Relocation Agents - what are they?

Relocation Agent is the term used in the UK for an agent who acts for the seeker (would-be buyer or tenant) of property.  So you might describe Relocation Agents as Buyers’ Agents or Tenants’ Agents.  Relocation Agents mainly concern themselves with the residential market.

Estate Agents and Letting (Rental) Agents represent sellers and landlords.  Their job is to exact the highest price or rent (and the best terms generally) for their client, the owner of the property.

Relocation Agents, on the other hand, work to secure the lowest possible price (and the best terms generally) for their client, the seeker of a home.

A good Relocation Agent maintains strong connections with Estate Agents and property owners in the areas they serve.  Part of their service is to provide an efficient home search service for their clients.  Their first job is to gain a full understanding of what their client is seeking: in other words, to develop an agreed Brief.  Then they will go out into the marketplace via their network of contacts to establish what homes are available that match the Brief.  Competent Relocation Agents accomplish this part of the exercise much more quickly and efficiently than a client acting on their own can do.

The Relocation Agent will then present a shortlist of identified homes to the client and develop a tour of the homes that the client decides to view.  Arranging such tours can be complex and time-consuming because often they will involve a great many Estate Agents.

The Relocation Agent will usually provide a car and will escort the client to every shortlisted home.  During the tours they will advise the client and shield them from the Estate Agents who can often be very pushy!  With the right Relocation Agent, it’s a very pleasurable way to find a new home!

The process is so efficient and effective that most clients select 1 to 3 homes within a couple of tour days.  Clients acting on their own often take weeks or months to find a home!  This is a major reason why so many corporate Employers retain and pay for the services of a Relocation Agent to assist their key Employees when they are relocating them.  Corporate relocations more usually involve searches for rental homes.

Wealthy private clients will pay for the services of a Relocation Agent because it’s just such a terrific way to find a property.

Once a property has been chosen, the Relocation Agent will negotiate the best possible deal for the buyer or tenant and manage the whole transaction through to a successful conclusion.  Often the amount of money saved by the Relocation Agent will more than cover the costs involved.

You can easily see the attractions for the corporate Employer.  Their Employee gets happily settled in the new work location much more quickly and can focus on their work.  It is even more valuable when the company is relocating a family.  Savvy Employers know that it’s crucially important to make sure that the spouse is happily settled.  An unhappy spouse can mean that the Employee either can’t work effectively, or may have to be repatriated.  In that case the wasted costs can be very heavy indeed.

Saunders 1865 is a leading Relocation Agent that has developed sophisticated programs that help corporations relocate people and families successfully.  For more information on our services CLICK HERE.