This initiative combines an increase in customer marketing investment with bolstering the network’s post-enquiry contact strategy.
ERA has also appointed Meagan Parker, from sister company Age Partnership, to the newly created role of customer experience manager.
Dan Baines, managing director of ERA, said: “Our advisers have told us that they would like the opportunity to help more customers, so we’ve listened.
“The Springboard Package allows us to support associates through the provision of free, pre-booked appointments with well-qualified and highly engaged equity release enquirers.
“As part of this initiative, we’re pleased to welcome Meagan Parker to the team.
Members of the Equity Release Council have voted for its expansion through reappointing three directors to its main board and widening its standards board membership.
Will Hale, chief executive of Key, Paul Turner, managing director of retail at Just Group and Dan Baines, managing director of Equity Release Associates, have all been re-elected to serve an additional two years on the council’s 16-strong executive board.
Stuart Wilson, chief executive of Answers in Retirement and James Ginley, who will join e.surv as technical director in May, have been elected to join the council’s standards board, expanding its membership to nine.
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nd April 2021 3:21 pm
Equity Release Council members have re-elected Will Hale, Paul Turner and Dan Baines to the executive board for a further two years.
Key’s chief executive Hale, Just Group managing director of retail Paul Turner and Equity Release Associates managing director Dan Bains will remain alongside the 13 other main board members who are still part way through their current terms.
The Council has also appointed Answers in Retirement chief executive Stuart Wilson to its standards board, as well as James Ginley who is about to join e.surv as technical director in May.
The Council’s membership increased by 24% in the last financial year with the 600th member firm joining this month.
The support firm was previously operating as an appointed representative of sister company, Age Partnership.
However, it took the decision to seek direct authorisation in order to meet its long-term growth ambitions.
Dan Baines, managing director of Equity Release Associates, said: “Whilst we remain proudly part of the Age Partnership Group, it is also important that ERA continues to evolve its own identity, with the ability to tailor its services to cater for our rapidly growing Adviser customer base.
“Direct authorisation will give us scope to provide our services to both individual advisers and firms.
“Combined with the efficiencies and expertise of Age Partnership’s administrative functions, it means that we will now be able to help even more later-life lending specialists to safely capture the potential that this fast-growing market offers.”
Equity Release Associates has launched a customer acquisition initiative.
It noted that this decision stems from it intending to support its growing community of later life advisers.
The adviser support firm, which provides technology and compliance oversight service to its members, is now also helping advisers through subsidising their marketing costs to fast-track further growth.
Dan Baines, managing director of Equity Release Associates, said: “By helping our associate advisers to provide their advice in a more safe and efficient manner, we’re providing a great foundation on which they can build their businesses.
“However we know that customer acquisition is a key challenge for many advisors, so this new investment in marketing should really help our team to achieve their growth ambitions.”