The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY)

The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Award is the most prestigious and comprehensive program in the commercial real estate industry recognizing quality in buildings and rewarding excellence in building management.

Established by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, The Outstanding Building of the Year “TOBY" Award was developed in 1985 to honor and recognize the quality in office building operations and award excellence in office building management. All facets of a building's operations are thoroughly evaluated during the competition. Buildings are judged on everything from community involvement and site management to environmental and "green" policies and procedures.

The BOMA Oakland/East Bay TOBY Awards celebrate our great properties here in the East Bay. Local winners will be announced the week of January 26, 2026. After winning at the local level, buildings must submit their entries for the Pacific Southwest Regional competition by March 31, 2026. Regional winner will be announced April 15, 2026 and will compete at the International level. International TOBY winners will be announced at the BOMA International Conference & Expo in Long Beach on June 30, 2026.

TOBY Requirements for 2026 Competition:

1. Property must have a BOMA 360 Designation to compete. Click here for BOMA 360 application. In order to be eligible to compete in this year's competition, you must submit your BOMA 360 application no later than October 31, 2025. If you have questions about BOMA 360, please contact BOMA International's Kliti Nuri at knuri@boma.org.
2. Review TOBY Entry Requirements to ensure prerequisites met, and select category in which to compete.
   1. Office Requirements
   2. Earth Requirements
   3. Industrial Requirements
   4. Mixed Use Requirements
   5. Renovated Requirements
   6. Retail
3. Click here for Building Inspection Form
4. Click here for TOBY Verification Form Office
5. Click here for TOBY Verification Form Earth.

TOBY FAQ: Click here for details.

Need a Coaching Session? Sometimes, the best way to work through the process is to talk to someone who can offer guidance and answer questions. Please get in touch with Liz Despins at Elizabeth.Despins@nmrk.com.

Video Tutorial: Click here to view a video tutorial on utilizing the BOMA International Recognition Portal for BOMA 360 or TOBY.

Registration for TOBY Competition (2026)

Step 1: Register to compete by Monday, October 10, 2025. Click here to complete the registration form.

Step 2: You can pay your registration fee of $475 at the time of registration or an invoice will be created for you to pay via check.

Step 3: Online written submissions due by 5:00 p.m. (PST) on 12/5/2025. Click here to access the online portal.

Step 4: 2025 TOBY in-person building inspections will be held between January 5, 2026, and January 16, 2026.

Pricing: $475 per property

Please direct questions regarding TOBY registration to Julie Taylor at julie@bomaoeb.org for assistance.

Please direct TOBY competition questions to Liz Despins at Elizabeth.Despins@nmrk.com.

CATEGORIES

Corporate Facility

Historical Building

Medical Building

Suburban Office Park (Low-Rise)

Suburban Office Park (Mid-Rise)

Under 100,000 SF

100,000 – 249,999 SF

250,000 – 499,999 SF

500,000 – 1 Million SF

Over 1 Million SF

Earth Building

Industrial Office Building

Mixed Use Building

Renovated Building

Retail Building Enclosed

Retail Building Open Air

Life Science Building

Public Assembly