The UK’s No.1 independent equity release advisory service, Cheshire-based Equity Release Supermarket (ERS), starts the year on a high after receiving the prestigious ‘Best Financial Adviser 2023 for Equity Release’ accolade – recognising customer service, quality of advice and industry innovation.
This follows recent recognition as ‘Best Mortgage Comparison Site’ and ‘Best Overall Equity Release Advisory Firm’ at the What Mortgage 2022 Awards, voted for by consumers, as well as ‘Best Equity Release Adviser Customer Service’ and highly commended in the ‘Best Equity Release Adviser’ category at the Personal Finance awards, and ‘Best Later Life Broker’ at the Mortgage Introducer Awards.
It’s a clean sweep for the firm after gaining huge praise throughout last year for their Industry-first digital solution for consumers – known as smartER™ – an equity release comparison tool.
Mark Gregory, Founder & CEO at Equity Release Supermarket commented: “In a year of significant change for our sector including consumer duty, we have remained committed to our values and the industry as a whole, through our quality of advice, level of customer service, and innovation through technology.
“Our customers are at the centre of all we do, and we have always made it our mission to be as open and transparent as possible. We understand what a turbulent time and difficult period it is for the nation, particularly with the cost-of-living crisis. We therefore always treat our clients with the optimum care, honest and open advice, as well as compassion and empathy which is why we’ve been recognised for this accolade.”
Further endorsement of their excellent customer service levels was achieved when feefo crowned ERS the ‘Platinum Service Award Winner’ for both 2022 and 2021. What’s more, they gained 204 5-star ratings and an average 4.9 rating out of 5 across a 12-month period.
This year the FCA’s ‘Consumer Duty’ principles set out higher and clearer standards of consumer protection across financial services and requires firms to put their customer’s needs first – which is exactly what smartER™ has done and aligned to, by giving customers the information they need, at the right time and presented in a way they can understand.
Mark went on to say: “Since launching the smartER™ platform, the acceleration and uptake has been overwhelming, and it now contributes to over 25 per cent of our business.
“By empowering consumers to conduct their own whole of market research, we are opening a new window of opportunity for our industry.
“Today’s market offers older homeowners an unprecedented choice of products that provide secure, flexible finance. We’ve now made this completely transparent, enabling consumers to interact and compare the market, putting them in the driving seat and helping them to achieve their financial goals.
“We continue to push the boundaries when it comes to digital technology, with the aim to improve and enhance the digital offering available to consumers, not just for ERS customers, but to support the equity release market as a whole.”
