What Was the USAA Movers Advantage Program? 

Before it was discontinued, the USAA Movers Advantage Program offered cash rewards for their military customers and families to help them save money when moving. 

This USAA program was meant to put money back into their customer’s pockets, offer more referrals to real estate agents, and also increase their own profit. However, the USAA Mover’s Advantage Program was ultimately discontinued at the end of 2019.

There’s good news though, ARC Relocation offers an even better rebate for military families (or civilians!) looking to move, and can also pair you with a dedicated relocation specialist to make your move easier.

USAA Movers Advantage program was created by USAA to help their military customers during a move. It was supposed to put money back into the buyer’s or seller’s pocket, but USAA did this by arranging lesser commissions for real estate agents, and also keeping a portion of the money for itself. They had a list of preferred realtors that had agreed to this commission arrangement, whom the family buying or selling their home was required to use for their transaction. 

The realtor, per the program, gave 30 to 35 percent of their commission back to USAA for the referral. Then, USAA gave a portion back to the home buyer or seller, for using their preferred realtor. USAA Movers Advantage program typically provided their customers with a rebate incentive of somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500 for using one of their preferred realtors for their move. 

While some real estate agents grumbled that this was unfair or even unethical, the program was designed to be a “win-win-win”, and many people chose to use it. Here’s how each party benefitted:

• The real estate agent benefitted by receiving more referrals, in exchange for a lower percentage on each deal. 
• The home buyer or seller benefitted by receiving a rebate check, in exchange for only working with an agent in USAA’s real estate rewards network.
• USAA benefitted by receiving a portion of the commission, in exchange for sharing some of it with the home buyer or seller.

USAA Realtor Program – Here’s How It Worked

To become a USAA preferred realtor, the realtor was required to

• share up to 35 percent of the commission they would’ve earned with USAA.
• have their realtor’s license in the state they operated in
• The realtor did not need to be a member of USAA to have access to USAA’s preferred agent portal.

While being one of USAA’s Preferred Realtors came with the benefit of getting referrals, you did give away some of your commission for that privilege. Still, many agents participated in the program, because of the tremendous advantage that it is to get real estate referrals. Similarly, ARC Relocation partners with the most qualified real estate professionals in each market, to assist our clients with their relocations (if interested in learning about our partner program, contact us here). 

USAA’s Real Estate Rewards Network For the Home Buyer or Seller

As a USAA customer, using a preferred realtor was advantageous because it put money back in your pocket, but it also could be limiting because in order to qualify for the rebate, you were required to use an agent in the network.

If you had a friend or personal contact that was a real estate agent, you wouldn’t be able to use them if they weren’t part of USAA’s real estate rewards network (frustrating on several levels). You might’ve only been given a handful of realtors to choose from in your area. Even so, being given a check for $1,000 or more is a compelling benefit, that many home buyers and sellers took advantage of this while the program lasted. 

Examples of the USAA Movers Advantage Program in Action

Here are some examples of why you might have considered using USAA’s program before it was discontinued:

Job Relocation

You might have considered using USAA relocation services if you sold your house and relocated to another state due to your job. You would receive some money back at the end of the deal if you used one of USAA’s preferred realtors. Likely, your employer might’ve offered you a lump sum relocation deal to help you feel more financially secure about moving.

Moving

You could have been moving to a different state, a different town, or just trying to get out of temporary living quarters and buy a home of your own. No matter the reason, the USAA movers advantage program was used by many. The same types of factors applied as they did with a job relocation. You received some money back once the deal was closed, in return for using one of their realtors. 

Good News! There’s a Better Alternative

The movers’ advantage USAA program has been discontinued since December 31, 2019, due to the increasing complexities in financial services. This allowed USAA to shift its focus towards the insurance business, relocation mortgages, and banking. 

ARC offers a home buying or selling rebate to anybody who is buying or selling a home–not just military personnel. We will help you find a realtor, plan your move, and provide options of van lines and moving companies to get your household goods and belongings to their new destination safely. ARC offers an entire suite of services to help prepare you and your family for your move. ARC can help you find moving companies to help you with:

• Packing
• Unpacking
• Providing packing supplies
• Moving furniture
• Transporting your belongings
• Disposal of packing materials
• Furniture assembly and disassembly

If you’re planning a government or corporate relocation, ARC is the right choice for you. We’re proud to serve our veterans (and civilians), and we go above and beyond to ensure a smooth and easy transition into the next phase of your life. 

To learn more about how ARC helps relocate veterans and military families, schedule a consultation today.