuttered during the pandemic. Through anecdotes, Fung shows how mall operators, already struggling to attract foot traffic, saw vacancy rates skyrocket, hampering their ability to repay debt on their theme-park-like attractions.

Bronze Winner:
Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, “The $1-Billion Bet That People Will Return to L.A. After the Pandemic”

Honorable Mention:
Arielle Kass, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Days are Numbered for Gwinnett Place Mall, Once a Magnet for County”

Category 12: Best Small Daily Newspaper Story – under 75,000 circulation

No winner

Category 13: Best Weekly Newspaper Story – Weekly Business Paper

Gold Winner:
Kirk Pinho, Crain’s Detroit Business, “How the $3.6 Billion Simon-Taubman Deal Came Together, Then Fell Apart”

Judges’ comment: In a well-researched and expertly written piece, Pinho takes the reader inside the discussions between Robert Taubman of Taubman Centers Inc. and David Simon of Simon Property Group as the two heads hammer out a deal for Simon to buy part of Taubman. Using a detailed accounting of the talks from an SEC filing and court documents, Pinho describes how the pandemic and falling stock prices almost got in the way of the largest local real estate merger-and-acquisition transaction in recent memory.

Silver Winner:
Michelle Jarboe, Crain’s Cleveland Business, “Tussle Over Tax Foreclosure Process”

Judges’ comment: Jarboe writes authoritatively about a court challenge to an Ohio law that streamlines the transfer of blighted and abandoned commercial property to nonprofit land banks. The law, designed to encourage community revitalization, has opposition from the one-time owners, who think they’re owed money. At publication, the case appears poised to go to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jarboe explains it all to the reader in easy-to-follow terms in this thoroughly reported piece.

SECTION III: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS – MAGAZINES – PRINT OR DIGITAL – SINGLE BYLINE

Category 14: Best Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Magazine Story – General Circulation

Gold Winner:
Noah Buhayar, Bloomberg News, “California’s Rich and Desperate Homeowners are Buying an Unproven Wildfire Cure”

Judges’ comment: Huckster or maligned genius? A profile of Jim Moseley, the inventor of a “fire retardant coating” called SPF 3000 that California homeowners like “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill apply to their houses. Buhayar thoroughly reports the piece, watching Moseley demonstrate his products — and interviewing skeptics, including one who compares investing in SPF 3000 to fight flames to taking hydroxychloroquine to fight COVID-19. It’s a worthwhile yarn with a stay-tuned ending.

Silver Winner:
Natalie Wong, Bloomberg News, “A Green Megamansion Rises in South Florida”

Judges’ comment: In a gem of a piece, Wong writes about a little-known billionaire, Peter Gilgan, who spends nearly $50 million buying a Florida beachfront mansion — and then tears it down so he can build an equally expensive green one that will generate renewable power roughly equal to the power it uses. She expertly captures this complicated grandfather’s contradictions, including how he flies in a private jet once a week and collects cars.

Bronze Winner:
Joshua Hunt, The Nation, “The Art of Eviction”

Honorable Mention:
Michelle Hofmann, Freelance Writer, Forbes, “Ready, Set, Flip: The Making of Truckee’s Rebel Ranch”

Category 15: Best Residential Trade Magazine Story

Gold Winner:
Matthew Blake, The Real Deal, “What Makes Rappaport Run?”
Judges’ comment: In this deeply reported, anecdote-filled profile, Blake captures the charisma and ambition of luxury-home blockbuster agent Kurt Rappaport, whose clients include talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, quarterback Tom Brady and Oracle chief Larry Ellison. The quotes, used judiciously, are gems. Blake also flicks at soap opera-worthy details, including Rappaport’s short-lived marriage to a model. (He sued her for extortion.) It’s a well-executed look at a complex real estate star.

Silver Winner:
Erin Hudson, The Real Deal, “When the Stars No Longer Align”

Judges’ comment: What happens when a residential brokerage depends on just a few star brokers? To try to answer the question, Hudson looks at agents like Ryan Serhant, a one-time hand model and actor who became a real estate star rather than a silver-screen star. Still, it remains to be seen whether it’s true that people choose agents over firms – or the other way around.

Bronze Winner:
E.B. Solomont, The Real Deal, “Can iBuying Go the Distance?”

