U.S. Domestic Solutions

Cornerstone works with its clients to benchmark existing policies and strategize programs that best meet their global mobility goals in support of talent management and growth strategies.  We also provide you with information that helps ensure that your program is compliant. Our systems and ongoing education on regulatory and tax compliance issues assist in monitoring program compliance. The services provided by our in-house consulting services team include, but are not limited to: 

• Policy development
• Cost/benefit analyses
• Policy harmonization resulting from mergers and acquisitions
• Communications programs
• Meeting facilitation and training for HR managers
• Group move planning and execution
• White papers on industry trends and hot topics
• Research on trends and best practices
• Industry-specific benchmark studies (e.g., insurance, financial services, pharmaceuticals, etc.)

The Cornerstone relocation consultant provides a proactive approach to educate the relocating employee on the precise nature of their relocation benefits, including the services provided, reimbursable expenditures and the process. The relocation consultant is responsible for thoroughly explaining benefits and then executing those benefits according to the timeline established between the relocation consultant and the employee. The relocation consultant is also responsible for direct engagement with all pre-selected specialized services such as identifying and selecting temporary housing options, managing real estate agents, and managing the shipment and storage of household effects. The entire relocation process is carefully executed and managed by the relocation consultant.

Our relocation cost projection calculator greatly simplifies the cost projection process. During implementation, we build custom relocation policy templates designed to be quickly generated by our team of experts, providing you accurate cost projections within 24-48 hours. Estimates can include departure/destination local and state taxes, federal and social security tax costs. Our tax engine is maintained by a team of tax professionals and is regularly updated to reflect changes in tax laws.

Through Cornerstone’s home marketing assistance services, our consultants are in constant contact with your relocating employee and the listing agent to ensure the marketing strategy is being properly implemented and to verify its efficacy. Each week, the consultant will have a scheduled call with the agent to review showings from the prior week. In addition, the listing agent is required to complete a Home Marketing Update Report each week to document activity. Based on the level of activity and feedback from potential buyers, the strategy will be quickly adjusted to counter any criticism — every day counts when marketing a home.

Our homesale services include selection of two pre-screened real estate sales professionals. We order two Brokers’ Market Analyses (BMAs), evaluate their findings, and then we develop, discuss and implement a comprehensive marketing plan to help take the emotion out of the home selling process. The consultant proactively manages the selected real estate agent to ensure the home is marketed to achieve the highest offer within the relocation timeframe. Once an offer is received, the consultant assists with negotiations and counter-offers, manages the home closing, and offers objective, fact-based advice throughout the sales process. Our goal is to obtain the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time for your employee.

Buyer Value Option (BVO)
A BVO program offers less risk to organizations as well as tax advantages. In a BVO program, title is ultimately passed from the employee to the relocation company and then to the third-party buyer. In a BVO, the employee will market the home with Cornerstone’s assistance until an offer is received. Once a determination is made that the offer is unconditionally bona fide, Cornerstone will extend an offer to the employee based on the same terms. In every instance, Cornerstone will execute two contracts – purchasing the home from the employee and executing the listing agreement with the broker and contract to sell the property to the third-party buyer.

Guaranteed Buyout (GBO)
A GBO allows your relocating employee to relocate as quickly as possible by alleviating a possible extended home marketing process. It also provides the employee and your company with tax advantages.
In a GBO process, two independent appraisals are ordered to determine the market value of the home so a fair offer can be made to the employee. If the two appraisals come back outside a spread of 5%, a third appraisal is ordered and the closest two are averaged to arrive at an offer price.