DoD Civilian PCS from Augusta or Fort Gordon?
Understand Your DNRP Home Sale Benefit Before You List

Quick Facts

Before listing, verify DNRP eligibility and understand the required Listing Exclusion Clause

DNRP is for eligible, authorized DoD civilian employees

The program can include home marketing assistance and Guaranteed Home Sale

You may choose your own qualified licensed Realtor

DNRP costs the employee nothing to use

In This Guide

This guide is designed for:

• DoD civilian employees PCSing from Augusta/Fort Gordon

• DoD civilian homeowners who may qualify for DNRP

• Employees who have not yet listed their home

• Employees who already have a Realtor

• Families trying to understand their home-sale options before relocating

Who This Guide Is For

• What is DNRP?

• Who may qualify?

• How Guaranteed Home Sale works

• How your Realtor fits into the process

• What to do before you list

• Frequently asked questions

Introduction

Relocating for a civilian DoD assignment can be stressful enough without wondering what will happen to your current home.

The Defense National Relocation Program, or DNRP, is a little-known benefit that may provide eligible DoD civilian employees with additional support when selling a home during a PCS move.

The challenge is that the information can be difficult to find and even harder to understand.

This guide explains the program in plain English, including who may qualify, how the home-sale process works, what Guaranteed Home Sale means, and what you should do before listing your home.

1. What Is DNRP?

The Department of Defense National Relocation Program (DNRP) is a relocation benefit designed to help eligible DoD civilian employees who are required to move because of a government-directed Permanent Change of Station, or PCS.

For homeowners, DNRP can provide support with:

• home marketing

• relocation counseling

• appraisals

• destination homefinding

• mortgage assistance

• and, for eligible employees, a Guaranteed Home Sale option

The program is administered through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, with relocation services handled by contracted Relocation Management Companies.

Why it matters

Selling a home during a government-directed move can create financial and timing pressure. DNRP is designed to reduce some of that risk by helping the employee market the home while also providing a possible backup option if the property does not sell conventionally.

2. Who May Qualify?

DNRP is primarily available to eligible DoD civilian employees who are relocating in the Government’s interest under authorized PCS orders.

Eligibility is not automatic simply because you work for the Department of Defense. Your employing agency or component must authorize DNRP for your move.

You may qualify if:

• You are a DoD civilian employee

• You are transferring under official PCS orders

• The move is in the Government’s interest

• Your agency/component authorizes DNRP benefits

• You meet the program’s specific eligibility requirements

Important

Active-duty service members are generally not eligible for the Guaranteed Home Sale portion of DNRP. Some other DNRP services may still be available to them.

Best first step

If you think DNRP may apply to you, contact your Human Resources Office or PCS point of contact and ask:

“Is DNRP authorized for my PCS move?”

That answer should come before you sign a standard listing agreement.

3. Before You List Your Home

Before signing a standard listing agreement:

• Find your PCS orders

• Confirm with HR/HRO that DNRP is authorized

• Know that DNRP allows you to choose your own qualified licensed Realtor.

• If you already have a Realtor you trust, tell your relocation counselor

• Make sure your Realtor understands the DNRP Listing Exclusion Clause

Why this matters

DNRP allows an eligible employee to choose their own qualified licensed Realtor, but the listing agreement must include the required DNRP Listing Exclusion Clause.

That clause protects your ability to accept the Relocation Management Company’s Guaranteed Home Sale offer without owing a commission on that RMC purchase.

Important

If you have not listed yet, verify your DNRP options first.

If you have already listed your home, do not panic. Contact your HR/HRO or DNRP relocation counselor before making changes to the agreement.

4.

5. What Is Guaranteed Home Sale?

The Guaranteed Home Sale (GHS) one of the key home-sale benefits available to eligible DNRP participants.

It gives the employee a backup purchase offer based on independent appraisals, so they are not relying only on the open market to sell their home.

How it works

• Your Guaranteed Home Sale offer is based on the average of two independent appraisals performed by appraisers you select.

• Those appraisals are used to establish the DNRP offer

• The employee may continue marketing the home

• If an acceptable outside buyer is found, the sale may proceed through the DNRP/RMC process

• If the market does not produce an acceptable result, the employee may choose to accept the Guaranteed Home Sale offer

Important

The employee is not required to accept the Guaranteed Home Sale offer.

The purpose of GHS is to create a safety net, not to force the employee into a sale.

If you accept the RMC’s Guaranteed Home Sale offer, DNRP states that you receive 100% of your equity without the normal selling expenses that would typically be deducted at closing. Equity is generally wired within five business days after the RMC executes your accepted offer.

6. Why DoD Civilians Use DNRP

• No cost to participate

• Guaranteed Home Sale safety net

• Professional home-marketing assistance

• Possible Home Marketing Incentive Payment

• Potential interest-free equity advance of up to 75%

• No normal selling expenses if the home is sold to the RMC

• Fast equity payment after accepting the RMC offer

7. What Your Realtor Does vs. What the RMC Does

The key point

Your Realtor handles the real estate sale.
The RMC handles the DNRP program.

