Without husbands, women have to focus on earning more. They work longer hours, they’re willing to relocate and they’re more likely to choose higher-paying fields like technology.

Warren Farrell, Writer

Pros and Cons of Working as a Relocation Specialist

advantages and disadvantages of being a relocation specialist

You want to become a relocator but are not entirely sure whether this is indeed the right career path for you or not?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of being a relocation specialist in the following chapters.

Relocation Specialist Job Profile

Job DescriptionRelocation consultants make sure that they make moving for their clients as convenient as possible. They organize a new place to stay, care about legal things and so on.
Salary$56,000 per year on average, most relocation specialists make between $43,000 and $74,000 per year.
Job SecurityAlmost non-existent since most relocation consultants work self-employed.
Job SatisfactionGood if you like to work with many different people.
Work-Life BalanceDecent since you will not work that many hours.
Physically / Mentally Demanding?Working as a relocation consultant can be mentally demanding.
Future OutlookDecent since an increasing number of people will move in the future.
RequirementsNo special educational requirements for becoming a relocation consultant. Finishing high school will often be enough to work in this field.

Advantages of Being a Relocation Consultant

  1. Relocators can work with many different people
  2. You can avoid classical office work
  3. Relocation consultants can make decent money
  4. You will not work that many hours
  5. Decent work-life balance for relocators
  6. Working as a relocation agent is not that stressful
  7. Relocation consultants learn skills in many different fields
  8. You can build a strong network
  9. Relocation specialists can work indoors most of the time
  10. You can make many new friendships
  11. You can start your own relocation business
  12. Teleworking may be possible most of the time
  13. You don’t need a degree for becoming a relocator
  14. You can avoid student loan debt
  15. Good job if you have an extroverted personality

Relocators can work with many different people

One advantage of working as a relocator is that you can work with many different clients over the course of your career.

In fact, if you work as a relocation agent full-time, you will get new clients on a weekly or even daily basis and this means that you can experience many different cultures and attitudes towards life.

Of course, this can also be challenging since what is normal for you may not be normal for some of your clients and some of them will also not be as reliable as you wished.

However, by making all those experiences, you will learn a lot about human nature and will also develop really good people skills.

Moreover, you will also become quite patient over time and will stop worrying about little issues that might arise along the way.

You can avoid classical office work

As a relocation consultant, you can also avoid classical office work.

Instead of sitting in front of a computer all day long like financial analysts and many other people, you will have a healthy mix between computer work and client interaction in person.

In turn, you will not just have to stare at your computer screen for your whole workday as many other people out there have to do.

Instead, you can have lots of social interaction and stay mentally and emotionally healthy in the long run.

Relocation consultants can make decent money

You can also make good money from working as a relocation specialist.

While you will not get rich, you will still be able to afford some nice things, at least if you are willing to work hard so that you have more than one client at the same time.

Of course, your salary greatly depends on the jobs you complete and if you are really bad at what you are doing and your image is quite bad as well, chances are that you will not get enough jobs to make a living out of your relocation work.

However, if you know how to present yourself and are able to build a solid reputation, chances are that you will have more than enough jobs in the long run since people will recommend you to their friends and you may not even have to actively search for new jobs anymore.

You will not work that many hours

Another benefit of working as a relocation agent is that you will also not have to work many extra hours.

In fact, many relocation agents just work 40 hours or less a week and some of them even only work part-time.

Of course, the more you work, the more money you will make on average.

However, if money is not that important to you but you rather want to have a great time at work, becoming a relocation specialist can definitely make a lot of sense for you.

Decent work-life balance for relocators

Relocation consultants also report a pretty good work-life balance in general.

In fact, hardly any relocation specialist complains about excessive workload and many of them report that they would want to work even more hours.

Consequently, you will have lots of time left for your family, your friends and your hobbies by working as a relocator and if those things are more important to you than making additional money, a career as a relocation agent can also be the right way to go for you in this regard.

Working as a relocation agent is not that stressful

Another upside to becoming a relocation consultant is that your workday will just not be that stressful.

Sure, you will have periods where you have multiple clients at the same time who will bother you quite a lot.

However, the average workweek of relocation specialists will be rather relaxed and you will not have to deal with excessive levels of stress.

In turn, chances are that you will enjoy your time at work much more compared to someone who works in a different field and has enormous time pressure every day.

In the long run, you will likely also stay healthier since stress is never a good thing and can cause all sorts of health issues.

Relocation consultants learn skills in many different fields

Thanks to your job as a relocation specialist, you will also be able to learn many skills in different fields.

For instance, relocation consultants have to know the local housing market to help their clients find a new place to live.

Moreover, relocation agents also have to acquire lots of legal knowledge to inform clients about local laws and regulations which might be different from what clients know from their home country.

Those are just a few things that play a role in the job of a relocation agent.

In fact, there are many more things to consider and relocation consultants will therefore be able to build solid knowledge in various different fields.

In turn, this knowledge will not only be helpful for your professional life, but you will also be able to use a significant fraction of this knowledge for your own personal life.