Honorable Mention:
Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, The Real Deal, “Contending with Manhattan’s Condo Crunch”

Category 16: Best Commercial Real Estate Trade Magazine Story

Gold Winner:
Jonathan Brasse, PERE, “We Have to Strike While the Iron Is Hot”

Judges’ comment: Brasse landed the exclusive story that real estate firm BentallGreenOak was setting a diversity hiring target of 67% for women and underrepresented minorities. Brasse details how CEO Sonny Kalsi’s decision was influenced by inequality protests in the U.S. and U.K., and his own discriminatory experiences on Wall Street. Brasse’s story includes pull-out quotes from heads of other firms, as well as statistics on diversity in real estate firms and funds. The piece was one of PERE’s best read stories of 2020.

Silver Winner:
Katherine Kallergis, The Real Deal, “A Challenge of Biblical Proportions: Developers Brace for Disaster”

Judges’ comment: Kallergis writes a timely, informative piece on how climate change’s impact on properties and businesses has led real estate professionals, including big developers and asset managers, to change their investment strategies. Kallergis went beyond the U.S. and included Japan and parts of Europe, where natural disasters have impacted lifestyles and affected property investments for some time. Kallergis notes that Moody’s now includes climate risk data in its ratings reports for commercial mortgage-backed securities deals.

Bronze Winner:
Arshiya Khullar, PERE, “Private Real Estate’s Debatable Part in the Global Affordable Housing Crisis”

Honorable Mention:
E.B. Solomont, The Real Deal, “The Litmus Test”

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS – ONLINE OR BROADCAST

Category 17: Best Online Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story 

Gold Winner:
Jacob Passy, MarketWatch, ‘I Thought, ‘You’re Kicking My Dog Out, Too?’ The Legally Messy Eviction of a North Carolina Single Mother’

Judges’ comment: Passy skillfully tells the story of coronavirus-era evictions by focusing on single mother Sierra Graves. Like Graves’ life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium is complicated. Passy puts readers in Graves’ shoes in this well-written story, while bringing in legal experts who shed light on how the moratorium is falling short and what tenants can do about it.

Silver Winner:
Lillian Dickerson, Inman, “Breathy, Gravelly and Gruff: A Few Real Estate Voice-Over Actors Tell All”

Judges’ comment: Dickerson looks at an overlooked subculture: the voice-over actors who narrate property videos. A casting or talent agency hires the talent – perhaps someone with a “rugged voice” who reads a script that describes a property’s “lush valleys and rolling hills with picturesque views.” Or they may come from online voice-actor marketplaces like voices.com or voice123. Dickerson’s thorough reporting includes interviews with narrators and the people who hire them.

Bronze Winner:
Michele Lerner, Freelance Writer, Mansion Global, “Project Delayed? Materials Shortages Slow Remodeling and Development”

Honorable Mention:
Erin Hudson and Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, The Real Deal, “Incidents at Nooklyn and Core Outrage Black Agents, Staff”

Category 18: Best Online Commercial Real Estate Story

Gold Winner:
Miriam Hall, Bisnow, “90% of Major Brokerage Leadership Is White, and That’s Definitely a Problem”

Judges’ comment: Hall’s story, rooted in data, examines commercial real estate brokerage firms that, despite public statements supporting Black Lives Matter last summer, have done little to diversify their ranks. Hall found that none of the 17 largest U.S. firms had more than three people of color at the executive level; a third had none. This well-written story is enhanced by personal anecdotes, such as the Black executive who said he was warned when he got into the business that it was racist, and that he wouldn’t succeed.

Silver Winner:
Jarred Schenke, Bisnow, “Suburban Cities Are Working to Shut Down Hotels Keeping the Most Vulnerable People Housed”

Judges’ comment: With eviction moratoriums slowly ending, Schenke’s timely piece looks at how local governments are increasing regulations and shutting down extended-stay hotels across the country, citing reasons such as increased crime and not fitting into a neighborhood’s “character.” Schenke talks with people living in the hotels to understand their daily lives and struggles, interviews that make the story much more than statistics.

Bronze Winner:
Marissa Luck, CoStar News, “Why Tesla Is Betting on Batteries to Power Real Estate”

Honorable Mention:
Linda Moss, CoStar News, “A Too Tall New York Skyscraper? Appeals Court Weighs Whether to Chop Off 20 Stories”

Category 19: Best Audio or Video Report – Online or Broadcast

Gold Winner:
Margaret J. Krauss and Liz Reid, 90.5 WESA, “Land & Power”

Judges’ comment: In this long-form audio story, Krauss and Reid artfully immerse their audience in the people and history of a gentrifying Pittsburgh neighborhood after close-knit residents of an apartment high-rise are served with eviction papers by a powerful developer. The characters are engrossing, and the narrative is powerful, punctuated by delightful detours into the lives of two of the residents who fight back.

