Resident Choice Awards 2025

13th February 2025 | The Vox, Birmingham | 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Buy tickets

Resident Choice Awards 2025

13th February 2025 | The Vox, Birmingham | 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Buy tickets

What did attendees say about last year’s event?

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, the HomeViews Resident Choice Awards are returning in 2025 to recognise the best in the Build to Rent sector.

Our awards, in partnership with BENews, require no entry forms, judging panels, or sponsorship demands. Instead, winners are awarded based on a minimum number of verified resident reviews from HomeViews, ensuring that our awards truly reflect the satisfaction and experiences of residents.

Join us as we continue to highlight the achievements of those who set the highest standards in residential living.

Event Agenda

12:00 | Doors open for registration, networking and lunch

13:30 | Pro Forum panel sessions X3

16:30 | Awards ceremony

18:00 | Celebratory drinks reception

Pro Forum Topics

Following the popularity of the Pro Forum panel sessions at the 2024 Resident Choice Awards, we’ve made sessions more accessible for 2025. Three sessions will run in a conference-style format, with each covering a key factor in the success of award-winning residential communities: design, management and technology:

Session 1: Designing Award-Winning BTR Spaces

Award-winning architects, designers and operators discuss what the highest-rated buildings can teach us about how building design, placemaking, interiors, facilities and other elements of the built environment impact resident satisfaction.

Session 2: Award-Winning Building Management

Management and community are consistently cited by residents as crucial to the success of top-rated schemes on HomeViews. A unique panel of those in-the-running for an award share tips, insights and best practice.

Session 3: Tech Solutions for Award-Winning Homes

As Build to Rent matures and diversifies, we find out how technology is supporting this expansion with cost- and time-saving features that allow operators to focus on what matters across diverse portfolios.

Meet our panellists

John Badman
Residential Practice Leader – UK & Europe
Gensler
Bio

John is a Residential Leader for Gensler’s Europe region, who is driven by a passion for making the home an integrated part of wider mixed-use neighbourhoods throughout our towns and cities.  

With over 20 years of experience designing thousands of homes across the U.K. and Europe, John strives to enhance the inherent value and rich experience of living spaces and infuse them with the latest residential design trends, recognising their place within our lifestyle ecosystems. John’s expertise as both an architect and designer centres on crafting captivating narratives within spaces and places, helping him to deliver tangible value to clients and end-users in our rapidly evolving world. He is an industry leader in the Build-to-Rent sector, and is actively engaged in various committees, forums, and insight groups, frequently sharing his insights as a recognised expert at conferences and seminars. 

Jodie Clark
Head of Mobilisation & Onboarding
Native Communities 
Bio

Jodie leads Mobilisation & Onboarding for Native Communities, working with key clients across the UK to bring their assets to life during the mobilisation period. Regularly advising on key operational requirements, resident friendly design and collaborating with architects and interior designers to ensure each asset brings something compelling to the BTR market. 

Cameron Doyle
Building Manager – The Kell
Way of Life
Bio

Cameron previously worked in PBSA in Canterbury for 2 years. He has now worked at Way Of Life for a year and a half. He joined as Assistant Manager at The Kell in July 2023. Most recently in September 2024 he was promoted to Building Manager at The Kell.

Sophie Gunn
Associate Director (Development)
Packaged Living

Bio

An architect by background, Sophie is an Associate Director in the Development team at Packaged Living, leading projects from acquisition through to completion on site. She has a proven track record running several core projects within Packaged Living’s multi-family portfolio. Prior to joining Packaged Living, she worked at Assael Architecture and was responsible for designing a variety of large-scale residential schemes.

Michael Herrington
Director of BTR Operations
Related Argent

Bio

Michael Herrington joined Related Argent in April 2022 as the Director of BtR Operations. Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President for Related Management Company overseeing a portfolio of 20 luxury rental and condominium buildings with over 10,500 units located in New York City, Boston, Chicago and the District of Columbia. A property management professional with over 20 years’ experience, Michael also served as the Director of Business Operations for Related Management Company, overseeing the induction of more than 30 sites into a newly established property management company.

A graduate of Stephen F Austin State University, Michael is a Certified Property Manager and an accredited member of Institute of Real Estate ManagementHe is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York and the Bronx/Manhattan Board of RealtorsPrior to joining Related Management, he was an Executive Director with Brookdale Living Communities in Raleigh, NC.

