Recognizing the most impactful and innovative technology leaders serving the housing economy.

HousingWire’s Tech Trendsetters award program will honor the most impactful and innovative technology leaders serving the housing economy. 

With similar criteria to the HousingWire Tech100, which honors the most innovative companies in mortgage and real estate tech, Tech Trendsetters seeks to recognize the PEOPLE who drive innovation for their mortgage and real estate clients.

Optimal candidates will be executive, product and technology leaders who have played an integral role in bringing innovative solutions to market for housing industry clients. We are looking for tech professionals who have made an impact to the industry as a whole through tech innovation.

Winners will be profiled on the HousingWire website.

Program Details

• 2024 Nomination period: September 3, 2024 – September 27, 2024
• Nomination fee: $695
• Winners announced: Online October 1, 2024
  

Past Winners:

Eligibility & Criteria:

We are looking for evidence of professional success over the last 12-months in addition to career-long accomplishments. Nominees must work full-time in the housing industry and must be proficient in developing and bringing innovative solutions, platforms and products to market for housing industry clients. Optimal candidates include executive, product and technology leaders who have played an integral role in bringing innovative solutions to market for housing industry clients.

Qualifying categories in mortgage include:

• Mortgage origination
• Loan servicing
• Secondary markets
• Appraisal / valuation
• Title
• Technology and solutions supporting mortgage clients

Qualifying categories in real estate include:

• Residential real estate
• I-buying
• Residential real estate investors and single-family rental owner / operators
• Residential property managers
• Technology and solutions enabling real estate sales clients

Submissions are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the submission questions? 

• What’s your elevator pitch? Give us the elevator pitch on why you think this nominee should be a Tech Trendsetter (no more than three sentences.)
• What are some things the nominee has done to drive innovation and improve technology in the housing industry? (Limit 350 words)
• What are some things the nominee has done to help clients drive business performance and innovation? Specific examples are great and may be published. (Limit 350 words)

1. Who can I contact if I have questions?
   For questions about any of our awards programs, contact Lesley Collins at [email protected].
2. What is the Tech Trendsetters award program?
   This program recognizes the most impactful and innovative technology leaders serving the housing economy. These are the people behind the tech organizations that help the housing industry run.
3. When will HousingWire announce the winners of the 2023 Tech Trendsettesr Award program?
   Winners will be announced on HousingWire.com on December 1, 2023.
4. When is the nomination period?
   Nominations will open Tuesday, September 5, 2023 – Friday, September 22, 2023. A late fee of $100 will be added to all nominations submitted beyond September 22, 2023.
5. 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.
6. Who decides who will make the list of Tech Trendsetters Award winners?
   A selection committee made up of HousingWire’s editors, executives and reporters will decide who is nominated.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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, including contact information for the person you are nominating.
10. 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.
11. Does it help if many people nominate the same person?
    No, only one nomination per person is necessary to be considered by the panel.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. What is required of those who are selected?
    All of our HousingWire award winners become a part of a larger HousingWire community. We regularly reach out to previous award winners for interviews in articles or podcasts, speaking engagements, panel opportunities at our events and much more.
15. 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.
16. I want to be picked for the Tech Trendsetters program. Will it help to hire a public relations firm?
    No. PR firms often submit candidates, but they do not influence the judging.
17. I was not selected as a Tech Trendsetters winner this year. 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.
18. 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.