How can you succeed as an Equity Release Adviser?

Introduction

The role of an Equity Release Adviser is to offer guidance for homeowners looking to release tax free cash from their property value. It is a highly desirable and rewarding career that requires many skills and qualifications. In this article we will outline how you can succeed as an Equity Release Adviser and ensure you set yourself up for a long and rewarding career.

Qualifications needed

To be a successful Equity Release Adviser, you must be properly qualified. The two essential qualifications for an Equity Release Adviser are the ER1 and the CeRER. We have detailed information on both of these qualifications that you can read here and here to learn more!

How do you get an ER1 qualification?

In order to undertake the ER1, you must have a prior certificate in mortgage advice. The ER1 qualification is awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute or the CII and takes around 70 study hours to complete. At the end, you will need to complete a two hour exam which can be sat remotely or at an exam centre.

How do you get an CeRER qualification?

The CeRER qualification is provided by the London Institute of Banking and Finance, also known as LIBF. You must have a CeMAP qualification or an equivalent certificate in mortgage advice to undertake the CeRER. The qualification digs into the details of Equity Release Advice and is split into two modules, Fundamentals of Equity Release and Equity Release Solutions. Aspiring Equity Release Advisers have 12 months to complete the qualification from registering, however many finish the course in just 6 months. At the end of each module, students undertake an exam which can be sat at any exam centre or through remote means.

Key skills

Advisers are highly skilled individuals, therefore to succeed as an Equity Release Adviser you must develop your skills.

Excellent communication skills are essential. Much of the role of an Equity Release Adviser involves interacting with clients and learning what their goals are. You should be able to communicate effectively with clients and ask the right questions to effectively grasp their situation in order to best advise them.

You should also strive to be highly personable and approachable. It is important to establish a strong relationship with your clients to ensure they feel confident in your advice. Ensuring your clients feel comfortable with you and trust your advice can build loyalty, developing your business and even potentially generating new leads.

Having good networking skills can be beneficial for Equity Release Advisers, especially if you are self-employed. It can be useful for generating new leads as it can allow you to establish strong connections within the financial industry, raising awareness of your business and attracting potential clients.

Utilising technology and social media

To succeed as an Equity Release Adviser, it is imperative that you be able to engage with social media and technology, especially if you are self-employed. Self-employed Advisers often must generate their own leads, therefore being well versed in technology can be highly beneficial. It can be a good practice to learn about social media and what marketing strategies you could employ to maximise your presence on social media platforms. This can ensure you are reaching as many viable leads as possible and generating a fresh stream of potential clients.

There are plenty of free resources online to help you get started with social media. If you’re not sure where to start with making social media content, why not take a look at this free guide?

You could also take a look at our blog post on generating more leads for Equity Release Advisers for more tips and tricks on lead generation.

Ethical standards

It is very important for an Equity Release Adviser to uphold a high standard of ethics throughout their career. Your clients will put an enormous amount of trust into you and your advice, therefore it is important you stay trustworthy and ethical. Breaking ethical standards can be highly detrimental to your career. It will cause your clients to lose faith in you and your advice. If the offence is serious enough, you could even lose your career entirely.

All types of Advisers must follow the rules and regulations set out by the FCA. Staying up to date on these rules is key to ensuring you are upholding ethical standards to a high degree. If you are unsure of what the FCA standards are, we recommend taking a look at their website. You could also read through the FCA handbook to familiarise yourself with the advising and selling standard for equity release.

You might also consider joining organisations formed with ethical standards in mind such as the Equity Release Council. Their goal is to help Advisers operate to a high degree of ethics and represent Advisers to clients to support them in their role.

Keep learning

To ensure you succeed as an Equity Release Adviser, you should seek to continue and develop your learning where possible. The financial industry is constantly changing and you should strive to stay current on the most recent developments. This could include changes or advancements in technology, regulations, or even economic events.

To stay up to date you could consider taking part in events and gatherings such as the Equity Release Summit hosted by the Equity Release Council. It could also be beneficial to seek out events in your local area to stay current and connected in your local community.
You could also consider keeping informed on the financial service industry through news channels and websites such as this one. It may also be useful to seek out news surrounding the mortgage market as Equity Release and current mortgage trends can be closely linked.

Conclusion

Equity Release Adviser is a rewarding and interesting career. You need to be qualified, highly skilled, passionate and trustworthy. Striving to develop yourself as much as possible and maintain your integrity at all times will set you up for success and ensure a long, fulfilling career.

Looking for your next career move? Take a look at the Equity Release Adviser roles we currently have available!