Voting has now closed for The First Time Buyer Readers' Awards 2021, one of the most anticipated events in the property industry calendar. The final winners will be revealed at a lunch reception in September, with all shortlisted companies competing hard to secure the public vote in each category, including the coveted Affordable Housing Provider of the Year and Private Developer of the Year awards.

An esteemed panel of judges was tasked with the challenge to identify the most exciting and forward-thinking organisations for 15 categories, including in two brand-new categories for 2021.

In recognition of the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Best Use of Interactive Tools category was created to commend a scheme or development that has integrated technology to make accessing information easier for first time buyers, including online viewing tools, video footage, and digital marketing. The second new category this year is the Judges Rising Star Award, which recognises the outstanding contribution made by an individual to the property sector.

After a rigorous evaluation process, the full shortlist was revealed on the dedicated awards website: www.ftbawards.com. The final decision lay in the hands of the public, who voted for their favourite project or organisation in each category, with the organisers looking forward to revealing the winners on Friday 3rd September.

Lynda Clark, CEO of First Time Buyer, says: “Demand for property from first time buyers has skyrocketed over recent months, and the market is certainly keeping pace as we seem to be in one of the busiest periods of homebuying in years. Lockdown restrictions coupled with the introduction of various affordable homebuying incentives including Help to Buy and the new five per cent mortgages have created the perfect conditions for buyers to reassess their housing priorities. Despite all of this, there are still many hurdles to homeownership, which is why we continue to the sector to find new solutions to support first time buyers, and recognise the successes along the way.

“Once again we look forward to seeing which companies our readers have voted for at this year's First Time Buyer Readers' Awards. The passion and hard work throughout the industry is evident and we have seen a record-breaking number of entries this year. The power is now in the hands of the public, who will be voting to select who will join the canon of First Time Buyer Readers' Awards winners. We have an extremely high-quality shortlist this year, meaning that competition has been formidable, and we can't wait to see who will take home one of our coveted titles this September!”

Categories for the First Time Buyer Readers' Awards 2021 include: Private Developer of the Year sponsored by Faust PR, Affordable Housing Provider of the Year sponsored by Investa, Best Small Development sponsored by Leaders Romans Group, Best Large Development sponsored by LSL Land & New Homes, Best First Time Buyer Family Home sponsored by Abri, Best First Time Buyer Apartment sponsored by Direction Law, Best Law Firm for Conveyancing sponsored by Dawson Cornwell, Best Partnership sponsored by The Media People, Best Use of Interactive Tools sponsored by Buchanan Dean Design, Best Show Home sponsored by Sharratts, Best Supplier to the FTB Market sponsored by Penningtons Manches Cooper, Best New Development in the South sponsored by SiteSales, Best New Development in the North sponsored by Metro Finance, Best Off-Plan Development for First Time Buyers sponsored by Zoopla, and Judges Unsung Star Award sponsored by Censeo Financial (not open to public vote).

For more details about the First Time Buyer Readers' Awards 2021, visit www.ftbawards.com.