Interview with an Expat on Moving to Houston

I recently had the opportunity to visit with Tim Hartley, an Expat from the U.K. who relocated to Houston with his family earlier this year.  We are both members of the British American Business Council (BABC) Houston, as well as members of its All StARS Group, which meets monthly for breakfast to discuss business opportunities and ways in which we can help each other from a business and personal standpoint.  I always enjoy speaking with Tim and hearing how he and his family are adapting to life in Houston, and thought it would make for an interesting post on my Houston Relocation Blog. 

Tim works for Harvey Nash International Search organization, which was established over 20 years ago and has grown to be a distinctive force in international Executive Search and Leadership Services across the key territories of North America, Europe and Scandinavia.  Tim  leads Harvey Nash’s Global Energy and Infrastructure Practice, which accounts for their business in Energy and Utilities, Transportation and Civil Infrastructure. Their clients include some of the largest multinationals worldwide and also specialist start-ups in the high technology sectors.   

During our candid conversation, Tim shared quite a bit with me about his move to Houston and the impact it has had on him professionally and on his family personally.  Here are the highlights from our conversation. 

What was the reason for your move to Houston?

He said that it was a mutual decision between him and his employer, Harvey Nash.  According to Tim, “We saw an opportunity to develop our international energy and utility practice in the United States and specifically in Houston.  It was an existing business that we had, where we didn’t have a focus on Houston, which is the largest market that is open to us from an energy perspective.  I was chosen and also volunteered for coming over here and setting this business up for us.” 

When you first arrived, what was the most challenging thing for you and/or your family? 

From a professional standpoint, Time said, “It was challenging to develop the deep relationships that are needed to succeed in business here.  It is very much a relationship driven environment where people tend to go with what they know.  So being an existing organization with a strong track record didn’t mean as much as being the person who has always done it for a particular company.”  On a personal level, Tim said there are a lot of things to do when you move to a different country, especially like the U.S., such as new schools, doctors, dentists, social security numbers, driver’s license.  Then there are little things like not knowing what stores to go to when you need something specific. Tim said, “What we have found is that everyone that we have come in contact with has been friendly, has been helpful and supportive of what we are trying to do.”  He said that fortunately too, there is a really strong Expat community from which they have been able to draw support in Houston. 

What was your first impression of Houston? 

“Everything takes longer to get to than you think it should because of traffic and the fact that you are covering some fairly large distances to go someplace that seems comparatively close,” Tim said. 

What do you like best about living in Houston? 

He said that he likes the weather this time of year.  More specifically, Tim said, “I like the fact that I can get home at a sensible time to see my children. I like the sense of opportunity here, and while it’s a challenge to break into this market I feel that once you have, that people start to recognize and respect the things that you do for them.  If you live up to your word and live up to the things you say you are going to deliver, then people really respect that.”  Tim said that there is also the commute time, which is 3 miles compared to 3 hours on a train round trip back home. 

In general, what do you think about the people in Houston? 

“Everyone is really nice.  I haven’t met anybody yet that I don’t like very much,” Tim said.  I jokingly asked, “Even me?” to which Tim replied, “Yes, of course you!”  I shared with Tim that this is one of the most common things that I hear from people who move to Houston.  People are very nice and go out of their way to help you out.  For people who relocate to Houston, they are often blown away by how friendly the people are here in Houston. 

What, if anything, do you dislike about living in Houston? 

“Mosquitoes, when it is really hot,” he laughingly answered.  He said that aesthetically, it’s not the prettiest place in the world, which I can agree with in certain parts of the city, but on the flip side, there are some really gorgeous parts of Houston.  For instance, I think that the area around Rice Universityis absolutely stunning!  He also remarked about the fact that he doesn’t like that there is very little public transportation in Houston. 

What has been the biggest adjustment for you and your family? 

“Not having family and friends close by,” Tim answered.  He also said that it has been challenging to understand the schools and where you should live based on the schools.  He said that back home it seems better defined and easier to get the information and navigate your way through.  He said that ultimately, Houston is a big city, and they have not lived in a big city before.  Back home they lived in a small village. 

How does housing compare in Houston to housing back home? 

