The HousingWire Insiders Award program recognizes your organization’s operational all-stars — those insiders who are your company’s best-kept secret, yet vital to its success.
If your company or team has an Insider who is making all the difference in helping your organization achieve success, nominate them.
Honorees will be profiled on HousingWire.com and will receive a complimentary year subscription to HW+.
Program Details
- Nomination period: June 2-30, 2025
- Winners announced: Online on August 1st
- Nomination fee: $695
Past Winners:
Eligibility & Criteria:
Nominees must be working in housing, which includes businesses in residential mortgage lending, servicing, investments, real estate or fintech. Each application must provide tangible evidence of significant impact within their individual company, primarily focused upon the past 12 months.
We recognize those who serve their companies in outstanding ways — through operations, product development, hiring, marketing campaigns or making things more efficient. Don’t let that list limit you — we aren’t as focused on titles but on the value this person brings to the company.
Here’s how we break down the “housing” space for eligible nominees:
The mortgage category is focused on individuals operating in:
- Mortgage origination
- Loan servicing
- Secondary markets
- Appraisal / valuation
- Title
- Technology and solutions supporting mortgage clients
The real estate category is focused on the real estate brokerage, agent and team ecosystem including:
- Residential real estate
- I-buying
- Residential real estate investors and single-family rental owner / operators
- Technology and solutions enabling real estate sales clients
Submissions are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the submission questions for HW Insiders?
- What’s your elevator pitch? Give us the elevator pitch on why you think this nominee should be an HW Insider honoree. (No more than three sentences.)
- Contribution to your organization. Provide the reasons this person is so valuable to your organization, focusing particularly on the last 12 months as applicable. You may also include any volunteer work or trade organizations they are a part of.
- Leadership and excellence. Describe how the nominee has actively demonstrated excellence and reflected the values of your company. One or two paragraphs recommended.
- Who can I contact if I have questions?
For questions about HW Insiders or any of our awards programs, contact Lesley Collins at [email protected]. - What is the Insiders Award program?
This program recognizes mid-level industry professionals in real estate and mortgage who have become essential forces in their respective fields within housing. Those housing professionals whose enterprising efforts are moving markets forward, each and every day. - When will HousingWire announce the winners of the HW Insiders Award program?
Winners will be announced on HousingWire.com on August 1, 2025. - When is the nomination period?
Nominations for the 2024 nomination period are open June 2 – June 30, 2025. - What are the qualifications for consideration?
Nominees must be working in the housing economy, which includes businesses in residential mortgage lending, servicing, investments, or real estate (see break outs above). Each application must provide tangible evidence of significant impact within their individual company, primarily focused upon the past 12 months. - Who decides who will make the list of HW Insiders Award winners?
A selection committee made up of HousingWire’s editors, executives and reporters will decide who is nominated. - How can I nominate someone?
Nominations must be submitted via HousingWire’s official award submission platform. Click the registration button above once the nomination period has opened. - Why is there a nomination fee?
The nomination fee ensures award winner integrity by only allowing serious candidates to be nominated, and covers editorial time. It takes a significant amount of time and resources for HousingWire’s editorial and awards team members to organize and successfully determine who will be named to this year’s list. - Can I just call you or send you an e-mail with the name of the person I’d like to nominate?
No. We need to have the application completed through the submission form, including contact information for the person you are nominating. - I want to nominate my boss, but would it be better if someone higher up nominated him? Can I nominate a family member?
You can nominate yourself, a client, a family member, your boss, an employee, or an acquaintance. The most important thing is that you state a clear, business-oriented reason for the nomination. - Does it help if many people nominate the same person?
No, only one nomination per person is necessary to be considered by the panel. - Can more than one nominee from the same company be considered?
Yes, multiple professionals from the same company can be nominated and will each receive individual consideration. - How does the process work?
After the nomination period closes, the HousingWire selection committee begins an extensive process of reviewing all nominations, evaluating accomplishments and applying industry knowledge to determine the impact each nominee has on their organization and the industry. Following review, the editorial selection committee holds a series of meetings to determine which candidates will be chosen. We strive to select the most impressive and impactful leaders leveraging the nomination information and industry knowledge of organizations, accomplishments and trajectory. The process takes a significant amount of time over a compressed schedule. - What is required of those who are selected?
Honorees of all HousingWire awards, including Insiders, become a part of the larger HousingWire family and are frequently tapped into for other opportunities including Q&As to promote future awards, podcast interviews, panelist opportunities at HousingWire events and much more. However, this is not a requirement for any HousingWire award winner. - Can I contact you to see how my nominee is doing in the judging process?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide status reports. If we need any further information, we will contact you. - I want to be picked for the HW Insiders Award program. Will it help to hire a public relations firm?
No. PR firms often submit candidates, but they do not influence the judging. - I was not selected for the HW Insiders Award. Can you tell me why?
With hundreds of candidates and only a few spots available, the majority of the time we are unable to share specific feedback for each nominee who wasn’t selected. Oftentimes, many quality nominees don’t make the cut. - The person I nominated has moved to another company. Can I rescind their nomination and get a refund?
We understand that things change and nominees may switch companies in between the time that they’re nominated for an award and the time that the selection committee votes on the winners. In this scenario, HousingWire will continue to keep the person on the winners’ list and work with the honoree to update their awards profile to include information — if they so choose — about their new endeavor. We treat our people-based awards like they belong to the award winner. That said, once someone is selected, we believe it is fair to continue to recognize the honoree despite the fact that he/she may have switched roles.
Have more questions? Reach out to Lesley Collins
Award Materials
For additional award materials, like plaques please visit our online store here.
