25 years is a long time in any industry. In relocation, it can feel like several different industries.
When Icon Relocation began, the world looked very different. The way people moved, worked, communicated and made decisions has changed enormously over the past quarter of a century. And, perhaps most importantly, so have expectations of what a relocation service should deliver. Looking back, some of the biggest lessons are not actually about relocation itself. They are about information, trust, technology, compliance, changing attitudes to mobility – and the importance of working together. So, as Icon reaches its 25th anniversary this month, I wanted to reflect on some of the changes we’ve seen and what they might tell us about where the industry is heading next.
From having the information – to making sense of it
25 years ago, information was much harder to come by. If an employee was moving to a new country, they relied heavily on their relocation provider to explain where to live, how the rental process worked, what schools were available, how long a commute might take and what to expect when they arrived. Today, that information is everywhere. A few searches online can produce neighbourhood guides, rental prices, school information, estimated commute times and seemingly definitive advice on almost anything. And now, of course, AI can provide an answer to almost any question in seconds.
That doesn’t mean the role of the relocation provider has become less important. In many ways, it has become more important. The challenge is no longer simply providing information. It is helping people understand which information is useful, which is relevant to their particular circumstances and which doesn’t quite reflect reality. An AI tool might tell you that a particular area is a great place to live. But it won’t necessarily understand that the commute looks very different at 8am on a Monday, or that a property that appears ideal on paper isn’t going to work for a family with a particular set of requirements. That’s where human expertise still matters.
At Icon, we’re increasingly combining technology, data and AI with the knowledge and judgement of our people to get the best of both. Technology is excellent at collecting and collating information. Our trained and experienced team are very good at interpreting it, putting it into context and having a conversation about what it actually means for an individual.
Expectations have changed in another important way: clients want information in real time. That is one reason we’re continuing to invest in technology, including our client portal and our new upcoming assignee portal. The aim isn’t to replace the human relationship, but to make information easier to access and the overall experience more responsive.
Compliance has gone from a differentiator to a given
Another striking change has been the evolution of quality, accreditation and compliance. The EuRA Global Quality Seal was one of the first major relocation-specific accreditations we became aware of. In 2008, we became the first company in the UK – and one of the first in the world – to achieve it. We subsequently completed MIM with EuRA, and I completed the GMS qualification through ERC.
Back then, demonstrating this kind of commitment to quality was something that could help set a provider apart. Today, the landscape is very different. Accreditation and formal standards are no longer a nice-to-have. Clients quite reasonably expect providers to demonstrate that they have robust processes, appropriate security and a serious approach to quality and sustainability. At Icon, that now includes ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EcoVadis and Cyber Essentials, alongside our other industry commitments.
It is easy to look at that list and think of compliance as paperwork. In reality, it reflects something much more fundamental: the expectations placed on relocation providers have risen significantly.
Why are we relocating people in the first place?
Perhaps one of the biggest changes over the last 25 years is the attitude towards relocation itself. When I started out, if you worked for a large global company, there was a good chance that an international assignment would be part of your career at some point. Today, working from home, hybrid working and video calls have changed the reasons companies relocate employees. If someone can work effectively from another location without moving, some wonder if it’s worth moving them at all. Part of the role of the industry now is to show how mobility supports a company’s wider objectives – whether that’s accessing skills, developing people, entering new markets, supporting growth or building an international organisation.
In other words, relocation isn’t simply about moving someone from A to B. It needs to be connected to the reason the move is happening in the first place.
Two very different ways of buying relocation
The way companies buy relocation services has also changed, and the gap between different types of buyer is becoming increasingly noticeable. At one end, you have larger organisations looking to streamline their relocation programmes through a small number of trusted providers. Their procurement and onboarding processes can be rigorous, and they tend to choose their partners carefully. Once they have gone through the process, they may not want to change providers frequently unless there is a problem. At the other end, smaller companies may not always have detailed mobility policies or established processes. They may simply want to be able to find and buy the support they need quickly, without committing themselves to a long-term relationship with one provider. That gap has grown over the last 25 years, and I expect it to grow further.
For providers, that raises an interesting question. Most relocation businesses have traditionally operated primarily in a B2B environment. But if expectations around accessibility, speed and choice continue to change, I think we’ll see more providers needing to think about how they can operate across both B2B and B2C.
The future will be more collaborative
If there is one thing I’m particularly convinced about when I look ahead, it is that cooperation will become even more important. The relocation industry has always depended on relationships. But we’re seeing more cooperation between providers, including organisations that might traditionally have been viewed as competitors. We’re also seeing closer collaboration with estate agents, suppliers, RMCs and businesses outside the traditional relocation ecosystem.
Some of this is driven by necessity. The industry is changing, and providers are looking for new ways to diversify, create value and respond to changing demand.
But I think there’s a more positive opportunity here, too. No single company can be an expert in everything. The more effectively we can bring together different types of expertise, technology, data and local knowledge, the better the experience we can create for the people actually going through a relocation. That feels particularly important at a time when the industry is being asked to do more with less, while customers are expecting more, faster.
So, what has 25 years taught us?
If I had to reduce 25 years in relocation to a few lessons, I’d probably say this.
Information isn’t the same as insight. There’s more information available than ever, but people still need experts to help them interpret it.
Technology should make relocation better, not less human. The best use of technology is to remove friction, improve access to information and give our people better tools to do what they do best.
Trust has to be earned. Whether that’s through accreditation, security, quality processes or simply doing what you say you will do, the fundamentals still matter.
Relocation needs to continue demonstrating its value. As the reasons for moving employees change, our industry needs to connect mobility with the wider objectives of the organisations we support.
And finally, we need each other. The future of relocation won’t be built by individual companies working in isolation. It will be shaped by providers, clients, suppliers, technology businesses and others across the ecosystem finding better ways to work together.
That’s a fairly different industry from the one I set up Icon Relocation in 25 years ago. And that’s exactly what makes the next 25 years interesting.
At Icon, we’re continuing to invest in people, technology, data and partnerships so that we can adapt to whatever comes next – while keeping the human expertise and personal service at the heart of what we do. We’re looking forward to sharing more about our plans as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. Find out more about Icon and our 25th anniversary plans on our website.