Top Corporate Relocation Services (2024)

The decision to outsource relocation logistics comes down to a variety of factors. Here are some reasons why companies offer relocation services and use a relocation company to create, implement, and manage a relocation policy:

• Business growth opportunity: Many businesses benefit from the relocation of an employee. For example, if they’re opening a new location in a new city and need a reliable employee to help generate new business there. 
• Keep valuable employees: If a high-performing employee expresses interest in moving to a new location and you don’t want to lose them as an employee, you could offer relocation benefits so they don’t formally resign.
• Attract out-of-state candidates: For some roles, like executive or highly-specialized positions, you’ll need to look for candidates outside your immediate market. If you end up finding the perfect candidate out-of-state, you can include relocation services as part of their benefits package.
• Reduce your HR team’s workload: HR teams are typically the ones in charge of managing an employee’s relocation benefits. To alleviate their workload and let them focus on their other responsibilities, consider using a relocation company to manage everything for you and your relocating employee(s).
• Leverage cost-savings: RMCs have relationships with an extensive network of service providers, from real estate agents to moving companies to freight services, and more. Because of these relationships, they can usually get discounts that they then pass onto to you, giving you more cost-effective relocation options.‍
• Expand benefits: If you offer relocation benefits in addition to other employee benefits, you can set yourself apart from the competition and attract top talent. What’s more, you’re more likely to retain employees if you’re able to help them relocate.

If you’re not careful, outsourcing employee relocation can get very costly. To avoid overpaying and ensure that your employees have a smooth relocation experience, consider the following best practices. These will help ensure you don’t make common relocation mistakes and free up time to focus on other relocation priorities, such as employer of record companies for international moves.

• Create a policy before you need one: Being proactive about your employee relocation needs will lead to less stress and better planning when you actually have an employee to relocate. So if your company is expanding to a new location and/or if you anticipate needing to hire an executive or other highly specialized role that might involve relocating a candidate, set up your relocation policy first.
• Define eligibility requirements: Some companies create relocation tiers to help cut costs. In other words, offer a full suite of relocation benefits for executives, but stick to a more limited set of benefits for lower-level employees (for example, just reimburse moving expenses). Or, create tiers based on someone’s years of experience or tenure at your company.‍
• Know how RMCs pay third-party service providers: To maintain transparency with your relocation company and have a solid understanding of what fees they’ll charge, ask them how they pay their third-party service providers, like real estate agents and moving companies.

Relocation companies charge a variety of fees that vary by company. First, they will charge you a fee for creating and administering your relocation program. We’ve seen packages range from $2,000 - $100,000. What goes into your fee depends on the relocation policy you create and the decisions you make around costs. For example, will you simply reimburse an employee for their moving costs, or will you outsource the entire moving process to a relocation company? Do you plan to cover the entire cost of the move or just a portion?

Other fees you might be charged include referral fees for relocation real estate agents or freight companies, for example; non-compliance fees for services outside your relocation policy or contract; cancellation fees; and more. As you talk to relocation companies, make sure you get a clear picture of all fees that might be applicable for your company.

A relocation management company will design, implement, and manage a relocation policy for your company. The services they offer vary by company, but in general, they include some or all of the following:

• Dedicated account manager: You’ll have a dedicated account manager from the relocation company who will run point on your relocation program. As experts in everything from relocation trends and best practices to taxes and legal, they’ll monitor your account, manage policy consulting and benchmarking, oversee third-party service providers, and more — all to ensure you are offering the best possible relocation benefits at the best cost to you. 
• Relocation counselor for relocating employees: As an employee begins a relocation, they are assigned a relocation counselor who will serve as their single point of contact for the entire relocation process. At the start, this counselor will get an understanding of the needs of the employee and, if applicable, their family, and will provide support where necessary and as it aligns with your relocation policy and benefits. The counselor then manages each relevant service, whether it’s sourcing appraisers for a home sale, finding temporary housing in the new location, scheduling movers, etc.
• Policy development: A relocation company will design a relocation policy that fits your organization’s needs and budget. What’s more, they’ll proactively monitor your policy to see how it compares to your competitors’ policies. This applies for domestic relocation packages as well as international relocation.
• Moving planning and costs: RMCs will manage and pay for all moving services, from hiring and coordinating a moving company or van line, packing and shipping of an employee’s goods, helping with a home sale, finding a new home, and covering costs associated with buying or selling, or breaking a lease for renters.
• Travel: Relocation companies will cover relocation-related travel costs, like an employee’s flight to their new location. In some cases, they’ll also cover travel for an employee’s family.
• Temporary housing: In some cases, a relocated employee will need to stay in temporary housing while they’re getting settled. In that case, RMCs will help find temporary housing and cover the costs.
• Spousal support: For certain positions, relocation benefits can extend to an employee’s spouse. For example, an RMC will help an employee’s spouse find a job in their new city.
• Tax and legal: RMCs understand the tax and legal implications associated with an employee’s relocation, both domestically and internationally. As such, they can ensure that all tax and legal requirements are met and understood by all involved parties. ‍
• Group moves: If you're setting up a new office, you might want to move a team of existing employees to work out of that space. In that case, moving management services can help you manage the associated logistics of relocating a handful of people.

Before you commit to one relocation company, schedule calls with them to get a sense of their services, pricing, and more. To direct the conversation, here is a list of questions to consider asking:

• How does your process work?
• What service providers do you have relationships with? What kind of cost savings can you pass on to your clients?
• Do you focus on relocations within the United States only, or both domestic and international?
• Do you provide immigration services for international assignments?
• Is there a tech component that will require integration with our existing tech stack?
• What will you need from us to get our relocation program off the ground?
• What ongoing maintenance do you provide as it relates to growing/sustaining our relocation benefits?

You should get a good sense of how implementation works when you have your demos with relocation companies. For example, they’ll be able to tell you if you need any special tech integrations or if they simply need you to provide them with certain company information. 

As you get started, be sure to also think about how you’ll actually cover relocation costs. For example, will you pay a lump sum in an employee’s first paycheck that covers their out-of-pocket moving expenses? Will you have them submit an expense report with moving-related receipts? Will you pay for services directly?

To decide which route is best for you, discuss these options with your RMC to see what they recommend based on your company’s unique needs and budget.

What is a corporate relocation company?

A corporate relocation company is a business that is made to specifically move an existing or new employee to a new location and, in most cases, offer a variety of benefits to make the transition smooth and affordable.

Why use a corporate relocation company's services?

You can use a relocation company to create business growth opportunities, keep valuable employees that have to move for outside circumstances, reduce your HR team's workload, leverage cost-savings, and expand benefits.

How much do corporate relocation services cost?

Relocation companies charge differently based on the company. Generally speaking, they first charge you a fee for creating and administering your relocation program, which can range from $2,000 - $100,000. After that, costs depend on the specific relocation policy you build.

Relocation expenses can add up for both you and your relocating employee. What's more, managing employee relocation can put a lot of pressure on your human resources team. Fortunately, relocation solutions can handle your domestic and global relocation needs and provide expert consulting services to ensure your employees have smooth transitions to their new locations.

Thanks for reading our guide on HR outsourcing service providers. We constantly review the top software vendors in the HR space. If you’re new to HR tech and want to learn more, we recommend you start by checking out our top HRIS, payroll, and benefits administration vendor recommendations.