Am I a Proptech?

If you design and deliver technology to the real estate, property or building industry – commercial, residential or both – then the answer is: “Yes”. It does not matter if your company operates in other sectors of the economy as well.

Can I enter?

If you are a start-up, scale-up or established supplier of proptech as outlined above, then yes, absolutely you can enter! These awards are open to all companies in the Proptech sector no matter how big or small. Entry is free to members of the Proptech Association Australia. If you are not yet a member, you can join here.

We’re an established proptech business that has launched a new product. Doesn’t this make us a start-up?

Nope! The categories in the Proptech Awards have been designed to compare like with like in terms of business resource and capability. As an established supplier, you should enter new products under the Established Supplier category within the award that best fits the purpose and features of your solution or innovation. You will be judged on the innovation and results you have achieved over the past 12 months. 

If you are a start-up or scale-up that has been recently purchased by a larger business, the category you enter should be determined by the timing of the purchase and how it impacted the majority of your tech development during the past 12 months.

Can I enter more than once? 

If you have more than one product, you can enter more than once. But if you have just one product, you should enter it only once. 

What this means is that if you are a start-up, it is likely that you have just one product - let’s say it is a rental solution - and that one rental solution is your entire business even if it helps both property managers and tenants. As such, you’d enter once under the Property & Facilities Award in the category of Start-Up. 

But if you are an Established Supplier, you may have multiple products, each with their own business model. As an example, let’s say one is a sales & marketing solution, one is a back office solution while a third is a direct-to-consumer research site. As such, you could submit three separate entries - one for a Sales & Marketing Award in the Established Supplier category, the second for the Efficiency & Optimisation Award in the Established Supplier category and the third for the Consumer Proptech Award in the Established Supplier category. 

What the guidelines do not permit is that the Start-Up with its rental solution enter three separate awards - ie Property & Facilities Management, Efficiency & Optimisation and Consumer Proptech with the same product and entry in the hope that one of them will be successful. 

Where do I enter?

First, we recommend you download the PDF called “Awards Criteria”. Work out which category and award you wish to enter, and read the criteria thoroughly.

Go to proptech.awardsplatform.com You will be asked to register and then you can proceed. We recommend you familiarise yourself with the site in advance of creating your entry.

Please be aware that you’ll be asked to fill in fields for each criteria. If you cut and paste your entry content into these fields using Word or similar software, you will lose the formatting and will have to reinstate it using the platform’s editor.

You can attach files of no more than 5mb. Video cannot be uploaded but you can embed a video link that will take judges to a separate video server, such as YouTube or Vimeo. If you password protect a video, make sure you give judges the access details.

Is there a fee to enter?

Entry is open to Proptech Association Australia Members and Associates. If you are not yet a member, we’d love you to join our community of Aussie proptechs working together to grow the industry and drive the conversation about adopting new tech. Membership is $450 for Start-Ups and Scale-Ups for 12 months from the time you sign up and $900 for Established Suppliers. Associate memberships are $1200.

Why should I join the Proptech Association Australia?

Proptech Association Australia is a community of technology providers who want to drive the conversation about how proptech can help deliver better experiences in how we list, sell, buy, rent, build and manage property. We’re a not-for-profit industry association who believe we need a bigger vision for proptech in Australia and that together, we can grow the market exponentially.

When you join you’ll get: 

• Opportunities to build and promote your business at our real and virtual events including speaking, presentation and pitches
• Connection to the global world of proptech
• Networking and opportunities to collaborate with like-minded technology providers
• Updates on accelerators, scale-up and business growth programs.
• Exclusive member discounts to Proptech Events, including free entry to our Proptech Awards.
• Right to use the Proptech Association logo on your website
• Voting rights at our AGM

Can I meet with someone from the association before I join?

If you'd like to discuss membership, please reach out to us via the following:

Email: awards@proptechassociation.com.au

Whatsapp: +61401673329

Check out our Key Benefits and Membership Levels here

Where do I pay?

Your entry will not be deemed complete until you’ve paid your membership. That cut-off is the close of entry date: May 12, 2023

Are there any restrictions on the information I can provide?

As an annual awards program, entries must focus on your achievements and the progress you have made over the past 12 months - for the period ending May 12, 2023. Preference will be given to entries that articulate the 12-month progress rather than a general overview. 

Please ensure you follow our Multiple Entries Policy, as detailed in the Awards Criteria document. Awards organisers may remove duplicate entries from the judging without notice.

Will my entry be confidential?    

You can ensure the entry remains “confidential” by marking a checkbox on the awards website when you create your entry. We encourage the sharing of entries so the Proptech community can learn from the best. We believe this contributes to increasing the quality of products and services we provide to our clients and the real estate sector as a whole.

Do I have to cite commercial-in-confidence information?

No. We recommend you provide information that you feel comfortable about being in the public domain. If you wish to cite growth in profit or sales, you might want to use year-on-year percentages, rather than dollar-revenue.

Where do I tell the judges about my company?

You should use the first element of the criteria – “Overview” – to outline details of your company, such as its ownership, leadership and (if relevant) stage of capital raising. You should provide judges with guidance on your company’s size, using staff numbers, the number of offices, or other statistics. Also, use the Overview to explain the target market that your company is addressing. Additional information, such as when the company was established, adds to the general picture.

What’s the best way to explain my technology?

The largest proportion of the marks available focus on your technology but we encourage you not to get too bogged down in the weeds or the technical details. You should provide judges with a plain-English explanation of the technology. It’s a good idea to cite the addressable market for your technology, and the problem(s) that it promises to resolve, or opportunities that it seeks to create. Focus on both the features as well as the benefits to the client. Hard data to support your market research or similar business assertions in your entry will be highly regarded. Avoid or keep to minimum technical documentation, such as schematics or use-cases.

Can I attach additional files to my entry?

Yes. When you go on to our awards website, you will see fields that align with the awards criteria. You should fill these in, as per the instructions. You will have the opportunity to attach files. These might include customer endorsements, independent reviews and case studies. Judges will have limited time to spend on each entry, so focus on information that will have the greatest impact. Maximum file size is 5mb.

Who are the judges?

The judges have been secured from the property, technology, finance and legal sectors, and the broader innovation ecosystem. They understand the dynamics of business and technology. It would be best if you did not assume they will know your company specifically. So, in compiling your entry, ensure each element of the criteria is addressed thoroughly. An independent chairman of judges has been appointed to adjudicate over any issues that may arise.

Do I have to address each element of the criteria?

You should. If you miss one element, a judge will be within their rights to mark that element as zero. The criteria have been designed, in part, to ensure judges treat every entry in the same way.

How does the judging process work?

Separate panels of three judges will consider entries for each award, with marking aligned to the established criteria. Judges will then meet to confirm a joint decision. This avoids unintentional bias or outcomes created by “high” and “low” markers. A chairman of judges oversees the process and their decision will be final. No correspondence will be entered into. 

Can a marketing agency enter on behalf of a client?

If you have your client’s permission to enter, yes, you may submit an entry. Please note however that the entry will not be valid unless the proptech is a financial member of the association and the email used for the submission may also be used for the invoice. As such it would be helpful to drop an email to awards@proptechassociation.com.au once you have entered, letting us know the contact or invoicing details for the proptech (your client) so that we can send them their membership information or check the status of their entry. 

What dates do I need to remember?

March 6, 2023 - Entries open

May 12, 2023 - Entries Close & Judging commence

May 31, 2023 - Finalists Announced

July 19, 2023 - Gala Proptech Awards Dinner, Fullerton Hotel, Sydney

Need any help?

You can email us at awards@proptechassociation.com.au