Property Management Association Logo

The PACE Awards - Community Choice Awards

The Property Management Association’s Apartment Community Excellence Awards recognize apartment communities that deliver exceptional resident service, amenities, maintenance and an outstanding overall living experience. Each year, participating communities are evaluated by trained, independent judges against rigorous standards of excellence. This year, residents have a voice, too!

The new PACE Community Choice Awards give residents an opportunity to recognize the communities they are proud to call home. Your feedback will join responses from fellow residents to help identify the communities that stand out in the eyes of the people who experience them every day.

 
Who is PMA?

The Property Management Association brings together property management professionals and companies throughout the Washington, DC region to advance excellence through education, connection and recognition.

Through programs like the PACE Awards, PMA celebrates the people and communities that are raising the standard for apartment living.

Setting the Standard for Excellence

PACE is the region’s premier recognition program for apartment communities, celebrating excellence in resident experience, service and community operations.

More than 200 communities are participating in 2026, each evaluated against PACE’s standards of excellence.

Resident Voices Matter

Great communities are about more than buildings and amenities. They are shaped by the people who live and work there, the service residents receive and the experiences that make a community feel like home.

By participating in the Community Choice Awards, you are helping recognize the onsite teams and communities that make a difference every day.

How Community Choice Works

Resident ratings and participation help identify Community Choice winners across different types of apartment communities, celebrating the places residents are proud to call home.

Winners will be recognized at the 2026 PACE & EPIC Awards Ceremony, alongside communities honored through PACE’s independent evaluation process.

PMA's Apartment Community Excellence Awards are the region’s premier recognition program for apartment communities. More than 200 communities are participating in 2026, each competing for recognition based on high standards for the resident experience, community appearance, service and operations.

PACE is intentionally selective. Communities compete against comparable properties, only one winner is recognized in each category, and an award is presented only when a community meets PACE’s minimum standards of excellence.

How PACE Works

Participating communities receive an onsite evaluation by trained PACE judges. Communities are grouped with similar properties to create a fair and meaningful competition.

PACE recognizes several types of apartment communities, including:

  • Lease-Up Communities — New communities that are less than one year old or not yet fully stabilized.
  • Market Rate Communities — Established communities operating primarily at market rental rates.
  • Affordable Communities — Communities participating in programs that provide housing at below-market rental rates.
  • Senior Communities — Communities designed primarily for residents age 55 and older.
  • Vintage Communities — Properties built before 1990, which are evaluated separately from newer communities.

Other factors, including location and average rental rates, are also considered when communities are grouped for competition.

What Do PACE Judges Look For?

PACE judges evaluate the many elements that contribute to a great apartment living experience, including:

  • Exterior appearance and curb appeal
  • Leasing, reception and lobby areas
  • Management and property operations
  • Interior and common-area appearance
  • Resident services and amenities
  • Available apartment homes
  • Maintenance practices
What Does It Mean to Win?

PACE recognition is reserved for communities that demonstrate a high level of excellence. Only one award is presented in each competition category, and if no community meets the required scoring standard, no award is given.

That makes a PACE Award more than simply a participation award—it is recognition that a community has distinguished itself among comparable apartment communities in the Washington, DC region. 

A Note About Your Feedback

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Feedback may be shared with your community’s management team, and selected comments may be featured as part of Community Choice recognition.

If you shared a concern that needs a response or action, please contact your community team directly. The Community Choice survey is designed to recognize your community and is not monitored as a service-request or resident-support channel.