More than a third (37%) of brokers expect later life lending inquiries to rise in the rest of the year after lending hit £1.71bn in the first half of the year, new analysis suggests.
Equity Release Council (ERC) figures released in August revealed retired homeowners released £1.71bn of property wealth in the first six months of the year, up 37% from the first six months last year,
The also ERC data also revealed the number of new customers rose by 9% in the second quarter compared with the first quarter of this year.
A quarterly survey of council adviser members conducted in July 2026, with 54 firms responding, suggests 35% of brokers predict a rise in applications with 37% anticipating an increase in completions.
Key Partnership says it estimates that combined new mortgage lending, re-mortgages and product transfers involving those over-55 could total £60bn a year.
Damon O’Connell, Director at Key Partnerships, said: “Growing confidence in the equity release market as demonstrated by the increase in lending and customers in the second quarter of the year shows why specialist expertise is increasingly important while also highlighting a significant commercial opportunity for adviser firms.
“Later life lending can be complex and nuanced which means firms advising on it need to be able to provide genuinely independent, whole-of-market advice. Working with an established referral partner can help reduce risk, ensure consistent standards and provide a relatively quick route to expanding a firm’s offering. Combined with the opportunity to generate referral income, this can make referral partnerships an attractive option for many firms.”