Silver Winner:
Emily Myers, Brick Underground, “The Brick Underground Podcast: How to Read Listings”

Judges’ comment: Myers taps two guests, including the author of Brick Underground’s “Take It or Leave It” column, which describes a listing, dissects it for readers and decides whether or not they should rent the apartment at the listed price. Full of great “buyer beware” tips for smart apartment-shopping in the notoriously challenging and sometimes-deceptive NYC market, this polished but accessible podcast is as entertaining as it is informative.

Bronze Winner:
Henry Grabar and Ethan Brooks, Slate, “How One Block Got Through It”

Honorable Mention:
Evelyn Lee, PERE, “How to Value Assets During COVID-19”

INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM AWARDS – ALL MEDIA

Category 20: Best Breaking Real Estate News Story

Gold Winner:
Clare Kennedy and Randyl Drummer, CoStar News, “Netflix Doubles Down in Disney Country With Big Lease in Burbank, California”

Judges’ comment: The CoStar team left other publications in the dust and forced competitors to cite the team’s exclusive details in this story about Netflix’s mega-lease deal in L.A. for its first stand-alone animation studio. Kennedy and Drummer went well beyond the news of the day to include plenty of regional and industry-specific context. They tell a complete, clear story and explain its importance to readers.

Silver Winner:
Konrad Putzier and Theo Francis, The Wall Street Journal, “Dallas Hotel Owner is Biggest Beneficiary of Coronavirus Loan Program”

Judges’ comment: Putzier and Francis broke new ground in their reporting on Dallas hotelier Monty Bennett, who reaped $59 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans through a network of subsidiaries and collected millions in preferred dividends, all while his company laid off workers and defaulted on its debt. The reporters tell a complex story in clear terms with excellent use of data and numbers that inform rather than overwhelm.

Bronze Winner:
Marissa Luck, CoStar News, “Tesla Proposes 2,100-Acre Site in Austin as a Potential Home to Major Auto Plant”

Honorable Mention:
Jarred Schenke, Bisnow, “Georgia’s Reopening Has Been ‘A Disaster’ For Some Retailers Desperate for Revenue”

Category 21: Best Investigative Report or Investigative Series

Gold Winner:
Eric Peterson, Cathy McKitrick, Taylor Hartman, Ria Agarwal, McKhelyn Jones, The Utah Investigative Journalism Project, The Salt Lake Tribune and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, “Landlords Evict Hundreds of Utah Renters Each Month Despite a Ban During the Pandemic”

Judges’ comment: Reporters diligently dug through documents and found that despite federal and state protections reducing the number of evictions during the pandemic, hundreds of renters a month still found themselves exactly in that position. The reporters focused heavily on Cullimore law firm, the state’s largest filer of evictions, reviewing more than 1,000 eviction filings made by the firm and speaking with those impacted by those evictions. The investigation is impressive in its scope and depth.

Silver Winner:
Kirk Pinho, Crain’s Detroit Business, “Reversal of Fortune: Viktor Gjonaj’s Lottery Habit”

Judges’ comment: Pinho tells a detailed, gripping story of how Viktor Gjonaj, a former Detroit area real estate executive, was winning the Michigan lottery through a Ponzi scheme that left his investors with nothing after they invested $15.25 million, money they thought was being used to purchase ownership interests in real estate. Using police reports obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, state lottery records and court documents, Pinho profiles a man who wouldn’t let friendship or loyalty stand in the way of his goal to enrich himself.

Bronze Winner:
Richard Lawson and Mark Heschmeyer, CoStar News, “U.S. Hotel Buyers Overcome a Dearth of Lending by Using Creativity to Close Deals”

Honorable Mention:
Sylvia Varnham O’Regan and Mary Diduch, The Real Deal, “Behind the Biggest Real Estate Crowdfunding Implosion”

Category 22: Best Series (Individual or team awards, all categories of media)

Gold Winner:
Matthew Sedacca, Freelance Writer, New York Magazine, “Biography of a Building”

Sedacca captures the personalities of New York City’s quirky, unique buildings in this in-depth series. He grabs readers who may think they don’t care about the 1927 One Fifth Avenue building, for example, by setting it up as the spot where Robert Mapplethorpe shot the album cover for Patti Smith’s “Horses.” He also recognizes less well-known jewels of the city, including Graham Court in Harlem. Always, he includes the fascinating backstory, such as William Waldorf Astor commissioning what’s known as “Harlem’s Dakota.” Sedacca shares his enthusiasm for digging deep, dropping famous names, and crafting vivid images with his words.

