TOBY

The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY®) Award is one of the most prestigious and comprehensive programs of its kind in the commercial real estate industry recognizing quality in buildings and rewarding excellence in building management. During the competitions, all facets of a building's operations are thoroughly evaluated. Buildings are judged on everything from community involvement and site management to environmental and "green" policies and procedures.

Committee Chair: Samantha Gibson, Harvard Maintenance

Levels of Competition

The competition consists of three levels:

  1. Local association level
  2. Regional level
  3. International level

Winning entries advance from the local level to the regional level, and regional winners advance to the international level. The international TOBY Awards are presented at the BOMA International Conference & Expo each year.

2025 TOBY Criteria

  • Office Building Categories
    • Corporate Facility
    • Life Science Building
    • Historical Building
    • Medical Building
    • Suburban Office Park (Low-Rise)
    • Suburban Office Park (Mid-Rise)
    • Office Building Square Footage Categories
      • Under 100,000 Square Feet
      • 100,000 – 249,999 Square Feet
      • 250,000 – 499,999 Square Feet
      • 500,000 – 1 million Square Feet
      • Over 1 million Square Feet
  • Earth
  • Industrial
  • Mixed-Use/Public Assembly
  • Renovated
  • Retail

Fees and Deadlines

Local Level: Contact your local BOMA for details on local entry fees and deadlines. A $50 data-submission fee will be collected to utilize the online system.

Regional Level: $50 data-submission fee (if not collected at the local level) and a $325 entry fee must be paid to submit a building for consideration in the regional and international competitions. Additional regional fees may apply (check with your regional TOBY administrators) and will be collected at the time of entry. EnergyStar data must be benchmarked and shared with BOMA International by March 31 (for the current Regional cycle). Regional deadlines vary. Contact your regional TOBY administrator for more specifics.

International Level: No additional fees apply. Winning buildings at the regional level are automatically entered into the International Level. Regional winners must be reported by April 8, 2022 (for current International cycle).

Forms and Judging Sheets

Building Inspection Forms (from 2020 - new forms released in July)

  • Earth
  • Industrial
  • Mixed-Use
  • Public Assembly
  • Retail

Office Building Judging Sheets – Earth

Judging Sheets – All Other Categories

TOBY Awards Important Dates – Mark Your Calendar!
  • May 12th - TOBY Building Entry 101
  • June 25th - TOBY Application Deadline
  • August 2nd - Sponsorships Available for Purchase
  • Date(s) TBA - Judging Workshop
  • November 12th - TOBY Awards Gala

Want to join the TOBY Committee? Come to our next meeting!