For instance, when it comes to renting a home, you will have some expert knowledge in this field and can prepare and present your documents much better than the average person who will usually not have this high level of expertise.

In turn, your chances of finding a place to rent will also increase due to that.

You can build a strong network

Since you will work for many people who work in leading positions in the corporate world, you will also be able to build a really strong business network.

In fact, if you are really good at what you are doing, your clients will be impressed by your work and may even ask you to join their organization sooner or later.

This can be great, especially if you don’t want to work as a relocation agent for your whole life but want to switch to a different field sooner or later.

Of course, not every relocation agent will be able to build this kind of network.

However, if you are willing to work hard for it, chances are that your efforts will be rewarded sooner or later.

Relocation specialists can work indoors most of the time

Another advantage of working as a relocation specialist is that you will also be able to work indoors most of your workday.

Of course, you will also have some client meetings and you may also have to be present in person for appointments.

However, most of the time, you will just sit in a rather cozy office and can enjoy a nice drink while many other people have to work outdoors in the cold or during times of extreme heat.

You can make many new friendships

Since you will get in touch with many different people during your active relocation career, you will also be able to make many new friendships along the way.

Sure, not all clients want to make new friends and some of them rather want to get their things done and will not want any contact with you in the long run.

However, some clients will be happy to make new connections and you may therefore also meet up with former clients after work and those former clients may become really good friends of yours in the long run.

You can start your own relocation business

Becoming a relocation consultant can also make quite a lot of sense for you in case you want to start your own business sooner or later and don’t want to work as an employee forever.

In such a case, the relocation industry is great since you will not have large upfront costs but can rather keep your overhead to a minimum.

In turn, you will have the opportunity to slowly build a client base and expand your business from there.

Of course, you can also just work as an employed relocation consultant for a few years, gather some knowledge, save some money and then go for your own business.

This path would be even better since you would also be able to make some important connections with your clients whom you can advise later in your life.

Teleworking may be possible most of the time

As a relocator, you will also enjoy the privilege to be able to work from home most of the time.

Of course, you will also have some client meetings for which you have to be present in person.

However, quite often, you will not have to commute to your office.

Instead, you can just work from home and can save plenty of time on commuting.

Moreover, you will also be more flexible regarding when to do certain things and you will also be able to do more private stuff during your workday.

In turn, you will be able to enjoy more leisure after you finish your workday and you will just be more flexible on how to structure your workday in general.

You don’t need a degree for becoming a relocator

If you want to work as a relocation agent, you will also not need a degree.

Especially if you want to work as self-employed relocation consultant, it will often be enough to have basic skills of your neighborhood and about the legal and cultural characteristics.

In fact, this knowledge will be much more valuable for your success as a relocator than having a fancy degree.

In turn, you will not have to spend many years of your life on college education but can make money right after finishing school instead.

You can avoid student loan debt

Since you will not have to go to college for becoming a relocation specialist, you can also avoid the enormous costs that come along with college education and you will also not have to take on student loans to finance your degree.

In turn, you will have much more financial flexibility later in your life and can also become independent of your parents much sooner than most other people who get a degree and have to pay back student loans later in their lives.

Good job if you have an extroverted personality

The job as a relocator can also be great for you in case you have an extroverted personality and love to talk to many new people every day.

In fact, you will also be much more successful in this field if you are an extrovert instead of an introvert on average since making connections is crucial for success in the relocation industry in the long run.

Hence, if you are one of those extroverted people who have to talk all day long and want to be surrounded by other people on a regular basis, chances are that you will become really happy in the relocation industry.

As you can see, working as a relocation consultant can have many important advantages.

However, it is not all upside and I will also show you all the downsides of working in this field so that you get a more realistic perspective on what a career in the relocation industry really looks like.

Disadvantages of Working as a Relocation Specialist

  1. Relocation specialists don’t get rich
  2. Your salary will greatly depend on your performance
  3. Some relocation agents get into financial difficulties
  4. You have to know local laws and regulations
  5. Hard to get out of this field
  6. Clients can be demanding
  7. Limited promotion options
  8. Some clients will just not pay you
  9. Relocation consultants have a rather low social standing
  10. You have to be flexible as a relocation consultant
  11. Many appointments are in the evening
  12. Communication problems are quite common
  13. You may be liable for mistakes

Relocation specialists don’t get rich

One disadvantage of being a relocation agent is that you will just not get rich from what you are doing.

Sure, you can make some decent money if you are really good at it.

Yet, you will still make far less than dentists, lawyers or judges.

Hence, before you decide to go for a relocator career, you should make sure that money is not your main driver and that you are willing to give up the option of having a luxurious life.

Your salary will greatly depend on your performance

Many relocation specialists also work self-employed and this means that you will also not have a stable income.

Instead, you will be paid according to the number of jobs you complete and this implies huge income swings over time.

While you will make good money in some months, you will make barely anything in others and this means that you have to build some knowledge on how to save and invest money wisely.