Silver Winner: 

Prashant Gopal, Oshrat Carmiel, Patrick Clark, Bloomberg News, “Pandemic Throws Landlords and Tenants into Same Leaky Boat”

Judges’ comment:  This collection highlights an unintended consequence of eviction bans: Landlords, who aren’t all rich, are falling behind on their mortgages and property taxes. In “If Landlords Get Wiped Out, Wall Street Wins, Not Renters,” the reporters note that half of the 43 million rental units in the country are owned by small businesses, including one-woman enterprises. Through interviewing real people (tenants and landlords), the reporters make this complicated issue easy to understand. The pieces also help readers feel empathy for landlords, who, like renters, are often in dire financial straits.

Bronze Winner:
Randyl Drummer, Katie Burke, Clare Kennedy, Marissa Luck, Garry Marr, Tony Wilbert, Jelena Schultz, CoStar News, “Year of Disruption”

Honorable Mention: 

Joe Bousquin Jenn Goodman, Zach Phillips, and Jean Dimeo, Construction Dive, “Special Report: How Racism Impacts Construction”

Category 23: Best Blog

Gold Winner: 

Jessica Fiur, Multi-Housing News, “What Renters Want”

Judges’ comment: Fiur’s blog is filled with helpful information for apartment operators, written in an engaging and often humorous way. But in 2020’s pandemic year, she also delivered crucial reader service in such posts as, “Domestic Violence Is Increasing During Quarantine. Here’s How to Help” and “How to Manage Social Distancing at Apartment Communities.” Fiur’s blog is a valuable addition to any landlord’s reading list.

Silver Winner: 

Jon Gorey, House & Hammer

Judges’ comment: Gorey’s blog is a love letter to old homes, especially his own. He also takes readers on do-it-yourself journeys, and in 2020, he gave quarantined readers valuable advice. In a series of “Stay-at-Home Summer” blogs, he tells readers how to make a tire swing, monkey bars or a climbing wall for the kids. Readers are well-served by Gorey’s easy writing style and easy-to-follow advice.

Category 24: Best International Real Estate Story
Gold Winner:
Garry Marr, CoStar News, “Canadians Shuffle Off to Buffalo”

Judges’ comment: This is a fresh take on sky-high real estate prices in Toronto. Who knew that fed up Canadian investors were taking their money over the border to buy properties in the often-overlooked city of Buffalo, New York? In this engaging story, Marr gives us strong writing, “real people” examples, plenty of supporting data, and the kind of detail that enhances a story.

Silver Winner:
Miriam Hall, Bisnow, “Australia Is On Fire. We Must Do Things Differently”

Judges’ comment: Hall took a major disaster and spun it forward to explore how property owners were planning to rebuild amid climate change. The owner of a rainforest-surrounded eco-resort — wiped out by the fires — says he’s planting 3,000 fire – and drought-resistant shrubs. On-the-ground anecdotes like these (Hall was working from her home country of Australia at the time) draw the reader into this smart story.

Bronze Winner:
Rachelle Younglai and Frances Bula, Globe and Mail, “Will the Pandemic Reshape Landmark High Streets Like Queen St. West and Robson?”

SECTION V: TEAM AWARDS – ALL MEDIA, MULTIPLE BYLINES

Category 25: Best Team Report

Gold Winner:
Mike Phillips, Miriam Hall, Deirdra Funcheon, Jon Banister and Cameron Sperance, Bisnow, “Buy Now, Pay Later? Rising Profits Whip Rising Seas for U.S. Real Estate (For Now)”

Judges’ comment: Bisnow tackles the impact of climate change on East Coast commercial real estate with deep reporting in four major cities. The stories are all excellent, but the New York City and Miami stories are noteworthy for their detail and fascinating tidbits, like the major investor who made a killing in 2008 and is now betting against Miami real estate, which he says is overvalued by 30%. A stunning interactive map lets readers see what will be under water by 2100; it’s both addictive and a wake-up call.

