Relocation officer

Relocation officer article illustration

Description

Relocation officers help businesses and organisations with the move of employees. They plan the whole move. Relocation officers advise on real estate. They plan moving services and look after the general well-being of the employees and their family.

The duties of a relocation officer include, but are not limited to:

  • Interviewing clients to learn about their needs and preferences regarding their new home
  • Preparing reports on the cost of relocation services, including estimates of expenses such as shipping costs, international tax implications, and legal fees
  • Communicating with clients throughout the relocation process to keep them informed of their options and next steps
  • Preparing contracts with clients that outline the scope of work to be performed and the price to be paid
  • Estimating the cost of living in different cities, states, or countries using public databases
  • Helping clients choose a new home or apartment by providing information about neighborhoods and schools
  • Recommending local businesses such as real estate agencies, insurance brokers, and home inspectors
  • Arranging travel arrangements such as hotel reservations and car rentals for clients moving internationally
  • Coordinating with movers or shipping companies to arrange for transporting household items, vehicles, or pets from one city to another

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to relocation officer:

relocation consultant
relocation commissioner
relocation services officer
relocation specialist
relocation director
relocation and department officer
relocation manager

Working conditions

Relocation officers work in a variety of settings, including corporate human resources departments, relocation companies, real estate firms, and government agencies. They typically work full time during regular business hours, although they may occasionally work evenings and weekends to accommodate the schedules of their clients.

Relocation officers spend much of their time on the phone and computer, researching information about specific locations and writing reports. They also travel frequently to meet with clients and visit potential relocation sites. The work can be stressful, as they must often meet tight deadlines and deal with last-minute changes.

Minimum qualifications

A relocation officer typically needs a high school diploma or equivalent. Some companies prefer relocation officers to have a bachelorโ€™s degree in business, marketing or a related field. Relevant coursework includes marketing, sales, economics, business and finance.

Relocation consultants typically receive on-the-job training from their new employer. This training may include shadowing an experienced relocation officer or learning the companyโ€™s computer systems and software.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Relocation officer is a Skill level 3 occupation.

Relocation officer career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to relocation officer.

real estate surveyor
property appraiser
foreclosure specialist
real estate investor
letting agent

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of relocation officer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of relocation officer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

human resources officer
recruitment consultant
equality and inclusion manager
employment and vocational integration consultant
labour relations officer

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of relocation officer.

  • Labour legislation: Legislation, on a national or international level, that governs labour conditions in various fields between labour parties such as the government, employees, employers, and trade unions.
  • Real estate market: The trends concerning the buying, selling, or renting of property, including the land, buildings, and natural resources encompassed within the property; the categories of residential properties and properties for business purposes which such properties are traded in.
  • Employment law: The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees’ rights at work which are binding by the work contract.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of relocation officer.