Sophie Hine
Head of Operations & Customer Experience
John Lewis Partnership
Bio

Sophie has built the partnership’s BTR operational business from scratch, scaling quickly towards a 1,500-home portfolio. With over 15 years at JLP, she brings extensive experience in retail and digital operations, having led eight John Lewis branches and a £900m digital trading team. During COVID-19, she developed £50m in customer experience propositions, including digitising core services.

Now, she oversees brand development, marketing, digital strategy, customer experience, and onsite operations. Her innovative approach and dedication to customer excellence, shaped by her retail background, drive the success of JLP’s BTR platform.

Lauren Maylor
Co-Founder
Project Studio
Bio

Lauren Maylor is an award-winning Interior Designer with 18+ years’ experience across residential, commercial & hospitality sectorsShe co-founded Project Studio in 2022, to form the Interior Design arm of the Project Furniture Residential, working directly with developers and funds on multiple BTR/PRS and PBSA schemes across the country.

Jason McHenry
Community Manager
Fizzy Walthamstow
Bio

Jason is now in his eighth year at Fizzy Living, part of Greystar – he started off as a junior property manager in 2017 and began hiscurrent role as Community Manager at Fizzy Walthamstow 2 and a half years ago.

Iain Murray
Head of Operational Living
Bidwells
Bio

Iain Murray is a veteran of the Living Sector now Head of Operational Living and a Partner at multi-disciplinary property consultants Bidwells. Leading a team which has delivered over £6.2bn of Living Sector assets for clients from Apache Capital to Get Living Iain is a well-respected subject expert and engaging conference speaker. He is known for his technical knowledge, operational expertise and thought leadership over a career spanning 38 years.

Barry Nevin
Product Director
Zero Deposits
Bio

Barry is a technology leader dedicated to creating user experiences that delight customers and deliver commercial value.  

He leads Product, Engineering and Design at Zero Deposit, delivering intuitive and innovative solutions to the rental market.  

Barry has previously worked in Product & Technology roles across Insurance, Telecoms and Media. 

Natasha Riddoch
Resident Services Manager – Chapel Wharf
Dandara Living
Bio

Natasha has worked for Dandara Living for three years, managing two developments in Aberdeen. In June, she relocated to Manchester to take on the role of Resident Services Manager at Chapel Wharf. With a background primarily in retail, her focus has been on ensuring smooth and efficient operations while prioritising the needs of residents. She believes that honesty, groundedness, and supportiveness are key to creating a welcoming and homely atmosphere for everyone who walks through the door. 

Natasha looks forward to hearing from others and meeting everyone involved.

Katherine Rose
Managing Director
VervLife
Bio

Katherine is the Managing Director of VervLife; a specialist consultancy, operations and creative partner for the BTR and rented homes sector engaged on multi-family, single-family and co-living communities. 

 Working within BTR since its genesis in the UK, Katherine is an operational expert and has a keen focus on what shifting resident behaviours and lifestyles mean for the product being brought to market, how technology can be harnessed to drive operational effectiveness and the role of intelligent asset design in enhancing investor returns.  

VervLife is BCorp Pending and is committed to lead standards of social value, resident wellness and planetary awareness in the rented residential sector. 

Chloe Sachikonye
Account Executive
Yardi
Bio

Chloe Sachikonye, Yardi Account Executive, has over a decade of experience working in real estate. Since joining Yardi she has fast become a leading voice in the residential industry, championing how the sector can be empowered by technology. Her work at Yardi seeks to streamline business operations through the use of Yardi’s end-to-end software solutions for both Student and BTR operations – providing a single source of truth for all data and promoting improved operational efficiency.

Lauren Smith
Head of Ops (North)
ila
Bio

Lauren oversees the Northern ila neighbourhoods, including Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Salford, and Sheffield. With over 10 years in BTR, she has managed multiple portfolios for top UK operators, 3rd-party clients, and international investors, focusing on exceptional teams, customer experience, and operational excellence.

Richard Smith
Managing Director of Operations
Moda Living
Bio

Richard Smith, Managing Director, Operations, is responsible for the operational arm of the Moda BTR portfolio, driving best-in-class customerexperiences and responsible for creating & driving the overall Culture, Vision and Values, as well as focused on the significant rental performance in all of its apx 4,000 homes from Edinburgh down to Hove.  

This leadership has led to the transitioning of Moda into one of the UK’s leading rental brands in the UK.    

Meet our special guest: Ed Jackson

A former professional rugby player, Ed turned a life-changing spinal injury in 2017 into a story of resilience and transformation. Defying expectations, he learned to walk again and has since scaled peaks in the Alps and the Himalayas.

