What Is a Relocation Specialist? What They Do and Don’t Do

Maybe your job is relocating you to a new city. Or maybe you’re planning a retirement move. Or perhaps you’re in the military and are receiving a permanent change of station (PCS). Or you might just want help figuring out where to live on your next adventure.

Regardless of the reason, relocation is a big decision. But in each of these cases, a relocation specialist can help. With extra training and a deep knowledge of the area, a real estate agent who specializes in relocation can help ease your mind and reduce the stress that comes with picking up your life — and all of your belongings — and starting over in a new city, a new state, or a new country.

Kirsten Conover, a top agent in Atlanta, Georgia, has been a relocation specialist for nearly 20 years. She takes pride in using her training and experience to help expedite and smooth out the relocation process, and says her relocation clients are a joy to work with.

So, what does it take to be a relocation specialist? And how can they facilitate the relocation process? Let’s find out!

What is a real estate relocation specialist?

First things first, a real estate relocation specialist is an experienced agent who has undergone additional training to earn a Certified Relocation Professional (CRP®) designation or a Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification.

A CRP® typically works with employees who are being relocated by their company, while an MRP works with members of the military who are moving to a new station. A relocation specialist can work with both buyers and sellers, helping buyers find the right place in a new city and helping sellers sell their homes quickly.

A relocation specialist is held to a high standard and must complete the initial training as well as additional training each year. They also have to be excellent organizers and communicators.

“One thing that’s different about relocation is that you’re obligated to provide regular reports back to the relocation company about how things are going and what stage they’re in,” Conover explains.

The listing agent is also responsible for providing a Broker Market Analysis (BMA) which is even more detailed than the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) typically prepared by the listing agent to help price the home appropriately. Conover says that the BMA is “almost as detailed as an actual appraisal would be…we have to visit homes that are similar to theirs and give a breakdown so that we can come up with a very, very good idea of what it will sell for.”

Pricing the home right helps it sell quickly so the client can adhere to their relocation timeline.

Often, a relocation specialist will be affiliated with a third-party relocation company hired by the employer to assist with the employee’s relocation. These companies will typically offer assistance with a mortgage, moving, storage, temporary housing, home sale services, cost tracking, finding a new school, place of worship, community amenities, and help walk their clients through the employer’s relocation policies.

While relocation specialists are typically hired by a company or the military, individuals can also choose to work with a real estate relocation specialist. In this case, Conover notes that the client will “benefit from the additional experience and education I have as a corporate relocation person, but I’m helping them as a regular buyer [or seller].”