He said that the house they live in is slightly bigger than the one they have back home, but now they have a swimming pool, which they didn’t have back home.  He said that he was relatively surprised with how relatively pricey rental prices are here in Houston compared to what they were paying back home.  He says most things are comparable to what they were paying back home, and they had anticipated it costing less.  He said “it would have been a real culture shock for them if they had moved into the inner city.”  They currently live outside the Beltway and don’t feel like it is so urban and his short commute time is great. 

Where have you traveled within Texas and the U.S.? 

When we spoke, he was on his way to Boston for a day.  He told me that they have also visited Louisiana, San Antonio, Galveston and other areas in and around Houston.  They are also planning a holiday to Scottsdale, Arizona and looking forward to seeing the Grand Canyon. 

Do you see your move as more of an opportunity or an adventure? 

After thinking about it for a moment, Tim said, “I think it is an opportunity more than an adventure.  It’s an opportunity because it is a means to an end, which is about professional development.” 

How has social media impacted your ability to stay connected to friends and family back home? 

His wife didn’t have Facebook when they moved to Houston, but she does now.  He says that the Skype calls that they have been doing each week have become essential. 

What has been the biggest surprise about Houston? 

He said that the one thing is that it feels more transient than he thought it would.  It seems that there are more non-Houstonians than he thought there would be.  I told him that this was not a big surprising to me, given all the people that John Daugherty, Realtors assists in relocating here.  Houston is truly a melting pot.  Tim added that it seems rare to find someone who is a native Houstonian. 

What advice would you offer to other Expats moving to Houston? 

Tim said, “Imagine that things will take a lot longer than you think.  The bureaucratic nature of moving overseas is time consuming, it’s difficult, its stressful and you need to account for all of those things.”  What they did,  which was successful, was to take 4 weeks at the beginning of their move to organize things like social security, drivers license, banking accounts, furniture and things for their house.  He advises that one shouldn’t plan on trying to go to work on day one.  He urges people to do a lot of research on areas to live before they come over.   He stressed that research is very important before you make the commitment to relocate. 

 Do you see yourself here long term? 

Tim said, “Not at the moment, but the place has really grown on us.  Our plan and our perspective is that we are going to be moving back home.”

In Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
Socal Media

John Daugherty, Realtors Participates in Houston Relocation Professionals Events

John Daugherty, Realtors recently participated in back-to-back Houston Relocation Professionals (HRP) events.  The company was a Gold Sponsor for HRP’s Third Annual Golf Tournament at Willow Fork Country Club in Cinco Ranch.  As an HRP Board Member, I was asked to be the event photographer, while one of our agents, Julie Hoopingarner, played in the tournament.   

As in previous years, this year’s tournament benefited Candlelighters, which is a charitable organization that provides emotional, educational and practical assistance to children with cancer and their families treated at the Texas Medical Center and/or who reside in the 13 counties of the greater Houston area.   

On the morning following the Golf Tournament, HRP held its September Event, entitled “Get Elevated.”  John Daugherty, Realtors’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Cheri Fama served as a panelist for an open discussion on home sale programs and trends affecting the relocation industry.  

Cheri had just returned from the LuxuryRealEstate.com Fall Conference in Seattle and shared her insight regarding the current Houston housing market as compared to other areas of the country.  “Depending on where you are in the United States, you can have a completely different view of the housing market,” said Cheri.  In Houston, we have not had the plummeting prices and depressed markets as seen in other parts of the country.

Cheri said that that when agents meet with transferees, factual information delivered in a business-like manner is much more effective today than a fluffy marketing presentation. 

She also stressed the importance of having agents who are specifically trained to handle relocation business and who intimately understand the relocation home sale process.  “Relocation is not for every agent and never has been,” stressed Cheri.  As I have always emphasized, agents who are specifically well trained in relocation should only be handling relocation business in a real estate company.  These agents have  to stay on the cutting edge of the training needed and required by the relocation companies to truly be “relocation agents.”  As a company, we take this very seriously.

The panel was moderated by the event’s keynote speaker Wendy Komac of SIRVA Relocation, and also included Brian Digan of Altair Global Relocation, Jennifer Connell of Weichert Relocation Resources Inc., and Debi Dault of TheMIGroup.

Jennifer Connell of Weichert Relocation Resources concurred with Cheri’s comments about how different real estate markets are responding.  “From a relocation management perspective, we are seeing companies that are relying on policies that are flexible enough to accommodate different markets,” said Jennifer.

