By Lawrence Reaves

The corporate housing sector has been taking a serious hit in the years since 9/11; international travel restrictions and increased security measures hit the sector hard, especially the gateway cities of New York and San Francisco. The economy has declined severely shortly thereafter, culminating in the last year or so because of extremely harsh trading conditions that have hit the sector even harder.

Many national companies have withdrawn from providing corporate housing which has affected not just the major corporate housing markets but has spread across the nation. Chicago, Denver, New Orleans and many other cities have suffered a significant downturn in the corporate housing market, but this is not a cloud without a silver lining.

Some areas of the market are actually benefiting from the downturn.

Competition for business has increased with those players still active in the market offering extremely low rental bases to work from which, reduces the cost of companies using corporate housing. Those national companies who are still operating in the market are leaner and much more responsive to customer demands; they have to be because of the emergence of smaller "mom and pop" operations as well as a growth in mid-sized, regional providers.

The current economic recession is actually slimming the industry stock down, and what will emerge is going to be a much leaner, more profitable and more customer-orientated set of service offerings than has so far been experienced. Even though the economy worsened and times have gotten leaner, corporate housing customers have come to expect a certain level of service and a certain amount of amenities. As the economy recovers, we can expect a dramatic take-up in the services of corporate housing providers. Customers will not be happy with a substandard example of corporate housing when so many reasonably-priced companies in the industry are trying to do better. But there is another aspect which should not be ignored here.

Since 9/11, homeland security has not just implemented restrictions on entry to the country and on travel itself, but has created a huge perception that it is much more difficult to travel - to enter the United States, to obtain the visas and permits necessary to work here. It has also engendered the perception that the cost has dramatically increased, which no longer makes it economically viable to pursue for employers. There is an enormous difference between the perception and the reality, which is something the Obama Administration has been keen to demonstrate. Clearly, the administration is attempting to make a point by hosting the G20 (formerly known as Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors) Summit in Pittsburgh in September, 2009.

In summary, the customer is getting an exceptionally good deal financially while the service offering (and how it is delivered) have both benefited from a reinvigorated approach. The corporate housing market can expect to grow significantly as the economic recovery takes place and as the reality of security measures for travel and entry to the US become more clearly understood.

Lawrence Tyrone Reaves is a Richmond VA corporate housing consultant at Dabneyproperties.com, a temporary corporate housing provider in the Richmond area and beyond.

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