Your Realtor

• Recommends pricing based on the local market

• Lists and markets the property

• Coordinates photos, showings, and buyer activity

• Communicates with buyers and buyer agents

• Presents and negotiates offers

• Helps manage inspections and transaction details

• Keeps the relocation counselor informed

• Coordinates with the RMC before the seller accepts certain outside offers

Your Relocation Management Company / Counselor

• Explains DNRP procedures and requirements

• Coordinates the program paperwork

• Manages the appraisal process

• Reviews marketing activity and program compliance

• Helps determine whether an outside offer qualifies under DNRP

• Coordinates the Guaranteed Home Sale process

• Handles the relocation-program side of the transaction

Common Mistake: Listing Before Understanding DNRP

Signing a standard listing agreement before confirming DNRP requirements.

If you may qualify for DNRP, verify your authorization and make sure the required Listing Exclusion Clause is addressed before listing..

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to use the Realtor recommended by the relocation company?

No. DNRP allows eligible employees to choose their own qualified licensed Realtor, as long as the agent follows the program requirements and signs the required Listing Exclusion Clause.

Can I use a Realtor I already know and trust?

Yes. Tell your relocation counselor that you have already selected your Realtor before accepting a broker referral.

What if I already listed my home?

Contact your HR/HRO or relocation counselor as soon as possible. Do not make changes to your listing agreement until you understand the DNRP requirements that apply to your file.

Can the relocation company require me to use its Realtor?

DNRP allows eligible employees to select their own qualified licensed Realtor. If you already have an agent you want to use, tell your relocation counselor before accepting a broker referral. Your agent must follow the applicable DNRP requirements.

What happens if my home does not sell?

If you are eligible for Guaranteed Home Sale, DNRP may provide an appraised-value offer through the Relocation Management Company. You may choose whether to accept it.

Do I have to accept the Guaranteed Home Sale offer?

No. The offer is designed to provide a backup option, not to force a sale.

Can I still sell to an outside buyer?

Yes. Your home can remain actively marketed, and an acceptable outside offer may be completed through the DNRP/RMC process.

Does DNRP apply to active-duty military members?

Active-duty service members are generally not eligible for the Guaranteed Home Sale portion of DNRP, although some other relocation services may be available.

Who decides whether I qualify?

Your DoD agency or component determines eligibility and authorization. Your HR/HRO or PCS point of contact should be your first source for confirming your benefits.

How long does DNRP take?

Timing varies depending on your agency, required marketing periods, appraisals, property condition, and the specific Relocation Management Company handling your file.

Does my Realtor get paid if the RMC buys my home?

If the employee accepts the RMC’s Guaranteed Home Sale purchase, the Listing Exclusion Clause generally means the listing broker does not earn a commission on that RMC purchase.

Can I still sell to an outside buyer?

Yes. An outside offer may qualify through the DNRP process when the buyer and terms are acceptable and the offer nets you at least as much as your Guaranteed Home Sale offer. The RMC will determine whether the offer qualifies under the program.

Important DNRP Information

DNRP eligibility, authorization, benefits, timelines, and procedures are determined by the Department of Defense, the employee’s agency or component, Human Resources Office, and the assigned Relocation Management Company.

The Arich Team does not determine DNRP eligibility or administer DNRP benefits.

This page is intended to help DoD civilian homeowners understand the real estate side of the process and prepare for conversations with their HR/HRO, relocation counselor, and Realtor.

For current program guidance, always confirm requirements with your authorized DNRP contacts.

PCSing from Augusta or Fort Gordon and Need to Sell Your Home?

Before you sign a listing agreement, make sure you understand your DNRP options and how they may affect your home sale.

If you already know you want to work with Ari, tell your relocation counselor that you have selected your own Realtor.

The Arich Team can help you understand the real estate side of the process, prepare your home for market, and coordinate with your assigned relocation counselor or RMC.

Ari Saladin
808-594-7918
Ari@Arich.us
www.Arich.us

Serving Augusta, Fort Gordon, Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Harlem, Hephzibah, North Augusta, Aiken, and the greater CSRA.

About the Authors

The Arich Team is a veteran-led real estate team serving Augusta, Fort Gordon, and the greater CSRA.

Ari Saladin is a retired U.S. Army Major and Associate Broker licensed in Georgia and South Carolina. Richard de los Santos is a retired Uruguayan Army Lieutenant Colonel and Georgia Realtor. Together, The Arich Team helps military families, DoD civilians, buyers, sellers, and relocating families navigate real estate with clear guidance and local experience.

Veteran-Led. Family-Focused.

Contact Us

📧 TheArichTeam@Arich.us

📞 Ari: (808) 594-7918

📞 Richard: (386) 333-4795

📍 Serving Augusta, Evans, Grovetown, Martinez, Hephzibah, North Augusta, Aiken & the CSRA

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