At the WhatHouse? Awards 2026, company performance takes centre stage, with three new categories. Louisa Fletcher reports.
It’s that time of year again – when marketing teams start gently ‘floating ideas’ for your WhatHouse? Awards entries under your nose in meetings, and November suddenly doesn’t feel quite as far away as it should.
As ever, awards season has a habit of creeping up on us all with slightly alarming speed. Which is why I am looking at the three new categories being introduced this year and, more importantly, what they say about where the industry is heading.
Just to reassure, the established categories remain firmly in place, so there’s still something for everyone. However, the new additions reflect something more fundamental.
The conversation has shifted. It’s no longer just about presentation; it’s about performance. How efficiently homes are delivered; how effectively technology is used within businesses to drive meaningful outcomes; how operational challenges are solved in a way that delivers measurable, real-world results, rather than something that looks impressive in a board presentation; and, in an increasingly noisy world, how marketing campaigns truly deliver on their promise to elevate brands and sell homes.
Which is why it’s genuinely encouraging to see the introduction of more focused categories that look beyond the surface and into the substance of how our industry is operating.
Take, for example, the new Best Use of Technology and Innovation award, sponsored this year by planning data specialists TerraQuest. On paper, this category might sound like the natural home of the ‘shiny new thing; the latest platform; the most impressive demo. Possibly accompanied by a slightly over-confident product video.
The reality, however, is that the strongest entries here won’t be the most complex. They’ll be the ones that highlight how technology delivers measurable commercial benefits. Entries that show how technology has been applied to solve a genuine business problem, such as improving build quality, enhancing sustainability, generating sales leads, or driving operational efficiency across multiple sites.
In other words, it’s not about the tech itself, it’s about demonstrable results. And that’s important, because, for a long time, innovation in housebuilding has often been talked about in fairly abstract terms. Big ideas, bold claims, and the occasional concept that looks great in theory, but perhaps proves rather harder to land on a wet Tuesday afternoon onsite.
The same principle carries through into the inaugural Best Marketing Campaign award.
Now, of course creativity matters; it always will. A beautifully executed campaign will invariably catch the eye, but if it isn’t grounded in a strong sense of place, a clear proposition and military precision in terms of execution, the impact is often short-lived.
As consumers’ collective attention spans are shrinking (apparently now to an average of 47 seconds for an adult, which explains… quite a lot) and the noise across numerous media channels increases, exceptional marketing has to work harder than ever before to achieve the commercial outcomes required.
And, as I can tell you from personal experience, though it might look fantastic when agencies are competitively pitching their initial response to the brief at the inevitable ‘dog and pony show’ stage, if the concept isn’t actually rooted in reality – with strong customer insight, robust data and an execution plan that works in practice – that’s not going to deliver, let alone sell houses.
Campaigns that stand out in 2026 are those that combine strong creative with a clear strategy and measurable outcomes, and deliver genuine commercial impact. The best are more than merely beautiful; they deliver on their promise to provide measurable, consistent results.
Then, our final new category for this year: Best Customer Experience, sponsored by In-house Research. Arguably, the one that brings all of this together.
Customer experience isn’t a single initiative, or a standalone programme; it’s the sum of everything. Every touchpoint a buyer has with your business, from the day they walk into the showhouse onsite, to the day they collect the keys, to the way that you deal with aftercare.
And everything in between and, crucially, how consistently all of that is delivered.
The challenge, of course, is that customer experience can be surprisingly difficult to define. Is it simply doing what you said you would do, when you said you would do it – a standard that, in itself, is becoming something of a differentiator? Or is it about going the extra mile? And, if so, what does that actually mean in practice, and how does that translate into a demonstrably better outcome for the customer?
Because not all ‘experiences’ are created equal, and demonstrating strong customer service today goes far beyond headline satisfaction scores or a handful of five-star reviews. Both have their place, obviously, but the strongest entries will be those that can show how customer insight has been used to shape processes, reduce friction and deliver better outcomes at every stage of the journey. In other words, not just how customers felt in the moment, but what actually changed as a result.
Which is why all three of these new categories feel so timely.
They’ve been designed to recognise the work that happens behind the scenes and the results that don’t leave a physical footprint. The decisions, platforms and processes that don’t always make it into the brochure, but ultimately determine whether a development, and indeed a business, succeeds or struggles.
It doesn’t take me to tell you that our industry is operating in a more complex environment than ever before – and that’s a bit of a euphemism, if we’re being totally honest. Regulatory pressure is increasing. Margins are tighter. Consumer expectations are rising. Let’s not talk about planning either.
This is, in many ways, already shaping up to be the year of ‘winning ugly’. It doesn’t matter how you do it. You just need to get through it, and stay standing. Frankly, at this rate, we are all going to deserve a stiff drink by November.
Supporting that effort is an army of skilled and specialist individuals across the industry, who all contribute to that outcome, yet haven’t had the opportunity to showcase their best work and gain the industry recognition that their efforts so richly deserve. Until now.
And, if these new categories help shine a light on people who consistently deliver behind the scenes and genuinely move the dial, then they’re doing something rather important. These teams and businesses deserve their moment in the sun, because if they didn’t do what they do, then every corner of the new homes sector would be a poorer place because of it.
Bricks and mortar will always be central to the WhatHouse? Awards, and that’s not going to change. But recognising the talent, innovation and operational excellence that underpins it all is what will define the next chapter.
I, for one, can’t wait to see who rises to the top.
Looking to enter this year’s Awards? Start your entry here. Closing date: 17th July 2026
