How many equity release advisers are there in the UK?
There is no single official headline number, because two different measures are often quoted and they count different things. Roughly 6,200 individuals are registered with the FCA in equity release, while around 1,800 individuals are members of the Equity Release Council. This page sets out both figures, with sources and dates, and explains why they differ.
Source: FCA Financial Services Register and Equity Release Council, June 2026.
| Measure | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals registered with the FCA in equity release | Approximately 6,200 | FCA Financial Services Register, June 2026 |
| Individual members of the Equity Release Council | Around 1,800 | Equity Release Council, June 2026 |
| Equity Release Council member firms | 750+ | Equity Release Council, June 2026 |
| Share of the market covered by Council member firms | About 90% | Equity Release Council, June 2026 |
Copy this data as text
Why the two numbers are different
The roughly 6,200 figure counts every individual recorded on the FCA Financial Services Register as able to advise on equity release. That is the regulatory floor: it tells you who is authorised, not how they work or what extra standards they have signed up to.
The around 1,800 figure counts individuals who are members of the Equity Release Council. The Council is the trade body that sets the consumer safeguards most people associate with equity release, such as the no negative equity guarantee, the right to remain in your home for life, and independent legal advice. Council member firms account for roughly 90% of the market, so most plans you encounter will come through a Council member, even though Council members are a smaller group than the full FCA register.
In short: all Council members are FCA registered, but not every FCA-registered adviser is a Council member. The Council figure is the better guide to advisers working to the equity release industry standards.
How this is measured
The FCA figure is taken from the Financial Services Register, which lists individuals authorised to carry out regulated activities including advising on equity release. The Equity Release Council figures are taken from the Council's published membership data. Both figures are approximate and are quoted as at June 2026; they move as firms and individuals join or leave. Where a number is described as approximate or rounded here, treat it as an indicative count to be confirmed against the live registers rather than an exact total.