The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Anticipation builds for a
Those in the property sector who have most successfully embraced innovation and new opportunities over the past difficult period will be recognised at this year’s Herald Property Awards for Scotland, writes Agnes Stevenson
THIS year’s The Herald Property Awards for Scotland will take place on Thursday, September 29 and entries have been pouring in. This year’s awards are shaping up to be some of the most exciting in the event’s history, with developers and property professionals who have thrived during the challenges of the last two years, making up a very strong field.
Taking a special interest is Richard Hepburn, Managing Director of Millar & Bryce and Landmark Scotland.
His company, which is sponsoring the Estate Agency of the Year
Award, has been providing research and support services to Scotland’s legal profession for 150 years and it continues to supply land and property searches, compile legal reports, prepare deed plans and carry out company searches for solicitors and estate agents.
This year, Richard predicts that those companies and individuals who stand out against their competitors will be those who have demonstrated a sense of progress and innovation.
It is that spirit of embracing new technologies and opportunities which he says have kept Millar
& Bryce at the forefront of their sector and this continues to be the company’s philosophy, with its recent introduction of Landmark Scotland, part of the Landmark Information Group, which is the UK’s biggest provider of property and land searches.
The commissioning of a state-ofthe-art IT system has also helped Millar & Bryce to keep working seamlessly during the pandemic and to keep apace with the demands of the sector. This digital focus is also helping Landmark Scotland to provide support to the estate agency sector, which is coming under increased regulation, by building in compliance tools.
Richard says he expects to see a similar innovative attitude amongst those entrants who emerge as winners at this year’s awards. “At the start of the pandemic many estate agencies and legal firms found themselves facing a digital cliff, but those who have embraced the technology are now in a very strong position as we move to the next stage,” he says.
This year there are 17 awards in total, including ‘Best Family Home (large)’ sponsored by DAW Interiors and Deane Harrison, Sales & Marketing Director, Daw Interiors, says: “We’re thrilled to be sponsoring the Best Family Home category – here at DAW we know the importance of family and creating a space that’s designed with them in mind.
“We can’t wait to see this year’s entries – we’ll be looking for a home that has adaptability, ingenuity and could suit a wide range of families.”
The Residential Letting Team of the Year category is sponsored by buildings insurance claims and property reinstatement specialists, Aspray Glasgow West, and John Strange, Managing Director, says: “Here at Aspray Glasgow West much of our business comes from letting agents and we feel that we share the same core values, that is that a tenant and a landlord are people and they need to looked after as people, taking into account their individual needs and the needs of the property they share.
“We are looking for entrants that go that extra mile to make sure both tenants and landlords are put first at
all times no matter the situation.”
The Best Luxury Home category
(for developers building more than 50 units) is sponsored by property management company, Ross & Liddell, and Alec Cassidy, director, says: “We are absolutely delighted to be associated with the Herald Property Awards once again.
“Over the year Best Luxury Home category has seen some very interesting and diverse winners. It has been the perfect complement for Ross & Liddell and we are very much looking forward to meeting this year’s category entrants in person.”
Meanwhile the Best Show Home category is sponsored by DAW Signs.
Managing Director, Gary Daw, says: “We’re absolutely delighted to be sponsoring the Best Show Home category this year – as a business that specialises in signage and fit-outs, we’ve worked with many property developers on their show home designs. We understand both the strategy and creativity that goes into the perfect show home and can’t wait to see this year’s entries.”
Other categories in the awards, of which STAR Recruitment is one of the sponsors, include Best Apartment, Best Renovation/Conversion and Affordable Housing Development of the Year and, new for 22, the Green Housing Award.
The awards ceremony will take place at Doubletree by Hilton in Glasgow. The deadline for entries into this year’s awards is Thursday, June 2.
Full details of all of this year’s categories and how to enter can be found at: