Corporate Housing News

Corporate housing supports a wide range of temporary living needs, from business travel and relocation to internships, project assignments, and group moves. Customer success is often the result of the performance of two closely connected partners: local operators, who secure and manage accommodations and deliver the guest experience, and solutions providers or agency managers, who translate client requirements into scalable programs and connect buyers with qualified supply. This article, part of CHPA’s continuing education series, explains how these partners create value through five shared priorities: assurance of supply, an outstanding guest experience, flexibility and innovation, compliance and duty of care, and commercial value.

In simple terms, operators provide and service accommodations, while solutions managers or agencies connect that supply to corporate buyers, manage program requirements, and coordinate the booking and service experience. Operators also directly manage their client sales channels, but enter into agency partnerships to expand their reach.  The partnership of these two business models in corporate housing gives employers broader choice, consistent standards, local expertise, and a more efficient way to support employees traveling away from home or relocating.

Assurance of Supply

Strong partnerships begin with mutual trust and respect for each party’s core expertise. In corporate housing, the shared goal is to secure appropriate accommodations for business travelers, relocating employees, interns, project specialists, and groups on assignment. Solutions managers such as Dwellworks Living by CORT source qualified suppliers across markets, business sectors, and guest types. Operators invest in apartments and other housing, often through multi-year leases, and provide furniture and furnishings, local staffing, and guest support. Together, solutions managers communicate client requirements while operators provide market knowledge and available supply. Clients benefit from choice, while operators benefit from access to multiple demand channels that help manage investment risk. In an effective partnership, the solutions manager represents the operator’s quality and value accurately, and the operator has a fair opportunity to earn bookings based on property fit, service reputation, availability, and cost competitiveness. One financial services client summarized the benefit like this after reviewing their options in London: “Thank you very much for this—it’s incredibly helpful to see a range of options across different areas and price points. I really appreciate you pulling these together.”

An Outstanding Guest Experience

Positive guest experiences help operators secure ongoing booking opportunities and earn repeat business from solutions partners and corporate clients. Solutions providers and agencies are responsible for understanding client expectations and advising supplier partners on the factors that influence program-manager and guest selection. A memorable stay begins with comfort and ease—from check-in and property readiness to responsive support when reservations or accommodations change. Because business travelers and relocating professionals are experienced travel consumers, they expect reliable, high-speed internet, quality furnishings and amenities, pet-friendly options, EV charging where available, useful local recommendations, and more. Solutions managers and operators can reinforce performance by coordinating guest surveys and sharing prompt, constructive feedback. For example, Dwellworks Living by CORT has earned 100% satisfaction scores from several key global clients, demonstrating how consistent supplier performance can strengthen confidence and encourage repeat bookings.

Flexibility and Innovation

Clients expect current property information, accurate photos, and clear details about features and amenities. They also expect easy-to-use digital experiences when requesting service, reviewing options, confirming bookings, and receiving support. Solutions providers invest in supplier and client platforms to make those interactions as frictionless as possible, while operators keep content and availability current. Both parties recognize the effort and cost required to participate in these systems and mutually work toward processes that serve clients without creating unnecessary burdens for suppliers. Innovation may include property upgrades, faster data exchange through APIs, and the responsible use of AI to identify which factors—such as distance to an office, on-site amenities, or energy-efficient appliances—most influence positive guest feedback. CHPA’s Education Task Force has developed an AI Toolkit for members to help in adopting this key technology, available in the Knowledge Center at chpaonline.org.

Clients also value forward planning from solutions providers and operators who collaborate on emerging needs. That may mean expanding supply in remote or underserved markets or tailoring service levels for different populations: new hires on short rotations, technical teams overseeing installations and data-center builds, or interns who want housing with a contemporary vibe, along with localized support, welcome events, area orientation, and even cultural training.

Compliance and Duty of Care

Corporate housing is a business service that supports employees deployed for travel, relocation, and project work. The employer’s responsibility extends beyond providing comfortable accommodations to protecting employee safety and security while they are traveling or relocating on the company’s behalf. Solutions partners therefore need to understand the full range of client requirements, including Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) standards. Clients in higher-risk sectors such as energy exploration and construction may apply especially rigorous criteria and authorize bookings only with suppliers that can document compliance.

Best-in-class providers must also demonstrate financial stability and compliance with data security standards. Supplier onboarding typically includes a detailed review and validation of property condition, on-site security features, after-hours support, and other client requirements. Transparency is essential because duty-of-care standards cannot be compromised; at the same time, meeting them gives operators an opportunity to differentiate their capabilities and alignment with client priorities. Those priorities increasingly include sustainability, demonstrated through energy-efficient appliances, responsible water and utility use, furniture reuse and recycling, and the measurement and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

CHPA members can support these goals by engaging with the Sustainability Task Force and using FACCT, the Furnished Accommodations Carbon Calculator Tool. As one example, more than 80% of Dwellworks Living by CORT client housing requests are responded to with at least one option that meets green criteria, illustrating how sustainability information has become part of a broader client-selection decision.

Value

A sustainable corporate housing ecosystem must create commercial value for every participant. Corporate travel buyers, global mobility managers, and relocation management companies work with operators directly, but also engage solutions partners to efficiently manage furnished-accommodations supply chains and deliver appropriate choice, quality, and pricing. Operators must cover the costs of long-term lease commitments, property upgrades, furniture, and ongoing service. Transparency about buyer requirements, pricing factors, and performance expectations helps both parties make informed decisions while securing their own profitability.

Solutions managers can support pricing transparency by sharing anonymized average daily rates and confirmed booking benchmarks with clients. For example, Dwellworks Living by CORT provides clients with rental data from more than 1,000 markets. Many solutions providers and platforms also publish quarterly market update summaries that protect individual operator rates while giving buyers and suppliers trustworthy benchmarks for planning and decision-making. CHPA members can further benefit from shared resources such as the recent blog “Multifamily Housing Market: Navigating Economic Challenges and Unlocking Opportunity” on chpaonline.org.

Partnerships That Are Built on Mutual Benefit, Expertise, and Accountability

Our industry is growing globally. Published forecasts vary by market definition, but they consistently point to strong expansion: the global corporate housing industry is projected to grow from $26.4 billion in 2025 to $48.8 billion by 2034, while the U.S. serviced apartment market is projected to grow from $13.80 billion in 2024 to $44.03 billion by 2033.

Growth will be sustained by both rising demand and strong partnership infrastructure. Employers need temporary living solutions in more locations, for more types of employees and projects, and with higher expectations for service, safety, technology, and sustainability. Operators bring local market expertise, secure and professionally managed housing, and deliver the on-the-ground guest experience. Solutions managers connect that supply to client programs, coordinate communication, aggregate demand, and simplify selection and service through technology. When both parties respect these distinct roles and share accountability for outcomes, business travelers, relocating employees, and their employers receive greater choice, consistency, and value.

Three practices help operators and solutions managers succeed together: communicate openly and frequently about expectations, availability, market trends, and performance; maintain a solutions mindset focused on delivering the right option at the right price and time; and adapt and innovate to earn and retain buyer and guest confidence.

For more information about resources available to CHPA members, visit chpaonline.org and explore the Resources and Knowledge Center sections.

Genna Neibauer is Director, Global Supply Chain, at Dwellworks Living by CORT. She can be reached at genna.neibauer@dwellworkslivingbycort.com.

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Sources:  MarketIntelo, Corporate Housing Market Research Report 2034, accessed September 2026. Grand View Research, U.S. Serviced Apartment Market Size, Industry Report, 2033, accessed September 2026.