If you have a household move coming up, you may be on the hunt for the best residential moving company in your area. While every individual may have different ideas of what makes a mover the best choice, most folks would agree that reasonable to affordable pricing is an important aspect of service to consider.

A quick Google search for "affordable movers" may turn up endless results, including moving brokers. Moving brokers are not the same thing as a licensed moving company, and do not offer any relocation services themselves. While some brokers are legitimate, there's many reasons people should be cautious when considering working with a moving broker.

What is a Moving Broker?

A moving broker doesn't have any of the personnel, equipment, trucks or other resources needed to complete a household move. Instead, brokers act as a middleman, connecting consumers with movers in the area. They may handle some of the logistics, such as scheduling or communication, but do not actually show up at your home on moving day. They will contact a licensed and insured moving company on your behalf for this.

Are Brokers Trustworthy?

While there are moving brokers offering legitimate and ethical service, there are many reasons to be wary when enlisting their help. For starters, brokers are not the ones completing your local or long-distance move, and therefore will not be able to help if something goes wrong, or if you're unsatisfied with the experience. Brokers do not assume liability for damage, and have been known to charge higher fees than what they initially disclosed. 

Signs indicating that a broker may not be trustworthy include:

  • Not Registered with the FMCSA
  • Do Not Have an Official Number with the US DOT
  • No Physical Address or Contact Information
  • Suspiciously Low Quotes
  • Do Not Give a Written Estimate

When to Use a Moving Broker 

If you have verified the legitimacy of a moving broker and they can offer a low (but not suspiciously low) price, then you may be able to move forward with their services without worrying about getting scammed. However, communication is typically clearer and moving day is usually smoother when homeowners work directly with a moving company themselves. 

A moving company will assume directly responsibility in the case of lost or broken items, and because it's their name and reputation on the line, will most likely work with the customer when they aren't satisfied with an aspect of their relocation. 

Metropolitan Van & Storage is a ProMover with the American Trucking Associations Moving and Storage Conference, which means we've been background checked, vetted, screened and approved as a legitimate mover offering ethical and reliable service. We've been in business since the 1940's, and prioritize customer satisfaction above all else during all of our relocation and related services, which include:

  • Residential Moving
  • Commercial Moving
  • Specialized Moving
  • Storage Services
  • Records Management

Metropolitan is also a long-standing agent of Atlas Van Lines, which lets us connect to other moving and storage organizations all around the globe, and offer our customers seamless relocations no matter how far to their end destination. 

Get in touch with our moving and storage specialists today to learn more about all that we can do for your upcoming relocation, and we'll throw in a free, no-obligation estimate on any of our residential relocation services.