Is MakeMyMove a Legitimate Site? Yes, We Are

As a remote worker, it’s important to look out for scams. There are many seemingly positive opportunities on the internet that turn out to be a way to get free services, end up being a bait and switch, or are otherwise not as legitimate as they first appeared. It’s good to check into an opportunity to see if it’s a good one before moving forward. Toward that end, we wanted to answer questions you may have about whether MakeMyMove is legitimate.

Is MakeMyMove a Scam?

We hear questions like this a lot. And we get it, considering you may have experienced scams before as a remote worker. After all, opportunities that sound too good to be true rarely are. And yes, MakeMyMove falls into the “it sounds too good to be true” category. After all, it sounds like a great opportunity to be paid to move to a new location as a remote worker. How can that be possible?

Yet, this is one of those rare cases when it is actually true. Our site is here to help remote workers like you find the opportunities that are available to you. We’re not making up these opportunities ourselves. We’re simply curating opportunities that already exist, ones that you could find on the internet by yourself if you’re so inclined. Communities all over the country are offering relocation incentives to remote workers.

We thought we would make it easier for remote workers to find these opportunities in one place, so we created this site as an online directory to connect remote workers to relocation incentives and also offer helpful guidance on making the moves. Ultimately, we connect you to opportunities, and then you can double-check that the opportunities are legitimate before going forward with a move across the country. We encourage you to do so!

These offers tend to be run by local governments with funding from various sources, and you can confirm that they are legitimate opportunities. For example, MakeMyMove has information on a $10,000 cash incentive to relocate to Tulsa, OK. You can find the same opportunity through Tulsa Remote, the official website for the initiative.

MakeMyMove’s place is to bring together all of these offers so you can browse them and find the right fit. The website gives you the details of each opportunity, making it easy to see what’s being offered and if you qualify. You can use the website to compare offers throughout the country, helping you consider areas where you might want to move. MakeMyMove also gives helpful overviews to learn more about each location and makes it easy to apply for the opportunities directly through the site.

Experiences of Real Remote Workers

Meet some of the remote workers who have recently moved to a new state through the relocation incentive programs they learned about through MakeMyMove.

Anela’s story

Anela Malik and her husband recently moved across the country through a relocation incentive. Anela says, “We found the incentive for Northwest Arkansas on MakeMyMove when daydreaming about leaving Washington, DC.” They looked into the new area and the incentive program. She explains about the move to Arkansas, “We visited, loved the area and ended up moving after we were chosen for the incentive.”

Like many of the remote workers who move to a new area, Anela and her husband were able to find a better quality of life by relocating from a major city to a less populated area. Often, people find a lower cost of living and many benefits to their lives from their moves. She describes their new location, saying, “The area has a plethora of outdoor activities and amazing cycling, a growing food scene, cultural spaces like the Crystal Bridges museum and really kind people. So far we’re really loving it!”

Lokesh’s story

Lokesh is another person who took advantage of a program through MakeMyMove to relocate to West Lafayette, Indiana. He is positive about his new situation, saying, “My setup here is pretty perfect. Being connected to Purdue and living in a college town means I have access to an intellectually stimulating environment and so many great amenities.”

His move shows that this type of relocation program can be a positive step for someone. Those who think that they need to live in a major city for opportunities and things to do may be surprised at what smaller cities and towns have to offer, such as Lokesh’s experience in a college town. Since remote workers can work anywhere that has access to the internet, they are not limited by job opportunities in any one area, giving them the option to live anywhere.

Luke’s story

Another person who shared his experience was Luke Scuitto, who moved to Tulsa, OK from Washington, DC. He was interested in moving, as he said, “I lived in DC for six years, but I was getting tired of the high cost of living and diminished quality of life. As soon as COVID-19 struck, DC proved to be an impossible place to effectively live and work.” He looked into options and decided upon Tulsa. He says, “I found Tulsa Remote, which has truly improved my quality of life, productivity at work and cost of living.”

Are These Stories Real?

If you're still skeptical about these examples, let’s take a look at the case study of Anela. You can confirm that she is a real person who used a real incentive program by checking out a story of her experience featured on the reputable, established website Realtor.com.

This feature notes that she used MakeMyMove, which it describes as “an aggregator site that serves as a matchmaker between cities looking to attract new residents and people looking to move.” In case you’re not aware, an aggregator website is defined as a site that collects items to fit a certain theme and often links to them.

You can see through Realtor.com that Anela was able to receive $10,000 in incentives to move to Northwest Arkansas. This was through Life Works Here, a program of the Northwest Arkansas Council. The council’s website explains that this initiative includes more than $1 million with the intention of bringing talent to the area and highlighting the area’s benefits.

While programs like this may seem strange or like a dream come true, they make good sense. It has long been common for locations to offer incentives to businesses to entice them to relocate to the area. Now, some places are trying out incentives like this to bring new residents to their areas.

As a remote worker, consider taking part in one of these relocation programs. Check out the offers on MakeMyMove to see which areas have incentives to move there.

Ready, Set, Move?

We recently put together a list of over 100 companies offering remote work positions, and we hope it helps you on your job search!

Once you have your new remote work position, you’re ready to live and work anywhere! Some places are paying remote workers to live there. So if you’re ready to make a move, these communities are ready for you.

For moving inspiration, check out these Cute Houses in Places that Will Pay you to Move There or read through Our Guide to Moving While Working Remotely.

We also have a new Comprehensive Moving Checklist to help you plan your move!