The real estate environment that underpins U.S. employee relocation continues to shift faster than many organizations can track. At WERC Global 25, a cross-vertical panel brought together experts in real estate, mortgage lending, relocation management company (RMC) operations, and legal compliance to deliver a rapid-fire briefing on the market forces, regulatory changes, and employee-experience pressures shaping mobility programs today.
Moderator Michelle Solly, CRP, GMS, SGDS, relocation and referral director at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty, opened the session by signaling its intent: not to rehash policy, but to arm mobility leaders with the information they need right now to navigate a more complex and compliance-heavy landscape. Panelists included:
- Jay Hershman, SCRP, Attorney, Baillie & Hershman, P.C., Associated Attorney Title & Closing Co., P.C./Total Relocation Solutions
- Vicki Lander, Executive Vice-President of North American Client Relations, Weichert Workforce Mobility
- Ryan Watroba, SCRP, GMS-T, SGDS, Executive Vice President, Coldwell Banker Prime Properties
- Scott Chapman, GMS-T, Vice President - North Dallas / National Relocation Director, PrimeLending
What followed was a high-energy conversation spanning Clear Cooperation rules, state-level regulatory shifts, lending developments, post-National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement realities, and the evolving stressors weighing on relocating employees.
Clear Cooperation Comes into Focus
The panel kicked off with discussions around the NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy and its impacts on how and when properties are listed in a multiple listing service (MLS), which continues to reshape how homes can be marketed and sold across the United States.
“Clear Cooperation says once you publicly market a property, it needs to be on the MLS in one business day,” Hershman said. “Anything marketing to the public, one business day. It equalizes the playing field among all brokers.”
A new twist emerged earlier this year with NAR’s introduction of delayed marketing exempt listings (DMEL), which allows sellers to list on the MLS but restricts the distribution of listing data. “It’s trying to meet in the middle,” Hershman said. “Whether people are satisfied is a matter of personal opinion.”
Delayed or office-exclusive listings introduce new decision points—and risks—for relocating employees.
“If I choose as a seller to decide to go office exclusive, I am signing off and saying I understand the property won’t be publicly marketed,” Watroba said. “For individuals with privacy concerns or sensitive circumstances, this may be the right approach.” But, he added, “You’re out trying to sell your home. You need exposure.”
For corporate inventory homes and guaranteed buyouts, this balance becomes particularly delicate. As Lander said, “The goal of the relocation is to sell the home quickly, so you need to expose it to the largest marketplace.” She noted that some clients selectively allow exclusive listings for certain C-suite relocations.
The takeaway is that mobility teams must understand not only the policy but also how MLS variations influence employee experience and outcomes.
State Regulations Shift Cost, Risk, and Process
The conversation moved to state-specific real estate laws that directly affect relocation budgets and timelines.
Hershman pointed to several notable developments: New Jersey’s mansion tax shifting from buyer to seller; Rhode Island’s new second-home tax; two major changes in Massachusetts; New York’s FAIR Act; and relocation-related language emerging in Alabama and Washington. “All these factors are going into making life more complicated,” he said.
Educating mobility stakeholders on these variations requires clarity and consistent communication. Watroba emphasized this point: “The most important part we can do to educate relocation partners is beginning with stating the facts.” He added that partners need to “have the difficult conversations” and ensure alignment rather than “play Mario Kart with one another and throw bananas.”
New Lending Realities: Trigger Leads and Timelines
A major regulatory shift this year centers on trigger leads.
“A trigger lead happens when a credit pull happens,” Chapman said. After years of industry concern over aggressive solicitation, he shared that new legislation was signed on 5 September, with changes expected to take effect in March 2026. When that happens, “the people bottom feeding get taken out of the picture.”
Chapman also warned that timelines could compress dramatically once rates fall. “When rates come down, and they will, it’s going to be crazy.”
Reluctance to Relocate: What’s Driving It
When asked whether certain states are becoming harder sells, Lander pointed to broader market pressures. “Sticker shock is top of mind as well as the interest rate,” she said. Insurability concerns, inventory challenges, and time pressure compound the issue. “The corporate world wants them there as fast as possible.”
One Year After the NAR Settlement: What’s Actually Changed
One year after the NAR settlement that changed how buyer broker compensation is handled in U.S. residential real estate transactions, the panel agreed that the anticipated worst-case scenario upheaval never materialized.
“I think the NAR settlement turned out a little bit like Y2K,” Lander said. “Now it’s here, and there hasn’t been a big shift.”
Some employers have tapped new opportunities for cost savings or increased flexibility. “That has turned out quite well,” she noted.
Watroba pointed to industrywide collaboration that helped smooth the transition: “The work WERC did bringing together the verticals allowed us to get to that point.” Both he and Lander agreed that the most tangible change is paperwork—and more of it.
Employee Experience: Stress, Support, and the Need for Time
The final segment focused on the employee experience, which the panelists agreed is becoming more strained.
“Can I say the entire process causes stress?” Lander said. With new listing requirements, new buyer forms, high rates, limited inventory, and time pressure, employees often feel overwhelmed. Her team breaks information into manageable pieces and stresses the value of pre-decision counseling.
Asked where the biggest improvements could come from, Lander identified two areas: working with trained network broker partners and giving employees more time. “If you can afford to extend time … it would be to their benefit and reduce their stress.”
Watroba added that deeper communication across the supply chain is key: “The more we can all talk openly through the preferred network is the best way to make the process seamless.”
Market Snapshot: Affordability and Rates
The discussion closed with a live update on the Federal Reserve’s announcement.
“They dropped the rate by a quarter,” Chapman said, but added that further cuts were unlikely this year due to inflation concerns.
Resetting transferee expectations remains a top priority for lenders. “It’s fact-finding,” Chapman said. “What are their goals and what does their future look like?” He added that the default to a 30-year fixed mortgage is often unnecessary, depending on the employee’s plans.
Lander closed this section with a clear message: “You’re married to your home, not your mortgage.”
The session made one theme unmistakable: Rising regulatory complexity, tight inventory, evolving consumer protections, and shifting financial conditions require closer partnership across the mobility ecosystem.