Larken takes home seven Awards of Excellence from MetroBCA

Branchburg-based Larken Associates received seven Awards of Excellence from the Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of New Jersey at the MetroBCA’s 39th Annual Awards of Excellence event held at Hanover Manor on June 14.

Held annually, the MetroBCA’s Awards of Excellence honors Essex, Morris, Union, Somerset, Warren and Hunterdon counties’ most exciting residential communities and the leaders behind their success.

Larken Associates’ Creative/Marketing Director Melissa Nascimento received one of MetroBCA’s highest honors with her recognition as Marketing Executive of the Year. Since joining the firm in 2002, Nascimento’s leadership and innovative marketing strategies have played an integral role in the success of Larken Living, Larken Associates’ 2,500-unit multifamily portfolio. Over the last several years, Nascimento’s creation of a new data-driven digital marketing model has consistently driven superior leasing results across the portfolio. Her creativity, vision and understanding of the marketplace have ensured the Larken Living portfolio consistently stands at 95% occupancy and new communities are often fully leased up before their completion.

Susan Livingstone received the Leasing Consultant of the Year award as a result of her achievements in leasing, on-site training and property management across Larken Associates’ multifamily portfolio. In 2022, Livingstone oversaw leasing for Larken Associates’ newest communities, Hillsborough Village Center, the Reserve at Crosswicks and the Ridge at Readington, where she helped lease 314 total units. Working closely with Nascimento, Livingstone’s creativity and embrace of the latest technologies continues to make her one of the state’s top leasing consultants and an important contributor on the Larken Living team.

The company also received five awards for Hillsborough Village Center, including Best Community Sales Presentation, Best Direct Mail Piece – New Media/Electronic, Best Builder Website for a Community, Best Builder Sales Office and Best Builder Signage for a Community.

Welcoming its first residents in 2021 and fully completed in 2022, Hillsborough Village Center is a 191-residence mixed-use community along Hillsborough’s highly sought-after Route 206 retail corridor.

“Our success in growing the Larken Living portfolio in such a competitive market has always been powered by a team that I have always considered the best in the industry,” David Gardner, CEO and president of Larken Associates, said. “We congratulate Melissa and Susan as well as the entire marketing team for these much-deserved honors and look forward to continuing to celebrate their award-winning work in the years to come.”