Do Consumers Care About Awards?

It’s officially awards season in estate agency. The ESTAS have just wrapped up, EA Masters are around the corner, and The Negotiator Awards are warming up in the wings.

Across the industry, social feeds are filling with champagne toasts, shiny trophies, and proud team photos - but here’s the real question:

Do your customers actually care?

What the data tells us

According to Part 4 of this year’s The Voice of the Agent report, a fair proportion of consumers do say that awards make a difference - 30% admit they’d be more likely to use an estate or lettings agency that’s won one. That’s not insignificant.

But the same research also delivered a twist: when asked which property industry awards they’d actually heard of, a whopping 86% said “none of the above.”

In other words, “award-winning” carries more weight than which award you’ve won.

The psychology behind the plaque

Awards are social proof. They act as shorthand for credibility, professionalism, and trust - three words every agent should want etched into their brand.

But as our data shows, the award itself isn’t the magic bullet. What matters is how you use it.

Younger adults (18–29) and those planning to move in the next two years are the most likely to be swayed by awards. Older movers are more sceptical - over-75s, in particular, barely register them at all. So if your brand skews towards first-time buyers, investors, or active movers, awards can absolutely support your positioning. For downsizers or long-settled homeowners, maybe less so.

Awards aren’t the strategy - they’re a stage

Winning an award doesn’t automatically drive new instructions. But it gives you a powerful moment.

It’s a marketing opportunity - one that most agencies barely scratch the surface of.

At We Are Unchained, we see too many businesses treat awards like a lottery ticket: “Let’s enter and see what happens.” The truth? Awards are worth far more when you go in with a strategy to win - choosing categories that align with your brand story, curating client testimonials, and demonstrating measurable results. That process alone strengthens your business.

Then, if you do win, shout about it. The PR, email marketing, and social content you build around your win are just as important as the trophy itself.

Turn the moment into an ongoing marketing campaign - that champagne you popped on the night signalled the start of the race, not the finishing line.

Why “award-winning” still matters

Even if consumers can’t name a single property award, the phrase “award-winning” still raises awareness of your brand, triggers trust, and builds confidence with the consumer.

And in a sector where public trust has historically lagged, that recognition helps bridge the gap.

Just remember: awards don’t replace service, price, or trust - they complement them. The real winners are the agencies who treat awards not as window dressing, but as fuel for storytelling.

Yes - awards are worth it.

But not for the reasons you think. They won’t flood your phone lines overnight, but they will give you a platform to celebrate your people, showcase your results, and strengthen your brand.

The data is clear: awards may sparkle in the agency window, but sparkle plus strategy equals golddust.