According to Jennifer, one of the things that have posed a challenge has been in the inventory of $1 million plus homes and how we have had to become more aggressive in marketing those properties to get them sold.  She said that she has seen this specifically in California.

Jennifer added that the companies that have historically offered guaranteed buyout programs are still using guaranteed offers, but they are being more selective in their approach in terms of the employee tiers.  Guaranteed buyout programs are generally more prevalent with executive level employees.

Brian Digan of Altair Global Relocation said, “There is a nice trend towards pre-decision analysis programs for employees.”  He said that as an industry we have come up with all kinds of home sale programs, but what he thinks is the most important thing for companies to focus on at this time is what that are going to do to empower the employee to make a proper decision before they take their move.  According to Brian, there is a trend towards looking at home evaluations before an employee has even accepted the move.   As always, the move has to be a good thing for the employee and the employee’s family as well as for the employer.

Jennifer added to Brian’s comments, stating that ”Last year, the idea of pre-decision analysis was considered an emerging trend.  This year, nearly two-thirds of the companies have some sort of pre-decision analysis either formally or informally built into their program.”

Debi Dault of TheMIGroup stated that they are “spending a lot more time trying to educate the transferee and the corporate client.”  She said that she is more surprised than ever before with the companies that don’t really have a relocation policy or tier of policies.  As part of their partnerships with the client companies that they work with, Debi said that they are looking internally at ways to cut costs and helping their clients do the same.

In terms of trends, Brian added that Altair has definitely seen more of a trend among transferees who are renters as opposed to buyers.  He also introduced the idea of “shadow transferees” much the same as we talk about shadow inventory, and the fact that we need to think about what we are going to do in terms of benefits for all of these transferees when they finally sell their homes.

Brian thinks that buy-out programs are here to stay and that we will see a resurgence of them.  “The whole idea was get the employee out of the departure, get him to the destination and get him productive.  If you are sitting there worrying about the real estate all that time and worrying about the family, then you are going to lose productivity.”

It was great to be able to participate in both the HRP Golf Tournament and the September Event’s panel discussion.  As a company, John Daugherty, Realtors is more focused than ever before in serving the global relocation industry.  We are proud to be able to support and participate in HRP, an organization that is committed to bringing educational opportunities and the exchange of ideas and information to the relocation professionals in the Houston area.

In Agent Training
Houston Real Estate Market
Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
LuxuryRealEstate.com
Relocation
Relocation Training
Relocation Trends

Dress for Success When Working With Relocation Clients

Has the notion of dressing for success become cliche?  Unfortunately, in many respects and in many companies, I think it has.  But now is not the time to stop looking and acting professional, especially when meeting with and working with relocation clients.  It is easy to use excuses like it is too hot outside to wear a suit, but never underestimate the power of looking professional and the message that it sends to your clients.

I know what a difference this makes on a daily basis when working with the agents on my Relocation Team at John Daugherty Realtors.  Our company is very traditional and conservative when it comes to acceptable appropriate attire.  It is part of our image and our brand, and it goes without saying that we don’t participate in “Casual Fridays.”  We dress professionally Monday through Friday and on the weekends when working with our clients and/or whenever we come into the office.  The only 2 days a year that we observe a more casual look is on “Go Texan Day” and ”Pink & Blue Jean Day.”  I think that this is an important differentiating factor for us as a company, and it is well-appreciated by our clients. 

I heard it said recently that we have become a society of flip-flops and blue jeans.  I totally agree, but remember, there is a time and place for everything.  If an agent is going to meet a client on a weekend and feels completely certain that the client will be dressed very casually, this is not a green light to do the same.  Much to the contrary…this makes it even more important for the agent show up dressed professionally.

If you want your clients to take you seriously, then you have to look like you mean business.   It is a very competitive world out there, and if a client is choosing between Company A and Company B to list their home, wouldn’t you like the client to see you as the more professional of the two?   And, I don’t mean to say that you have to wear a suit everyday or a  coat and tie, but you have to look professional and well put together.  Jeans are not professional, regardless of whether they are your favorite pair of comfy jeans, or designer jeans that set you back hundreds of dollars.  Jeans are jeans, and that sends the wrong message to your clients.

