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Providing Corporate Services for Multinational Companies

With the deepening of China's reform and opening policy, more multinational companies are coming to China, especially Beijing, and they're bringing thousands of expatriate employees with them.

This has given rise to a need for a well-organized corporate service sector offering all kinds of expatriate-oriented services, including everything from business to personal services such as human resources administrative support, city orientations, home-locater services and follow-ups, health care, recreation and more.

For many expatriates who work for multinational corporations (MNCs) the things most sought are professional relocation services, property management, security and good residential locations, said Joanna Tan, general manager of JRE Corporate, one of the largest real estate consulting companies in China.

JRE's scope of service includes pre-move orientations, look-and-see visits (especially to medical and dental clinics, clubs, social organizations, volunteer opportunities, sports and religious groups). People want to tour locations relevant to expatriates such as banks, post offices, airlines, embassies and drugstores and to familiarize themselves with the city (including instructions on how to use public transportation: taxis, subways and buses; currency information: exchange rates, familiarization with local currency; bank information: which banks to choose, money deposits and transfer regulations). They like to visit schools and to discuss what it takes to get settled in the capital, including information about visa and residence permit applications, accompanying health check-ups, registration with local authorities such as embassies or high commissions. Some need help with arranging maid service or with looking for a home.

The JRE also provides personnel housing policy consulting, quarterly market reports on the current residential market in China, consultations on the latest government real estate policies and annual housing budget benchmark studies.

With nine offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Shenyang and Tianjin, JRE has been able to compare the corporate rental market in these cities, especially in the three metropolises, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

As China's financial capital, the corporate market in Shanghai has been developing fast and smoothly, in part because of its increasingly advanced infrastructure. In comparison, the market in Beijing has developed somewhat more slowly.

The biggest problem in the Shenzhen market is that supply is too limited. Expatriates gather only in several specific districts, which is a common characteristic in most cities JRE has expanded to. Beijing has just the opposite problem. While the supply keeps on growing, the requirement remains almost the same.

With 13 years in the business, JRE Corporate has become a preferred agent for many multinational companies including Ford, BMW, Siemens, ABB, Ericsson and adidas and has helped corporate clients reduce their relocation and administrative costs, while ensuring maximum customer satisfaction and the greatest benefits for the companies' employees.