The provision of housing for assignees is core to global mobility programs around the world. Assignee housing has always been a big ticket item in terms of cost, and it is often a complicated one in terms of policy. With global talent acquisition efforts expanding across the developing world, emerging economies and new infrastructures create unique challenges for global mobility.

Global mobility professionals must keep pace with current and trending practices in this cornerstone policy area. Accurate data on current and projected practices is key to supporting corporate mobility programs effectively. Lexicon Relocation, in partnership with the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM), has devised this deep-dive survey to provide such essential data.

Sponsored by Oakwood Worldwide and Skyline Serviced Apartments, the 2016 Lexicon-FEM Global Mobility Housing Study provides an invaluable reference work for global mobility professionals, regardless of their geographic area of responsibility. We investigate current and trending housing benefit policies and practices both globally and regionally. This survey gives readers a current report on the state of housing policy and practice worldwide plus any significant regional variances. It also provides a glimpse into the future. No recent survey has set out to achieve this so expansively.

FEM has contributed a unique section focusing on corporate housing (temporary living) policy and process as well as a survey of vendors providing housing-related services, again with a principal focus on corporate housing.

This research is among the first to consider both the vendor and client positions, asking relevant questions to find out how the delivery of housing provisions can be improved on either side for a more robust and holistic service model.

The focus on corporate housing is timely, given the increased incidence of alternative assignments such as short-term, commuter and rotational plus overall continued growth of cross-border assignment activity.

The 2016 Lexicon-FEM Global Mobility Housing Study provides clarification on many aspects of global mobility housing. The high number of respondents to our detailed survey and the many voluntary write-in responses to individual questions allow us to present a wealth of data and provide keen insights into several areas of global mobility housing, including:

• Management of financial aspects of assignee housing
• Housing challenges in host locations in developing countries
• Home country vacant property management
• Home sale assistance programs
• Temporary living policy and process including exceptions and extension management
• Host country long-term housing policy and process

The goal of this research is to shed metrics-based light on complicated global mobility subjects. We strive to help readers identify what is best in class, contribute to informed decision making and support the achievement of business objectives. We hope you will find that this study meets that goal and that you will both enjoy reading it and find it full of useful information.

You can download your copy of the report here

In the coming weeks we will be focusing on particular aspects of the report, so look out for further updates.