Through the Summer China Program, I was able to visit companies in a variety of industries that helped me consider different options for my future employment. My favorite company visit in China was with Asia Pacific Properties. I loved the way the speakers presented and I loved the overall mission of the company.
As soon as we arrived at Asia Pacific Properties (APP), we all piled into a small room overlooking Shanghai. The speakers were very polite and they all seemed very easygoing. Their presentation was more informal which made me feel comfortable enough to ask a lot of questions.
About Asia Pacific Properties
Asia Pacific Properties is a global real estate company that has pioneered relocation services in China. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong, China and they have additional offices in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. They currently provide services in over twenty cities in China. APP has a variety of customers that range from multi-national companies looking to buy, lease or invest in commercial real-estate to high net-worth individuals looking for a home.
What I Learned
One of the things Asia Pacific Properties does, and what I found most fascinating, is that they help companies bring expatriates into Shanghai and other parts of Asia. APP works with many Fortune 500 companies. It’s very important that the expatriate family is happy and acclimated because it takes approximately a million dollars to relocate a family overseas.
About two hundred families per year will move to Shanghai. Asia Pacific Properties has a relocation packet that will help expatriates through everything they need to make the process smooth. During the presentation, APP mentioned that they are trying something new. Instead of using the term “expatriates,” they use the term “globe-pats.” They don’t use the term “expatriates” because the word describes not belonging and APP’s job is to make a family belong.
APP’s relocation packet includes help with finding a home, school, stores, familiarizing the family with their new city, and they will even go to the grocery store and help them read food labels. In most cases, the spouse is jobless so they will help find the spouse a job. They also hold events for families to meet other families.
Why this was my favorite company visit in China
I really enjoyed this presentation because my parents are currently expatriates. Through visiting my parents, I’ve learned what it’s like to be an expatriate. My dad’s company had to go through many different companies for the help that APP offers.
I like the concept of having one company do all of the work. If given the opportunity, I would work for Asia Pacific Properties. I am fascinated with the concept of being an expatriate especially since I have seen the difficulty of moving to another country.
