• What’s your elevator pitch? Give us the elevator pitch on why you think this nominee should be a Rising Star honoree. (No more than three sentences.)
• Contribution to your organization. Provide the reasons this person is so valuable to your organization, focusing particularly on the last 12 months as applicable. You may also include any volunteer work or trade organizations they are a part of.
• Leadership and excellence. Describe how the nominee has actively demonstrated excellence and reflected the values of your company. One or two paragraphs recommended.
• Select one of the following questions to respond to:
  1. What is one thing you would tell a younger version of yourself?
  2. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
  3. What is one habit that has helped you succeed?

Once nominations close, our HousingWire selection committee will vote on the 2024 Rising Stars to determine the final list of winners. If you or your nominee is selected, we will reach out to the nominator and/or nominee via email at the end of April in advance of the May 1 online announcement.

An annual list of people who have achieved success in a mortgage, real estate or housing-related business by 40 years of age.

The 2025 class of Rising Stars we be announced online April 1, 2025.

Nominations for the 2025 Rising Stars are open February 1, 2025 — February 28, 2025.

We are looking for professional success in the housing economy. We also are interested in knowing about community service, as well as participation in trade groups or other relevant organizations. Those chosen must be no older than 40 on the section’s publication date and must work full time within the housing economy (see real estate and mortgage break outs above).

A panel of HousingWire’s selection committee members will decide.

Nominations must be submitted online via the link provided above.

The nomination fee ensures award winner integrity by only allowing serious candidates to be nominated and covers editorial time. It takes a significant amount of time and resources for HousingWire’s editorial team members to organize and successfully determine who will be named to this year’s list.

No. We need to have the form filled out online, including contact information for the person you are nominating.

You can nominate yourself, a client, a family member, your boss, an employee, or an acquaintance. The most important thing is that you state a clear, business-oriented reason for the nomination.

No, this will not impact a nominee’s chances of receiving a nomination.

Yes, you can nominate as many people from the same company as you’d like. Each candidate will be reviewed individually for their merits.

Unfortunately, nominations for anyone who does not meet the age requirement are not included in the voting process.

After the nomination period closes, the HousingWire selection committee begins an extensive process of reviewing all nominations, evaluating accomplishments and applying industry knowledge to determine the impact each nominee has on their organization and the industry. Following review, the editorial selection committee holds a series of meetings to determine which candidates will be chosen. We strive to select the most impressive and impactful leaders leveraging the nomination information and industry knowledge of organizations, accomplishments and trajectory. The process takes a significant amount of time over a compressed schedule.

Candidates who are selected must make themselves available for an interview with a HousingWire reporter. They may also be required to make themselves available for a photo shoot.

We don’t provide status reports during the nomination or selection process. If we need any further information, we will contact you.

No. Publicists often submit candidates, but they do not influence the nomination process.

With hundreds of candidates and only a few spots available, many nominations will not be chosen.