Real Estate News and Advice
February 10, 2010
Let Webcast City webcast your message.
Today's Insider REALTOR Secret


Search Realty Times
 





Today's Insider REALTOR Secret








Click Here





NEED HELP?

Click for Live Support


Call: 214-353-6980





Ultimate Real Estate Success SuperConference


Relocating: What To Expect From Your Company

What can a relocating employee expect in terms of assistance when he or she is asked to move to a new city?

According to the Employee Relocation Council, standard relocation policy elements are on the increase and usually include the following elements:

1. Shipping of household goods

This generally includes shipping, packing, unpacking and storage.

2. Temporary living

The majority of coverage is offered for the new location rather than the old.

3. Househunting trips

Over the years, it has become more common for employers to offer multiple trips. Today, 46 percent of companies cover one trip and 49 percent cover multiple trips. Most employers offering multiple trips cover two househunting trips. (*1997)

4. Purchase closing costs

Most companies will reimburse all "normal, required" costs associated with the purchase of home at the destination location, but generally restrict coverage to transferees that were homeowners at the old location and/or have attained certain job levels.

5. Miscellaneous expense allowance

With no requirement to itemize or document expenses, the allowance is intended to cover incidental expenses related to the move, i.e., auto registration, appliance hook-ups, etc. It is usually equal to one month's salary.

6. Real estate sales assistance

Nearly all companies offer such assistance, under one of the following programs:

  • In-house purchase program, where the company offers to buy the home

  • A third party purchase program, similar to the in-house purchase program except the company contracts with an outside firm to purchase and resell the home

  • Guarantee-against-loss, where the company does not offer to buy the home but guarantees the market value of the residence (selling expenses are usually also reimbursed.)

  • Direct reimbursement, where the company reimburses selling expenses with no attempt to protect the home's market value.

    The third party program is the primary form of assistance and is used by 70 percent of companies, followed by the direct reimbursement program and in-house purchase programs, each used by about 10 percent of companies.

    About 50% of ERC member companies provide career assistance to transfering spouses, and another 45% provide assistance to unmarried life partners of the spouse. Two-thirds offer this assistance through a formal policy, while the remainder offer it on an employee request basis. Most companies with formal spouse employment assistance policies make it available to the spouses of all current employees, regardless of the transferee's level within the company.

    A 1997 ERC survey of its members produced the following breakdown of current employee relocation costs:

    Among current employees, the type of assistance available in 1997 averaged as follows:

    • Cost Shipping of Household Goods -$7,311
    • Federal Tax Liability - $7,185
    • Purchase Closing Costs - $6,358
    • Bonuses/incentives given for employee-generated homesales - $4,119
    • Miscellaneous expense allowance - $4,108
    • Temporary living at new location - $3,680
    • Duplicate housing costs - $2,596
    • Homefinding trips - $1,702
    • Spouse employment assistance - $1,319
    • Travel and lodging expenses at the time of move - $1,205
    • *Averages based on transferees who actually received assistance.

    For more information, please contact the The Employee Relocation Center.

  • Published: December 1, 1998

    Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.




    Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68.


    Order Now
    Review - Honors

    In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.

         

    Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans.


    Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR

    "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors

    Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007

    That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation
    2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase
    2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
    HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2

    Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here.

    For more articles by Blanche, click here.




    Find an Agent



    Real Estate News Network

    You must enable Javascript to view the Video content and Navigation on this site.





    Mortgage Rates
    30 Year Fixed:
    15 Year Fixed:
    1 Year Adj:
    (U.S. Weekly Averages)

    Today's Headlines


    Spotlight




    Agent Publicity | Market Conditions Interview | Local Market Conditions | Video Newsletter | Article Index | Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Contact Us

    Copyright © 1998 Realty Times®. All Rights Reserved.