His journey is captured in the Sunday Times bestseller Lucky and the feature film The Mountain Within Me.

Ed’s charity, Millimetres 2 Mountains (M2M), will be our Charity Partner for the event. M2M helps individuals overcome trauma and find new strength in life’s challenges.

Ed brings his unique energy and inspiring story to join us through the event.

Resident Choice Awards 2025

Top Rated Rental-Only Community:
Scotland

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated Rental-Only Community:
North-West

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated Rental-Only Community:
North-East

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated
Rental-
Only
Community:
Midlands

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated Rental-Only Community:
Wales & South-West of England

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated
Rental-
Only
Community:
South-East of England

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated
Rental-Only
Community:
London

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated
Boutique Rental
Community – UK:
Up to 100 units

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 100 units or less
  • 10 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated
Small Rental
Community – UK:
101 – 300 units

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • 101 – 300 units
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated
Large Rental
Community – UK:
301+ units

Criteria
  • Development is Pure BTR, excluding SFH & Co-living
  • Greater than 300 units
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Resident
Team of the
Year

Criteria
  • All development types including Pure BTR, SFH & Co-living
  • 25 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on 50/50 Management and Customer Service Ratings calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Resident Team
Member of the
Year

Criteria
  • Team member will be selected from Top 10 ranking developments based on frequency of positive mentions in the reviews compared to number of reviews submitted in the year

Top Rated Large Build to Rent Operator

Criteria
  • Operator has a minimum of 3 Pure BTR developments
  • Greater than or equal to 3000 units
  • 50 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Operator needs at least 1 review from all live and occupied schemes
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated Small Build to
Rent Operator

Criteria
  • Operator has a minimum of 3 Pure BTR developments
  • Less than 3000 units
  • 50 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Operator needs at least 1 review from all live and occupied schemes
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

Top Rated Single Family Housing Operator

Criteria
  • Operator has a minimum of 2 SFH developments
  • 20 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
  • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

    Top Rated Single Family Housing Community

    Criteria
    • Development is SFH
    • 10 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
    • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

      Top Rated
      Co-Living Community

      Criteria
      • Development is Co-living
      • 10 verified reviews between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024
      • Ranked on Star Rating calculated between 1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024, with no decay algorithm applied

          Most Improved Rental-Only Community in the UK
          (2023 vs. 2024)

          hereSAY Award
          Best Build to Rent
          Operator:
          Lead to Lease Journey

          Criteria
          • This award recognises the operator that excels across in the leasing experience. It highlights the operator’s ability to create a seamless and effective process, offering an exceptional experience for prospective tenants at every touchpoint

          • Your scheme must be mystery shopped by hereSAY three times before the end of November 2024. You can ensure this happens by emailing nick@sayproperty.co.uk. The entry process allows you to select which of your schemes you’d like to include

          hereSAY Award
          Best Build to Rent Community:
          Lead to Lease Journey

          Criteria
          • This award celebrates the top-performing Build to Rent scheme that demonstrates excellence in the leasing process. From the first enquiry to the on-site viewing, this award honours schemes that deliver outstanding service, quality, and experience for potential residents

          • Your scheme must be mystery shopped by hereSAY three times before the end of November 2024. You can ensure this happens by emailing nick@sayproperty.co.uk. The entry process allows you to select which of your schemes you’d like to include

          hereSAY Award
          Best Build to Rent Team Member:
          Lead to Lease Journey

          Criteria
          • This award shines a spotlight on the leasing staff member who goes above and beyond in delivering an exceptional customer experience. It recognises individuals who demonstrate outstanding knowledge, professionalism, and dedication and are excellent ambassadors for their schemes

          • Your scheme must be mystery shopped by hereSAY three times before the end of November 2024. You can ensure this happens by emailing nick@sayproperty.co.uk. The entry process allows you to select which of your schemes you’d like to include

          • Only those who register by the deadline will be eligible for the Best Leasing Staff Member award due to GDPR regulations. While we also visit schemes as part of our annual research, these visits are not guaranteed to include your best schemes, and reports will not be provided without registration and payment

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          Join us at the 2025 awards!

          Awards  |  Pro Forum  |  Industry Showcase  |  Food & Drink Included

          We believe the best information about a residential development comes from the people living there. Owners and tenants have a lot of useful information to share with their prospective neighbours, not just on the property itself and its locality, but also on the development and building management.

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