Rules for Agents
- The competition period is 1st January to 31st December 2011
- All agents must have been trading on or before 1st January 2011
- ENTRIES TO THE ESTAS 2012 ARE NOW CLOSED
- The deadline for postal votes is 31st January 2012
- The deadline for online votes is 29th February 2012
- Sales agents must have completed sales on a minimum of 20 properties in the competition period
- Letting agents must have a minimum portfolio size of 20 landlords during the competition period
- Only private housing can be entered into the competition; social/partnership housing in any form must not be included
- All agents taking part must have a minimum of 20 questionnaires completed to qualify as a short listed agency
- Members of staff of an agency may not complete questionnaires as sellers, buyers or landlords of their own agency
- Questionnaires must be completed and received by 12 noon on 31st January 2012
- All sellers, buyers who have completed on a sale or landlords who have appointed the agent are eligible to complete the questionnaire.
- Sellers and buyers may complete a questionnaire for each property sold or bought (completed) during the competition period. This rule also applies to new property developers.
- Landlords may only complete one questionnaire regardless of the number of properties managed or let by the agent in the competition period.
- Questionnaires must be completed by the client.
- Clients must not be influenced while completing their questionnaires
- Paper questionnaires must be returned directly to the competition organisers
- Agents may offer their own incentive to clients to complete the questionnaires
- Scores for each office are based on an average score basis. Final scores are weighted according to the number of forms returned.
- Scoring for Best Small Chain is based on the best average score from the top 3 offices entered.
- Scoring for Best Medium Chain is based on the best average score from the top 10 offices entered
- Scoring for Best National Chain is based on the best average score from the top 20 offices entered.
- A vote audit will take place during February 2012
- Awards for Business, owners of the ESTAS, reserve the right to disqualify any agent who does not abide by the rules above.
Rules for Suppliers
- Only suppliers who core business is working for the residential property industry may enter the competition.
- Suppliers must have been trading on or before 1st January 2011
- Clients must have worked with the supplier for a minimum of 6 months in 2011 to vote.
- All clients within a company who work directly with a supplier firm may vote (One vote per agent branch is allowed).
- Clients may only complete the questionnaire once for each supplier.
- Members of staff from a supplier firm taking part in the competition, who use the same supplier services, cannot vote.
- Voting has been extended and will now close on 29 February 2012.
- A vote audit will take place during March to validate votes for each supplier taking part.
- Awards for Business reserve the right to disqualify any supplier who does not abide by the above rules.
The vote audit process will apply to agents and suppliers as follows;
- Self Verification – after voting closes each agent/supplier must inform us of any duplicate or rogue votes.
- Phone number verification – any votes without a valid phone number will be deleted.
- Vote Audit – we will spot check, by phone, votes for each agent/supplier – if 3 voters in a row are not contactable by phone the agent or supplier in question may be disqualified.
