In Case You Missed It

Mobility continues to evolve alongside shifting market conditions and global trends. Catch up on our latest insights on relocating with pets, the benefits of free movement within Europe, and navigating visa delays.

• Relocating with a Pet: Here’s How to Make It Stress-Free
• Spotlight on Schengen: Benefits of Free Movement for European Assignments
• Corporate Immigration Strategy: How to Manage Visa Delays and Protect Employee Transfer Timelines

Feature Stories

Pets on the Move: Why Employee Relocation Benefits Now Include the Whole Family

New combined data from Starwood Pet Travel and AIRINC shows pet relocation has become an increasingly popular mobility benefit for recent transferees. Corporate employees seeking professional pet relocation assistance grew by nearly 300% within the last five years. Pet relocations held steady at 4,504 in 2025, and 2026 is on pace to be the highest year on record. AIRINC’s Long-Term Assignment Survey found that 37% of surveyed companies offered pet shipment coverage in some form in 2022, growing to 49% by 2025. It appears companies are recognizing pet benefits as advantageous to transferees, with the share of companies offering this service growing by 11% over the same period.

The Impact: For employee mobility programs, these data trends show that pet relocation is becoming a new policy component, with employer coverage nearly doubling in three years as demand triples. Mobility teams should evaluate whether current policy tiers, cost caps, and vendor agreements formally account for pet shipment, rather than routing it through exception approvals on a case-by-case basis. Programs without a defined pet relocation benefit risk slower assignment acceptance, inconsistent cost tracking, and competitive disadvantage in talent retention. Benefits design and supplier network strategy should treat pet relocation as a core or flexible, budgeted line item that is reflected in standard cost estimates.

Supply, Demand, Disruption: Lessons from World Cup Host-City Markets

A look back at data from the FIFA World Cup 2026 shows that host city housing and short-term rental markets saw a real uptick in activity. Realtor.com reports that short-term rentals generated $1.33 billion in total revenue between June 10 and July 19, a 26% increase over the same period in 2025, with US host markets accounting for $214.4 million of the additional revenue. Higher nightly rates accounted for 84% of the overall revenue increase.

Impact varied by market: Kansas City led US host cities with 72% booking growth, and average nightly rates there jumped from $191 to $706 year over year. Vancouver anticipated a significant lodging shortage ahead of the tournament, but occupancy there actually fell 13.7 points year over year as supply outpaced demand, showing forecasts didn’t always play out as expected. Markets like Boston and Miami saw a spike in short-term rental demand from international travelers in the lead-up to major tournament matches.

The Impact: These findings indicate that large-scale events can compress housing supply and inflate short-term rental pricing well beyond normal market cycles, with rate spikes driving most of the revenue gain. Relocation planning around event-affected destinations requires event-aware scheduling in addition to standard lead-time assumptions. Mobility teams should evaluate whether their temporary housing sourcing, supplier networks, and cost-estimating models can flex to accommodate known event calendars, including the Olympics, World Cups, and major conferences, in any relocation destination. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the horizon, programs with assignment activity in Southern California should start building event risk into housing budgets and timelines now rather than waiting for the pre-event window.

The Off-Peak Advantage: Rethinking Move Timing for Better Rates and Services

With the summer moving season in full swing, many mobility programs are right in the thick of it. As mobility leaders look ahead to fall and next year’s planning cycles, these tips can help transferees avoid the summer “heat.” JK Moving offers a practical guide to timing mover bookings that makes the case for counter-seasonal planning. May through September is peak moving season, when reputable movers can book out six to twelve weeks in advance. June, July, and August carry the highest residential moving costs, while April, early May, and September typically bring lower rates and greater availability. The guide recommends booking local moves four to six weeks out, eight or more in summer, and long-distance moves eight to twelve weeks out. It also notes that choosing a Tuesday or Wednesday move can reduce rates by 10 to 20%, and that off-season moving from November through February offers the greatest flexibility and availability for those with schedule flexibility.

The Impact: Relocation timing remains an underused lever for controlling policy costs. Mobility teams should evaluate whether policy language, employee communications, and supplier scheduling actively steer flexible movers toward shoulder-season or midweek dates. Program design and supplier capacity planning should treat move-date flexibility as a core cost-management strategy, supported by clear guidance for transferees on how early booking affects both pricing and available scheduling options.

Global Radar

CapRelo’s Mobility Radar provides valuable insights into trends worth monitoring. This month, we have detected important global mobility updates in the UK, U.S. and Europe.

• As part of the European Commission’s new Entry/Exit System program, non-EU visitors crossing into 29 European countries no longer have their passports stamped. Instead, a computer system scans their fingerprints and faces and logs when they enter and leave the region. The main goal is to automatically detect people who overstay their visas, rather than having border staff check stamps by hand.
• Overall US mobility remains below historical norms as high housing costs and tight inventory keep people in place longer, with the “lock-in effect” from low mortgage rates reinforcing that trend. Long-distance moves are holding steady but are now driven more by lifestyle and affordability than by jobs, while local moves stay especially sensitive to housing conditions. Redfin also notes that AI-powered estimates and digital planning tools are increasingly shaping the moving experience.
• With the US now expected to charge a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, Collyer Bristow expects a rise in interest from companies looking to relocate skilled staff to the UK instead. The firm notes that qualifying new UK arrivals can get up to four years of tax relief on overseas income under the Foreign Income and Gains regime, and it’s offering to help firms set up UK branches or subsidiaries and use the Expansion Worker visa route to bring staff over.