Brick Underground wins bronze for best real estate website in NAREE journalism competition

The Brick Underground team has some news of our own to share: The National Association of Real Estate Editors recently honored Brick Underground with a bronze award for best real estate website.

The award is part of a national journalism competition honoring excellence in real estate journalism and recognizes Brick’s 2024 effort. Winners of NAREE’s 75th annual real estate journalism competition were announced on June 18th at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans.

It is especially gratifying to be honored for best website again. Brick has won three gold and two silver awards for best website in prior competitions.

Here’s what the judges had to say in 2023 about us: “Brick Underground’s website is a tour de force, with sections for everyone in New York City: buyers, renters, rehabbers, and advice of all kinds, such as ‘How to break the lease for your NYC apartment.’ The home page is eye-catching, with a banner-style feature story and below it, ‘trending,’ a Netflix-style horizontal offering of top stories. Click through and you will discover well-organized, thoroughly researched stories and guides.”

Four silvers for podcast in past years

In prior competitions, Brick has won silver four times for its podcast hosted by former senior writer Emily Myers, including the 2022 podcast, “Racism and the lack of diversity in the appraisal business.” 

The judges’ comment was: “Myers tackles racial bias in appraisals, based on an FHFA report that found such discrimination had increased during the pandemic. The 15-minute podcast features New York appraiser Jonathan Miller, who blames the ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ insularity of the appraisal business. The result is that most in the business became appraisers through friends and family, who traditionally were white. Myers’ probing questions encourage Miller to further demystify the appraisal process. Her delivery is crisp and professional, and the podcast is solidly produced.”

In addition to repeat awards for Brick’s website and podcast, individual writers have been recognized by the national real estate journalism competition.

Silver for 2023 best interior design story

In the 2023 competition, Brick also won silver for best interior design story by contributing writer Evelyn Battaglia, "Want a faster renovation? Artificial intelligence can speed up the design process and save you money." 

The judges noted: “AI isn't necessarily evil. It can do the grunt work and give cost estimates, giving architects more time to be creative and saving everyone time and money. With easy-to- use websites and mobile apps, users don't even need much tech know-how. Evelyn Battaglia gives helpful information, including the names of innovative companies that specialize in different areas (such as both Skipp and Block Renovation for kitchen and bath renovations). Still, she ultimately makes the case for an experienced pro as the boss of it all.”

In the 2020 competition, for the category of best online residential real estate story, we won honorable mention for “Brick Underground’s guide to co-living spaces in NYC: How to tell the communal disruptors apart” by contributing writer Mimi O'Connor.

The judges commented, “This is everything you wanted to know about the booming trend of co-living in New York City, including the amount of investor money pouring into new projects. But the real value is in O’Connor’s comprehensive, entertaining, and user-friendly guide to the top 10 co-living companies in NYC.

In the competition for best real estate column, we won honorable mention for “Would you rent this one bedroom in Little Italy, where you have to cook on a hot plate?”

Here's what the judges said: “Karp mixes great statistics … and an engaging writing style with great service journalism. She lets snarky, saucy New Yorkers (one runs a real estate research firm) give their opinion on whether a no-gas apartment is worth it for a 10 percent rent credit. Learn something and smile.”

Brick won a bronze award at the 2019 competition for best interior design story: “We asked actual children to test-drive some of NYC's fanciest playrooms," by contributing writer Mimi O’Connor.

The judges said, “Who better than five and six year olds to test out swanky playrooms? No one. O’Connor comes up with a creative way to tell her story and pulls it off in an example-filled piece.”

Gold for best collection of work in 2018

Former senior editor Nathan Tempey took home in the 2018 competition a gold award for best collection of work by an individual covering residential real estate for his series on affordable housing.  

“In these stories, Tempey explored the intricacies of affordable housing in New York City. Excellent advocacy journalism for New York tenants and buyers who are trying to navigate rent-regulation laws,” the judges commented.

Former contributing writer Alanna Schubach won a silver award for best real estate column for her “Ask an Expert” column, which “provides detailed answers to readers’ most important questions about New York real estate with careful research and reporting,” the judges noted.

Freelance writer Tim Donnelly also won silver for best online residential real estate story for his article, “Roommate/boyfriend wanted: One woman’s bold quest to solve two eternal NYC problems at once.”

“What happens when a woman from Brooklyn places an ad for both a roommate and a boyfriend? Snappy writing, relevant data and even advice from a relationship therapist all make this a story that connects with readers,” the judges said.