TOBY Awards

What are the Toby Awards?

Each year, the TOBY (The Outstanding Building of the Year) recognizes industry excellence in property management, building operations, and service. There are 15 categories for TOBY Awards. Since the TOBYs are nationally recognized, the Local winners move on to the Regional competition, and hopefully the International competition. Watch the TOBY video to learn more.

BOMA 360: 

For more than a decade, the BOMA 360 Performance Program has elevated operational best practices in the commercial real estate industry. We’re continuing that legacy by introducing our new, updated office and industrial criteria designed to help you keep your properties on the cutting edge and get the maximum ROI from your program participation. Once launched, certified member buildings using the BOMA 360 portal will be able to proceed to the TOBY supplemental portion for awards consideration. 

Click here to view the revised criteria for office buildings and click here to view the newly created criteria for industrial buildings. If you have any questions or would like additional information about the BOMA 360 program, contact Tyler Kirshner at tkirshner@boma.org. Both criteria will be effective upon the launch of the new 2022 BOMA 360/TOBY Portal. BOMA 360 is required to compete at the regional level. You must complete your 360 before January 15, 2024 to compete at the regional competition.

 

Call for Entries Information: 

The 2023 call for entries will remain the same, except for Medical Buildings, Retail, and Life Sciences. BOMA will release the new Call for Entries in mid-May or early June. We strongly encourage you to start preparing and set a plan for your submission process as early as you can. 

Please note we use BOMA International's Call for Entries booklets, as they provide the most information - however, our local deadlines and dates are different than the International timelines detailed in the packet. Please refer to our local for all deadlines and dates. 


2023 TOBY Awards Call for Entries Booklets:

Apply for TOBY Award

How to submit your building:

  1. Review Call for Entries & Determine Eligibility & Category.
    Read the current cycle's Call For Entries requirements to learn more about your building's eligibility for each category. Once you have decided that you are eligible and would like to enter the upcoming TOBY Awards competition, please email AOBA to let us know you are submitting.​ If you need help determining your category and eligibility, please contact Brandy White.

  2. Register your building and begin building content for your building submission, based on the information found in the Call For Entries booklet.
    You may begin entering your data into the online portal. You can save as you go, and work on your submission multiple times. You will need to pay a fee to submit on the portal. This fee is paid online to BOMA International directly. 

  3. Submit your online entry.
    When you are 100% satisfied with your entry and you are ready to submit, click on the "submit" button in the portal. Once you hit the "submit" button, your entry is final and you will not be able to go back and make updates. 

    Note: Once local competition concludes at the Commercial Awards Celebration, your application will be released by BOMA International for your review and updating should you move onto the Regional TOBY Competition

  4. Judging Begins...
    After you have submitted your building information online and paid the entry fee for the competition, AOBA judges will begin reviewing your entry online. AOBA judging groups may require a tour of your building or a remote inspection. In order to prepare for your building tour, please take a look at the Building Inspection Form that TOBY Judges will be used to evaluate your property.​

  5. Winners Revealed!
    All TOBY Award winners are kept a secret until the night of the Awards Dinner.

AOBA is here to help you fully understand the process at all levels, and encourage your entry to be the best it can be.
For TOBY application information, please contact Brandy White.

Current Timeline

June 1: BOMA's TOBY Portal opens

September 1: Deadline to submit for TOBY Awards

September 1 - 15: Online Judging occurs

September 16 - October 15: Building tours

November: Commercial Awards Celebration

December: Local winner submits for pre-judging at TOBY Regional level

January 2024: Regional submission editing

February: Regional submission due

March: Regional Winners Notified - Energy Star Data shared with BOMA International

April: BOMA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and regional TOBY Awards and international judging occurs

May: International judging ends and nominees announced 

June: BOMA Conference and International TOBY Awards

Congratulations to the past TOBY Winners!

2021 Washington Metro Local TOBY Award Recipients

100,000 – 249,000 sq. ft: 1501 M Street, managed by Heyday Properties

250,000 – 499,999 sq. ft: 2001 M Street, managed by Brookfield Properties

Earth: 799 9th Street, managed by Brookfield Properties

Grand TOBY: 799 9th Street, managed by Brookfield Properties

View photos from the 2021 Commercial Awards Celebration


2018 Washington Metro Local TOBY Award Recipients

Fairview Park, managed by CBRE, Inc.
One Metro Center, managed by Lincoln Property Company
(100,000 – 249,999 Sq Ft Building) 1800 K Street, NW, managed by Transwestern - Local Winner
(250,000 – 499,999 Sq Ft Building Category) *Wisconsin Place, managed by Boston Properties  - Grand Local Winner

2017 Washington Metro Local TOBY Award Recipients

100,000 – 249,999 Square Foot Building: Center for Strategic & International Studies, managed by CBRE
250,000 – 499,999 Square Foot Building: Crystal Gateway North, managed by Vornado/Charles E. Smith
GRAND LOCAL REGIONAL TOBY Winner: Over 1 Million Square Feet - U.S. Department of Transportation - managed by JBG SMITH
Renovated Building: Silverline Center, managed by Washington REIT
Historical Building: 1101 17th Street, managed by JBG SMITH

View photos from the 2017 TOBY Award Celebration 

2016 Washington Metro Local Award Category Winners:

Grand Local Winner: Suburban Office Park, Low-Rise: Atlantic Corporate Park – managed by First Potomac Realty Trust, LP 
(100,000 – 249,999 Sq Ft Building) 1750 H Street – managed by First Potomac Realty Trust, LP
(250,000 – 499,999 Sq FT Building) 800 17th Street – managed by JLL 
Renovated Building: Bethesda Crossing – managed by MRP Realty