Don’t lose sight of the fundamentals.  Clients value agents who look, sound and act professionally at all times.  Thus, the way we dress can speak volumes about us and the ways in which we conduct our business. 

In Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
Relocation

How Much Page 1 Google Real Estate Do You Own?

Can you say that you own page 1 of Google for search results on your name?  I can!  And if your answer is also “yes,” then you must be doing all kinds of right too!  I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this to your business and your personal brand.  For example, I have worked very hard to make sure that my name is synonymous with Houston Relocation.   This didn’t happen over night, but over a series of many sleepless nights, week after week and month after month.

As a bi-product of my efforts, my name has also become synonymous with Social Networking.  If you are friends with me on Facebook, connected to me on LinkedIn, follow me on Twitter, read my Houston Relocation Blog, etc., then you know what I am talking about.  I am out there posting, commenting, linking, following, blogging literally all the time.  Of course it helps that I am an insomniac, as I often do most of these activities during the wee hours of the morning…thus the idea of many, many sleepless nights.

So back to the idea of owning page 1 of Google…

To truly be effective on-line, Google has to know about you.  And, the only way that Google is going to know about you, is for you to be out there, all over the place, all the time.  Original content is also the key.  You will notice in my many posts on this Houston Relocation Blog, that my content is only ever original.  I don’t copy and paste OPC (Other People’s Content).  I write about a variety of topics that include a lot of information about Houston, relocation, real estate, conferences, social networking, technology and so on and so on.  As such, Google continues to promote me for key words such as Houston Relocation and Moving to Houston, as well as a slew of others based on my blog posts.

I use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter much the same way.  I make sure that my blog posts and the articles that I write about relocation and moving to Houston are always posted on these sites as well, and linked back to my Houston Relocation Blog.

The payoff has been huge!  I am hearing from other relocation professionals, clients, transferees, colleagues and friends on a regular basis about how they “follow me” on all of these different sites.  And the new business opportunities that have resulted are rapidly increasing.  These new business opportunities come in the form of new referrals, as well as invitations to speak at relocation and real estate conferences and events, RFIs (Requests for Information), RFPs (Requests for Proposals), and collaboration opportunities within my networks.

Google has become the modern day business card.  Everyone Googles everyone when they are looking for contact details and a variety of other information.   That’s why it is essential to own page 1 Google real estate on your name.  It’s good if you can say to someone, “Just Google me,” and know that you will come up on page 1 of Google.  Better still, when you say, “Just Google me,” you want to have the confidence that you will not only come up on page 1, but that you will dominate page 1.  Make sure you own that real estate!

Here’s a great example of something that someone told me today.  I had lunch today with a friend and business associate that I have known for the past 10 years.  While driving to work this morning, she called her office to get my telephone number.  The person in her office Googled Michelle Sandlin, and naturally, I came up page 1, position 1…and 2…and 3…and 4…and 5…and, I think you get the idea.  She told me that I was all over the place and how impressive that was. 

So, what happens when you Google your name?  Please tell me you Google your name on a regular basis and set Google alerts for your name and company and various other key words of interest.  This is a very important part of growing your brand, your business and making sure that you are ranked where you want to be with Google.

Technology and social media have revolutionized the way that we communicate and how we do business.  Those who don’t stay on the cutting edge of this technology and utilize it for growing their business are quickly being left behind.  I am fortunate that John Daugherty, Realtors not only recognizes the importance of technology, social networking, blogging and Google rankings, but that we are leading the charge in Houston.  And I dare say, you ain’t seen nothing yet!  Wait until you see what is coming next.  We have a lot of really cool things in the works that will soon be released.

Stay tuned….

In Houston
Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
Real Estate
Relocation
Socal Media

Worldwide ERC’s New CEO Visits John Daugherty, Realtors

This was quite a week for John Daugherty, Realtors and our Global Relocation Services Division.  At our Sales Meeting on Tuesday, I had arranged to have none other than Peggy Smith, the new CEO for Worldwide ERC® (Employee Relocation Council) visit and present to our team.  I first had the pleasure of meeting Peggy in May when I was in Orlando, Florida for the RDC (Relocation Directors Council) Spring Event and Worldwide ERC Conference.  In her opening comments at RDC, she said that she was going to be spending her first 120 days as the new CEO for Worldwide ERC® conducting a “Listening Tour” among Worldwide ERC® members throughout the country. 

