This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 27, 2016.

PETALING JAYA: The annual National Real Estate Awards (NREA), which is organised by the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA), is now open for submissions.

NREA coordinator K Soma Sundram said there will be 19 awards open to real estate firms, real estate agents and real estate negotiators this year.

He noted that there will be 12 awards dedicated to real estate agents and seven awards for real estate negotiators.

The call for entries ends at noon, Aug 2.

Winners will be informed on Aug 15 and the awards will be given out during the gala dinner to be held on Oct 1 at the Sime Darby Convention Centre.

“Eligible candidates will need to compete for the awards based on their strengths and achievements. “Apart from sales performance, the judging criteria also include business development plan, marketing strategy, number of listings, service quality and personal achievements,” he said at the event kicking off the NREA last Friday.

TheEdgeProperty.com is sponsoring two awards: The Most Innovative Firm Award and MIEA-TheEdgeProperty.com Top Online Real Estate Negotiator Award.

MIEA president Erick Kho said the NREA had become a major awards ceremony that real estate agents, real estate firms and real estate negotiators look forward to annually.

He noted that since the awards’ debut in 2009, it had grown to be nationally recognised by all real estate stakeholders, including the finance ministry, and the Board of Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents.

“In this highly competitive environment, we hope these awards can provide opportunities for the participants to share their ideas and learn from each other to improve the industry,” he added.

The NREA is open to all registered estate agents, registered estate agency firms and certified real estate negotiators for sales concluded in 2015.

Both MIEA members and non-members are eligible to participate.