Silver Winner:
Kerri Panchuk, Ethan Rothstein, Jarred Schenke, Mike Phillips, Jon Banister, Kelsey Neubauer, Brian Rogal, David Thame, Deirdra Funcheon, Miriam Hall, Dees Stribling and Mark F. Bonner, Bisnow, “There’s No Bailout for Landlords: What to Expect as Anxious April Begins”

Judges’ comment: This is a clearly written, thoroughly reported and timely story that provides the Bisnow reader with up-to-the-minute information on how commercial landlords planned to handle the first rent deadline of the COVID-19 lockdown. (One confesses she doesn’t expect any rent payments in the coming months). The team includes helpful perspective and advice from U.K. property owners who were weeks ahead of the U.S. in dealing with tenants.

Bronze Winner:
Konrad Putzier, Will Parker, Juanje Gomez, Tristan Wyatt, Jessica Kuronen and Allison Pasek, The Wall Street Journal, “How COVID Broke Times Square, the Heart of New York’s Economy”

Honorable Mention:
Miriam Hall and Kelsey Neubauer, Bisnow, “‘There is Blood in the Streets’ in Manhattan’s Luxury Apartment Market”

INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM AWARDS 

Category 26: Best Design, Home or Shelter Magazine

Gold Winner: 

Mae Cheng and the Mansion Global Staff, Mansion Global – March 2020 Issue
Judges’ comment: Mansion Global journalists thoroughly and expertly cover global luxury properties and the people behind them – from designer Philippe Starck to Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent (with some celebrities like fashionista Tamara Mellon to actor Juliana Margulies thrown in for good measure and for good reason). New megadevelopments? Check. Luxe and green properties and amenities? Check. Some of the real estate may seem over the top, given the poverty on this planet, but that’s not a knock on the first-rate photography, features and ideas in this intentionally high-end magazine.

Category 27: Best Residential Trade Magazine

Gold Winner:
Stuart Elliott, Hiten Samtani, Danielle Balbi, Damian Ghigliotty and The Real Deal Staff, The Real Deal – December 2020 Issue
Judges’ comment: With many real estate employees struggling because of the pandemic, The Real Deal’s formidable journalists look at the “pain and promise” for the industry at the end of 2020. They offer a mix of storytelling styles — features, news, news analysis, profiles (including an in-depth look at alpha agent Kurt Rappaport). They never forget to follow the people (such as the Kushners) and to follow the money (such as foreclosures ramping up, and Compass laying the groundwork to go public). In the process, they make this publication a must-read for anyone in the industry.

Silver Winner:
Suzann Silverman, Jessica Fiur, Paul Rosta, Therese Fitzgerald, Bogdan Odagescu, Holly Dutton, IvyLee Rosario, Greg Isaacson, Denile Doyle, and Alexandra Pacurar, Multi-Housing News – September 2020 Issue
Judges’ comment: The issue features a timely topic – how COVID-19 is testing property managers, who are working out payment plans; figuring out sanitation plans for common areas and apartments; trying to reopen amenities safely; and dealing with high volumes of online orders and package deliveries. Editors also use graphics to make it easier to understand numbers, and they try to engage readers by holding reader polls.

Category 28: Best Commercial Trade Magazine

Gold Winner:
Stuart Elliott, Hiten Samtani, Damian Ghigliotty, Danielle Balbi, The Real Deal – November 2020 Issue
Judge’s comment: Who wouldn’t want to open a magazine with the cover line, “The Inside Story of the World’s Most Profitable Condo”? The piece delivers: Vornado, led by CEO Steve Roth, netted $1 billion on 220 Central Park South. The 15-year journey included paying tenants of the old property there $1.3 million to $1.6 million to leave. TRD also runs a “rogues’ gallery” on buyers (Ken Griffin, Sting). In another piece, TRD sits down with former Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff, whose dad was tour manager for the Rolling Stones (a gem of a detail).

Silver Winner:
Jonathan Brasse, PERE – September 2020 Issue
Judges’ comment: In the pandemic era, institutional real estate investors, managers and advisers want to know property values of hotels, retail space, apartments, and student housing. Done: The magazine gives them an in-depth cover story on the issue. In another well-reported piece, Sonny Kalsi, president of $48 billion-under-management BentallGreenOak, reveals that 66.7% of new recruits there will be either minorities or women. Another timely story looks at how Netflix and other streaming platforms that produce original content are boosting demand for soundstage space.