During economic crisis situations, you may also suffer much more than the average person and your overall level of job security will therefore also be rather low.

Some relocation agents get into financial difficulties

If you don’t know how to handle the financial swings that may come along with your job as a relocation specialist, you may also get into serious financial problems sooner or later.

Quite often, relocators overextend themselves and in economic downturns, they barely get any jobs and will therefore also no longer be able to pay their bills.

In such a case, you will have to take on debt or even have to sell your home if you don’t know how to hedge yourself against those issues properly.

You have to know local laws and regulations

As a relocator, it is also important that you know local rules and regulations.

Only then will you be able to consult your clients in a proper manner.

Those regulations may also change over time and it is therefore crucial that you inform yourself so that you stay up-to-date with those latest developments.

Hard to get out of this field

Once you work in the relocation industry for a longer period of time, you may also have difficulties getting out of this field.

Quite often, relocation consultants just plan to work in this industry for a few years.

Yet, they end up in this field for decades and you should make sure to have a clear exit plan if you don’t want to be one of those people who get stuck in this field while wanting to do something different after a few years.

Clients can be demanding

As a relocation specialist, you are in a client business and this means that you have to be available for your clients all day long.

While some of those clients will be nice and really appreciate your work, others can be quite difficult and demanding.

Hence, make sure that you have a stable mindset so that snarky comments in this regard will not bother you.

Limited promotion options

Another problem with working as a relocation consultant is that you will also have rather limited promotion opportunities.

Quite often, you will have to do the same job for decades.

If you work as a self-employed relocation specialist, it gets even worse since you will not have any promotion options at all and will just do what you have to do for all of your active career.

Some clients will just not pay you

You should also not expect that all of your clients will pay you in time.

Quite often, you will have to remind them multiple times so that they finally pay you.

Sometimes, they will not pay you at all and in such a case, you will have to engage in lawsuits to get your money.

This can be really annoying, expensive and also time-consuming and you should therefore be willing to take on this risk before becoming a relocator.

Relocation consultants have a rather low social standing

You will also not have the highest social status as a relocation consultant.

While some people will appreciate your work, many others will just make fun of you and will belittle what you do for a living.

You have to be flexible as a relocation consultant

Since you work in a client-oriented industry, you will also have to be quite flexible as a relocation specialist.

Quite often, clients change their minds and this also means that you have to change your plans accordingly.

Many appointments are in the evening

You will also have to work in the evening quite often since your clients will often have to work during the day and also many appointments when it comes to finding a new place to live will be in the evening as well.

Thus, make sure that you are willing to work during those unpleasant hours before you decide to become a relocation consultant.

Communication problems are quite common

You may also have to deal with language barriers since many of your clients will be from foreign countries.

Consequently, communication may be quite difficult and you will therefore also have to learn some new words along the way.

You may be liable for mistakes

Last but not least, you may also be liable for mistakes, especially if you work as self-employed relocation consultant.

Hence, if you are unlucky, you may have to pay large sums of money to your clients if you cause any damage in this regard.

Being a Relocation Consultant Pros & Cons – Summary List

Being a Relocation Consultant ProsBeing a Relocation Consultant Cons
Relocation consultants don’t need a degreeRelocators don’t have high job security
Working from home may be possibleRelocation consultants don’t get rich
You can make decent moneyClients can be difficult
Relocators have decent work-life balanceYou may have to work in the evening
You can build a strong networkYour salary depends on your performance
You will not have much stress at workYou may be liable for mistakes
Relocation consultants can work indoorsRelocators have a rather low social status
You can avoid student loan debtYou have to always learn about new laws
Good job for extroverted peopleYou have to handle financial swings
You learn many important skillsYou may get bored in the long run

Should You Become A Relocator?

Now that you know all the advantages and disadvantages of being a relocation specialist, it is on you to decide whether you still want to go for a career in the relocation industry or if you rather want to go for a different career path instead.

If you still want to become a relocation agent, you should also get detailed information on salaries, prospects, future outlook, work-life balance, duties, educational requirements and job satisfaction of relocation specialists.

Also make sure to check out the following articles to get more information on different job options:

Advantages and disadvantages of becoming a software engineer

Advantages and disadvantages of becoming a financial controller

Advantages and disadvantages of becoming an electrician

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relocation_service

https://www.urbanbound.com/relocation-statistics-to-know

About the author

My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people about the different career paths that are possible in our current state of the world. In my opinion, people often make the mistake to choose their profession solely based on how much money they can earn from it instead of doing what makes them really happy.

This is quite sad and I just want to give people a more objective picture of how a fulfilling career could look like. I did the same when I started working in consulting after finishing my Master’s degree in Economics. However, I’ve quit pretty soon after that since I haven’t found true meaning in my job.

Now I can do what I really love to do and I want to enable as many other people as well to go this exciting path towards happiness instead of money.

I conducted various interviews with employees to give you a good impression of what working in different fields will look like and that you can make the best possible decision regarding your future career choice.

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