That was all I needed to hear.  As soon as I got back to Houston, I reached out to Peggy via email, congratulated her again on her new position, told her how much I had enjoyed meeting her in Orlando, and let her know that I would very much like to be included in her “Listening Tour.”  Expecting that it would take her a little while to get back to me, I was amazed when I heard back from her almost instantly.  We set up a time to visit by telephone for the following week.

During our hour-long conversation, Peggy explained to me what her idea was behind the “Listening Tour.”  She said, “The organization (Worldwide ERC®) is ready to embrace the challenges and to look and think about a different approach.  The listening tour, I think, is important to us as an input valve to help determine what our next 3-5 year strategic plan might look like.”  She said that from the “Listening Tour,” that she should start to see key themes develop that she can bring back to the ERC Board at the upcoming Global Workforce Symposium in Seattle.  Based on these themes and the input that she receives from members, she said that she will be able to bring forward specific elements that she thinks we should begin pursuing as an organization.  I think that this is a very progressive idea for Worldwide ERC® and its members.

The more she shared with me, the more intrigued I became.  Soon I realized that it wasn’t enough to speak with her on the telephone, and that I really needed to get her to Houston to speak to our Houston Relocation Team.  Again, she humbly agreed, told me when she was going to be in Texas, and we ironed out the details.

Before I knew it, the morning of August 3rd had arrived, and I picked her up from her hotel and brought her to our office.  We enjoyed breakfast and light conversation about her own relocation from Seattle to the Washington, DC area.  During her presentation to our team, she shared a few details about her recent relocation and the vast differences in the housing market.  She and her family left their custom built 4,000 square foot home in Seattle, and are now living in a 1,300 square foot apartment in Washington, DC.  She jokingly said that there wasn’t a recession in the Washington, DC area and that she was paying $3,800 per month for her 1.5 bedroom apartment.  Meanwhile, her 4,000 square foot home, which she had decided to lease rather than sell, would probably only fetch about $4,100 per month.

She asked us about the Houston real estate market, and what impact the recession had on home prices here.  John Daugherty told her how the home prices in Houston have remained fairly stable and that we have not suffered in the ways that other parts of the country have.  Peggy seemed surprised at the fact that we have not experienced a bubble here in Houston, thus we didn’t suffer the bust that was experienced elsewhere.  

In addressing our team and talking about why she had embarked on this ”Listening Tour,” she explained that the purpose is to create an input valve to help determine a strategic plan for the organization based on member suggestions, annual surveys, and conversations that she has had directly with members via telephone, email and over coffee. 

Peggy also talked about what corporations and relocation management companies seek in their real estate partners, and addressed the often uncomfortable subject of escalating referral fees.  According to Peggy, corporations and relocation management companies are looking for the following traits in their real estate partners:

• Knowledge & Perspective
• Collaboration
• Strategy
• Solutions
• Reliability
• Value/Cost-efficiency
• Performance

She also drove home the all-important fact that “there is no such thing as personal business in relocation.”  I often remind the agents at our company about this, and how employee benefits may be at risk if any part of the process is mishandled.  Even with a pre-existing relationship, it is possible to jeapardize corporate business.  The actions of one agent in representing our company, can put the whole account at risk.  It is my job, through the proper training and direction, to see to it that these risks are minimized at all times.

As a company, we have always placed great emphasis on our Global Relocation Services Division.  As the person responsible for this Division, I am extremely proud of the consistent growth in our relocation and referral business, especially during troubling economic times.  We have truly earned our place among the top real estate firms around the world, and more and more, we are becoming the number 1 choice for corporations, organizations and relocation management companies that partner with us on a regular basis to assist their relocating employees.  

Peggy’s visit to our company was an exclusive for the Houston market, as we were the only real estate company on her short agenda.  This was an important nod to our company as a major player within the global relocation industry and as a member of Worldwide ERC®.  I am always thrilled to be able to bring valuable relocation training and information to our team.

John Daugherty, Realtors started its Global Relocation Services Division in 1974.  Since that time, our company has been heavily involved in corporate relocation by assisting both domestic and international transferees in buying, selling and leasing properties in the Greater Houston area.

In Global Relocation Services
Houston
Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
Real Estate
Relocation
Relocation Department
Worldwide ERC