Bronze Winner:
Matt Valley, Seniors Housing Business – August-September 2020 Issue

Honorable Mention:
Loretta Clodfelter, Institutional Real Estate Americas – December 2020 Issue 

Category 29: Best Newsletter

Gold Winner:
Kerry Barger, The Wall Street Journal – August 14, 2020 Issue
Judges’ comment: Homeowners who devote whole rooms to model-train collections and a developer who plans to list a 20,000-square-foot penthouse for more than $100 million are par for the course for this upscale newsletter. The WSJ also engages readers, who vote for the house of the week (a Santa Fe retreat, a renovated Tudor in Kansas City or a modern home in horse country?). Ever clever, the newsletter runs the headline: “For Privacy, Homeowners Hedge Their Bets” for a “vegetative screening” piece. It’s an educational and escapist treat.

Silver Winner:
Lauren Beale, Jack Flemming and Neal Leitereg, Los Angeles Times: Hot Property Newsletter – August 15, 2020 Issue
Judges’ comment: Who can resist a dishy real estate newsletter with a sense of humor? For an item on how the Lake Tahoe ranch used in the opening sequence of “Bonanza” sold for $38 million, the headline reads, “Meanwhile, back at the ranch.” Photos – for example, of a wine room in the Tarzana home sold by Houston Rockets Guard Ben McLemore for $2.65 million – add to the appeal. The writers know it’s vicarious fun to read about actress Geena Davis listing her longtime Pacific Palisades home for $5.995 million – and about McLemore taking a small loss on his mansion.

Bronze Winner:
Glenn Demby and Heather Stone, Commercial Lease Law Insider – December 1, 2020 Issue

Honorable Mention:
Carol Johnson Perkins and Heather Stone, Fair Housing Coach – June 1, 2020 Issue

Category 30: Best Newspaper Real Estate or Home Section

Gold Winner:
Heather Halberstadt, Mansion, The Wall Street Journal – December 11, 2020 Edition
Judges’ comment: Mansion journalists know their well-heeled readers want to know whether golf-community homes will stay hot. Their articles never bore: One looks at where a couple should park their $635,000 motorcoach. And of course, they interview the plastic surgeon (with clients like Kim Kardashian) who recently slashed the price of his 34,000-square-foot home to $99 million. The precise details, including acreage and dollars, make for Mansion masterpieces.

Silver Winner:
Dion Haynes, The Washington Post – June 13, 2020 Edition
Judges’ comment: With a stable of ace reporters, The Washington Post delivers thoroughly reported real estate stories with memorable quotes like this one: “Banks are thrilled to lend you money when you don’t need it, but not when you do.” It’s also hard to resist features like the “house of the week” (a mere $2.7 million, 5,400-square-foot French country-style home in this issue). Post journalists ably tackle timely stories, including one on how the rental market adapted to the pandemic with video tours and online leases.

Bronze Winner:
Eileen McEleney Woods, Marcia Dick, Lesley Becker, Michele Lerner, Marni Elyse Katz, Cameron Sperance, Tom Acitelli, Jim Morrison, John R. Ellement and Jon Gorey, The Boston Globe, Address: Fall House Hunt – September 13, 2020 Edition

Honorable Mention:
Lois Weiss, Steve Cuozzo, Hana Alberts, Christopher Bunting, Andronika Zimmerman, Carl Campanile, New York Post – January 16, 2020 Edition

Category 31: Best Web Site

Gold Winner:
Kerry Barger, The Wall Street Journal
Judges’ comment: With wow-inducing full-page aerial images of luxurious Miami spots like the exclusive Star Island and Zaha Hadid’s $300 million tower, The Wall Street Journal puts itself a step ahead of some formidable rivals. Drone photography lets readers fly above properties owned by millionaires like Jennifer Lopez. Like the pictures, the stories themselves give vivid details. For example, the Hadid building comes with an indoor and outdoor pool and a helipad (of course). A sobering story, packed with numbers, shows how COVID-19 hurt the New York real estate market worse than September 11.

Silver Winner:
Stuart Elliott, The Real Deal
Judges’ comment: The Real Deal holds its own when it comes to thorough reporting and polished, authoritative writing. Readers who only care about one city (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, South Florida) or type of content (residential, commercial, architecture) can easily navigate the well-organized website. At the top of its page, the Real Deal runs “trending” stories and a ticker. It’s constantly posting new content about money and markets. After all, as it likes to say, it’s the bible of the real estate news industry.

Bronze Winner:
Eileen McEleney Woods, The Boston Globe, Real Estate by Boston.com & Globe.com

Honorable Mention:
Jennifer White Karp, Emily Myers, and Austin Havens-Bowen, Brick Underground