BOMA Building Recognition
Awards and Designations
The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY®) Awards
The Ultimate Standard of Excellence in Commercial Real Estate
The TOBY® Awards are the most prestigious and comprehensive awards in the commercial real estate industry, recognizing quality in commercial buildings and rewarding excellence in building management.
Whether you manage a suburban office park, a downtown high-rise, a medical office building, or an industrial facility, winning a TOBY Award showcases your team's dedication, operational efficiency, and superior building standards to owners, tenants, and the community.
🏆 The Three-Tier Journey to the Top
The TOBY Awards program is a progressive competition. Every international champion starts at the local level.
[ 1. LOCAL LEVEL ] -------------> [ 2. REGIONAL LEVEL ] -------------> [ 3. INTERNATIONAL LEVEL ]
FEES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE- CHECK EACH CYCLE FOR UPDATES.
- Local Competition (BOMA Raleigh-Durham - Entry Fee $25.00): Your journey begins right here in the Triangle. Local entries are judged by a panel of local industry peers, including an on-site building tour. Local winners are crowned at our annual BOMA RDU Awards Banquet. To move on, you must apply for and receive the BOMA360 Designation. The fee is $997.00. BOMARDU offers a 50% rebate on BOMA360 fees.
- Regional Competition (Southern Region- Entry Fee $450.00): Local winners automatically advance to the regional level to compete against top buildings from across our region. This tier is strictly a portfolio submission review (no on-site tour).
- International Competition: Regional winners advance to the ultimate stage. International winners are announced and celebrated at the annual BOMA International Conference & Expo.
5 Simple Steps to Get Started
Entering the TOBY competition is highly structured, making it easy to take one step at a time.
Step 1: Choose Your Category and Check the Criteria
There is a category for every building type, including:
- Office Classifications: Under 100,000 SF, 100,000249,999 SF, 250,000499,999 SF, 500,0001 Million SF, and Over 1 Million SF.
- Specialty Categories: Medical, Suburban, Industrial, Mixed-Use, Retail, Earth, Assembly, Renovated, Historical Building.
Step 2: Check Your Eligibility
- Your building must be managed by a company that holds an active BOMA Raleigh-Durham membership.
- Your building must have a minimum occupancy rate of 50% (for most categories) during the competition year.
Step 3: Register on the Portal
Create your property profile on the official BOMA International TOBY Portal. This is where you will upload your portfolio documents, photos, and floor plans. The annual cycle of Local submission opens in August and ends in October.
Step 4: Compile Your Portfolio
The online submission portal will guide you through uploading documentation across key operational areas, including:
- Building standards and tenant relations programs.
- Community impact and local involvement.
- Emergency preparedness and security procedures.
- Energy conservation and sustainability metrics.
- Staff training and professional development.
Step 5: Host Your Local Site Tour
Once your online portfolio is submitted, BOMA RDU will schedule a local judging team to tour your building. This is your team's time to shine--showcase your pristine mechanical rooms, tenant amenities, and operational workflows!
⚡ Take It to the Next Level: The BOMA 360 & BOMA BEST Advantage
To win at the Regional and International levels, you must demonstrate elite operational efficiency. BOMA has two powerful programs that not only streamline your TOBY application but are mandatory prerequisites or major point-scorers for the competition.
1. BOMA 360 Performance Program®
The BOMA 360 program evaluates six core areas of building management and operations.
- The TOBY Connection: BOMA 360 designation is a mandatory prerequisite to advance to the Regional and International levels of the TOBY Awards for most major categories.
- Why do it now? Earning your BOMA 360 designation first ensures your operational policies are already fully documented, organized, and vetted. It essentially completes 80% of the paperwork required for your TOBY portfolio.
- Learn more and apply: BOMA 360 Program
2. BOMA BEST® Smart & Sustainable Program (Not Required)
BOMA BEST is North America's leading environmental certification program for commercial buildings, focusing heavily on energy, water, waste, and indoor air quality.
- The TOBY Connection: Sustainability accounts for up to 15% of your total TOBY score. Having a BOMA BEST certification provides verified, third-party data points that guarantee you maximum points in the environmental and energy conservation sections of your TOBY portfolio.
- Why do it now? It proves to your owners and tenants that your building is operating at peak environmental efficiency, lowering utility bills (CAM expenses) while boosting your asset's marketability.
- Learn more and apply: BOMA BEST Program
📅 Important 2026-2027 RDU TOBY Deadlines
- August 1 - 31 2026: TOBY local entries open
- August 1 - 31 2026: Sign up to be a Local Judge
- Sept. 16 2026: Complete all submissions
- October 1 - November 6 2026: Local Building Site Tours & Judging
- November 2026: Local nominees notified to attend BOMA RDU Awards Banquet
- December 8 2026: BOMA Raleigh-Durham Local Awards Banquet (Winners announced!)
- January 15 2027: Local Intent to Enter Regional Deadline
- February/March 2027: Online Portfolio Submission Deadline (TOBY Portal closes for regional entries)
- April 15 - 17 2027: TOBY Regional Competition at Southern Region Conference
- June/July 2027: TOBY International Competition at BOMA International Conference & Expo
Ready to Enter? We're Here to Help!
Don't let the portfolio process intimidate you. BOMA Raleigh-Durham has a dedicated TOBY Committee of past winners and judges ready to mentor you through the process, review your draft portfolio, and prep your team for the site tour.
📧 Contact us today at info@bomaraleighdurham.com to get paired with a TOBY Mentor!