About Compare Equity Release

About Compare Equity Release

Compare Equity Release

Checked for accuracy and updated on 29 October 2025

Compare Equity Release is part of the Equity Release Supermarket family and was created by Mark Gregory, the founder and CEO of Equity Release Supermarket.

Mark launched Equity Release Supermarket in 2008 with a unique vision for the market.

Previously, Mark had been an equity release adviser for many years and he knew that while customers needed expert financial advice and guidance throughout the process of taking out a plan, they also wanted to learn about equity release for themselves and find plans that could meet their needs – before speaking to an adviser.

Just a year before, the iPhone was launched and Mark could see that ‘smart’ technology and the internet would become central to the way we discovered, researched and bought products and services.

So, when Equity Release Supermarket launched, it was the first equity release broker to provide a free calculator to allow website visitors to understand how much money they could release and also the first website to allow visitors to compare plans from across marketplace. Over the years, the site has continued to be an innovator in the equity release market, and it relaunched in late 2018, providing the most comprehensive range of calculators and tools available – across all digital platforms.

Three years after the original launch of Equity Release Supermarket, Mark could see that a different type of customer was becoming interested in equity release, one that already knew something about equity release and the plans available.

To cater for this new customer, Mark created Compare Equity Release – the first equity release comparison site - with the goal of providing the digitally confident with a suite of tools and services to enable them to compare and shortlist equity release plans that could meet their needs.

Compare Equity Release was reinvented and relaunched in 2019, incorporating smartER – the first equity release search engine allowing our customers to create a shortlist of plans, tailored to meet their personal needs. smartER empowers our customers so that when they speak to their adviser, they have the confidence of already understanding how much money they could release and a range of plans that could fulfil their individual needs.

What our happy customers have to say

Stuart Young was efficient in the way he explained the numerous options available to me. I never felt under pressure and... READ MORE

Mrs T - Winchester, Hampshire

I cannot recommend Paul highly enough and would have no problem recommending him if someone is considering equity release.... READ MORE

Mr J - Ely, Cambridgeshire

Our experience was trouble free from the outset, in a friendly, considerate manner. Our adviser guided us through the process... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs H - Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs

David took his time going through the different scenarios that were open to my situation. Very professional and quick.

Ms Y - Haddington, East Lothian

We were very pleased with the service your company supplied. Mr Sykes was a great help guiding us through the paperwork.

Mr P - Telford, Shropshire

Marc Cookson was very knowledgeable & provided us with excellent service. He was a delight to deal with. My comments are... READ MORE

Mr B - Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Excellent from beginning to completion. Andrew explained everything very clearly. Being able to initially do my own research... READ MORE

Mrs M - Exeter, Devon

My wife & I were very concerned that we would not be able to understand all that came with this equity release & had to rely... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs P - Braintree, Essex

Gary was very clear with his explanations and helped us understand all our options. Everyone involved was very helpful and... READ MORE

Mr and Mrs R - Canterbury

A total pleasure to deal with, thank you so much for finding us the perfect product! Nothing but complete professionalism... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs T - London

‘In these uncertain times, John's support and extensive knowledge have been outstanding. My husband and I have previously... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs J - Cardiff, Wales

She is patient, understanding, incredibly knowledgeable and will point you towards another direction if she feels that this... READ MORE

Mr S - West London

I want to say thanks for the excellent service I received, Jo gave me help and advice with a smile.

Mrs F - Camberley, Surrey

Tara was fantastic! Extremely helpful and understanding of our situation.

Mr & Mrs B - Essex

Sue appreciated that we had carried out extensive research ourselves so was able to aim our discussions at the appropriate... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs H - Morecambe, Lancashire

Sara Whitbread provided an excellent service. She enables us to find the perfect offer & the whole process was handled swiftly,... READ MORE

Mrs A - Hereford, Herefordshire

Equity release gets bad press, but the flexible loan is perfect for me. I feel very secure & very pleased it is still my... READ MORE

Mrs S - Kidderminster, Worcestershire

A smooth episode all-round, which could have been so much more fraught, being a quite complex operation.

Mr & Mrs G - Lowestoft, Suffolk

I want to thank Haydn for my excellent guidance throughout the process. I felt heard and supported all the way through and... READ MORE

Mr H - Leeds

All options very well explained, and Adam was very patient.

Mr & Mrs B - Hailsham, East Sussex

I thought this process would be quite complex & a little invasive, but the adviser was very clear & explained things very... READ MORE

Mr W - Stone, Staffordshire

From first to last we were very impressed by your service & pleasantly surprised by how quick completion was, considering... READ MORE

Mr S - Hastings, East Sussex

Dan was very polite and professional. He took his time to really understand what we were looking to do and took onboard any... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs F - Skipton, North Yorkshire

The whole process was quick & much easier than doing a traditional mortgage. Excellent service & highly recommended.

Mr E - Stratford Upon Avon

I really felt like I was dealing with a professional who knew what I wanted and needed. My options were clearly explained... READ MORE

Mrs A - East Lothian

A well-oiled service! Very professional and good service. My adviser was always there when I needed information and help. ... READ MORE

Mr H - Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire

Excellent service. Derek Wren explained everything we needed to know in a friendly manner.

Mr & Mrs C - Isle of Grain, Kent

A reputation built upon outstanding financial advice and service

While digital innovation is important to us, we have never lost sight of the fact that the heart of our business is providing outstanding financial advice and service.

Even now, as an established and leading equity release broker, Mark still personally interviews and appoints all the advisers that join Equity Release Supermarket to ensure that they share the same passion for helping people achieve their financial goals and meet our exacting standards.

To offer you extra peace of mind, all our advisers are members of the Equity Release Council (the industry’s trade body) which has a strict code of conduct in place to ensure that all equity release customers are protected.

While we don’t ask for plaudits, we’re also very proud of what our customers have to say about us in the review site feefo and in social media. The equity release industry has also given us a number of awards, which shows that we are doing the right thing for our customers.

We always put our customer first

Unlike our competitors, we think it’s important that you are as well informed as you want to be before speaking to us about equity release.

That’s why in both the Compare Equity Release and Equity Release Supermarket websites we provide you with as much information as possible and all the tools you need, so that when you speak to your adviser, you are comfortable with and confident in the decision that you are making.

That same approach of openness and honesty applies whenever you want to speak to us. If you call us or use our live chat facility, the first person you will speak to is your Equity Release Supermarket adviser.

We don’t have call centres – just friendly expert advisers that are on hand to answer all your questions and be by your side throughout the whole process. How you work with your adviser is also up to you.

Our local advisers can meet you in the comfort of your home, discuss your needs over the phone, use the latest video technology – or why not use a combination of each? We’ll let you decide.

We also think it’s important that you can track your application. Therefore, we provide you with your own secure, online dashboard, where we’ll keep you up to speed with progress and store all your important documents for reference. You can access this, whenever you want to and wherever you are - 24/7.

Whether you’re just starting to compare equity release and learn about the plans that are available, or you’ve shortlisted your plans using our smartER search engine and are ready to speak to your adviser, we’re here to help.