Paradigm Mortgage Services has published details of an exclusive equity release workshop being held in October for its members.

The mortgage services proposition has teamed up with equity release provider Just Retirement to hold a workshop entitled, ‘Creating a new profit centre in your business using equity release’.

The half-day event will be held at the Hilton London Gatwick Airport Hotel at the South Terminal on 2 October 2013 starting at 9am and finishing at 2.30pm, with lunch and refreshments provided.

The workshop will cover a range of equity release issues including:

• Current market trends and future opportunities.
• How to spot potential within a client bank.
• The use of data-mining to target specific groups.
• The various uses of equity release and how these relate to clients.

Just Retirement representatives will also be reviewing the equity release process and discussing the essential elements that will enable advisers to continue  quality advice.

Bob Hunt, chief executive of Paradigm Mortgage Services, said: “Equity release is very much a niche market at the moment however we fully anticipate that market demographics and the changing face of pension and long-term care provision, plus many other underlying drivers, mean it will become much more of a consideration for those in retirement.

“There is plenty of evidence to suggest that many more people at retirement age are asset rich and cash poor, and therefore there is likely to be a more noticeable shift whereby people access their home’s equity in order to fund their lifestyle or pay for major commitments.

“We are working closely with the equity release industry and, in particular, providers such as Just Retirement to help advisers look at the potential opportunity in their business and to help those clients who may be suitable. Our workshop next month is for members to hear about the ways they can distinguish potential equity release clients and will provide real practical help and support. Just Retirement will be covering a range of important areas from factfinding to product research, benefit assessment tools and suitability reports.

“All this will help advisers and their clients make an informed choice about whether they should use their house to support them in retirement.”