  • Protect client interests: Protect the interests and needs of a client by taking necessary actions, and researching all possibilities, to ensure that the client obtains their favoured outcome.
  • Advise on property value: Provide advise to those that own a property, professionals in real estate, or prospective clients in real estate on the current monetary value of a property, the potential of development in order to increase the value, and other relevant information concerning the value of the in the future developments of the real estate market.
  • Advise clients on moving services: Provide clients with information with regard to moving services. Advise clients on services, modalities, relocation possibilities, and aspects which must be taken into consideration when planning a move.
  • Gather feedback from employees: Communicate in an open and positive manner in order to assess levels of satisfaction with employees, their outlook on the work environment, and in order to identify problems and devise solutions.
  • Negotiate with property owners: Negotiate with owners of properties who wish to rent or sell them in order to obtain the most beneficial agreement for the potential renter or buyer.
  • Liaise with property owners: Establish good working relations with the owner, signal problems and renovation needs, and advise on the choice of tenants.
  • Provide information on properties: Provide information on the positive and negative aspects of a property and the practicalities concerning any financial transactions or insurance procedures; such as location, composition of the property, renovation or repair needs, the cost of the property and the costs related to insurance.
  • Manage employee complaints: Manage and respond to employee complaints, in a correct and polite manner, offering a solution when possible or referring it to an authorized person when necessary.
  • Identify clients’ needs: Identify the areas in which the client may require aid and investigate the possibilities for meeting those needs.
  • Select equipment required for moving activities: Select the appropriate tools and equipment required to successfully move objects. Select a range of equipment from basic tools such as screws, hammers, and pliers, to more complex apparatus such as forklifts, cranes, and movable docks.
  • Analyse requirements for moving goods: Analyse goods to be relocated and their moving requirements. Check requirements and prepare actions to ensure appropriate transport of goods.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of relocation officer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Human resource management: The function in an organisation concerned with the recruitment of employees and the optimisation of employee performance.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of relocation officer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Collect property financial information: Collect information concerning the previous transactions involving the property, such as the prices at which the property had been previously sold and the costs that went into renovations and repairs, in order to obtain a clear image of the property’s value.
  • Follow detailed procedures for relocating specific goods: Adhere to detailed procedures required for the relocation of special items such as pianos, artifacts, antique furniture, and others.
  • Assist in developing practices for well being of employees: Help in policies development , practices and cultures that promote and maintain the physical, mental and social well-being of all workers, in order to prevent sick leave.
  • Determine cargo loading sequence: Determine freight loading sequence aiming to increase the efficiency of operations. Arrange loading so that maximum amount of goods can be stored.
  • Give advice on personal matters: Advise people on love and marriage issues, business and job opportunities, health or other personal aspects.
  • Organise transportation for clients: Make sure clients reach their destination by ordering a taxi, provide driving directions, book transportation tickets.
  • Create banking accounts: Open new banking accounts such as a deposit account, a credit card account or a different type of account offered by a financial institution.
  • Apply for work permits: Apply for work permits for yourself or for others with the correct authority. Provide all necessary documentation.
  • Protect employee rights: Assess and handle situations in which the rights set by legislation and corporate policy for employees may be breached and take the appropriate actions in order to protect the employees.
  • Negotiate employment agreements: Find agreements between employers and potential employees on salary, working conditions and non-statutory benefits.
  • Examine the conditions of buildings: Monitor and assess the conditions of buildings in order to detect faults, structural problems, and damages. Assess general building cleanliness for grounds maintenance and real estate purposes.
  • Apply knowledge of human behaviour: Practice principles related to group behaviour, trends in society, and influence of societal dynamics.
  • Manage the transportation of animals: Plan and operate processes involved in the transportation of animals. This includes planning activities such as selecting the form of transportation, planning the route, and preparing documentation. It also encompasses preparation activities undertaken prior to transportation, such as completing paperwork and labelling, and selecting and preparing the appropriate transport container according to the species, age, weight, and number of animals, the duration of the journey, and the food and water requirements.
  • Negotiate with employment agencies: Establish arrangements with employment agencies to organise recruiting activities. Maintain communication with these agencies in order to ensure efficient and productive recruitment with high potential candidates as an outcome.
  • Perform property market research: Research properties in order to assess their usefulness for real estate activities, using various methods such as media research and visitation of properties, and identify the potential profitability in the development and trading of the property.
  • Organise property viewing: Organise events in which prospective buyers or tenants of a property can visit the property in order to assess whether it is suitable to their needs and to obtain information, and organise plans to liaise with the prospective customers in order to secure a contract.
  • Liaise between the client and various transportation services: Serve as an intermediary between the customer and various transportation services.

ISCO group and title

3339 – Business services agents not elsewhere classified


References
  1. Relocation officer – ESCO
  2. Relocation Consultant Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Climb the Ladder
  3. Featured image: By alanharder.ca – https://www.flickr.com/photos/193233449@N04/51246058600/, CC BY 2.0
Last updated on February 21, 2023

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