Media Release

For release: 1 February 2018

New comparison website brings greater transparency to Australian retirement living industry

Australia’s first and only website to comprehensively compare retirement villages launched today, bringing much needed transparency, comparability and education to people looking to move into a retirement community.

CompareVillages.com.au features retirement living properties from across Australia, with representation from some of the largest operators such as Lendlease, Aveo and RetireAustralia through to mid-sized and smaller operators including Lifestyle Communities, Regis, Japara, Greengate, and The Village Retirement Group.

CompareVillages.com.au Founder and Managing Director, Jessica Kinnear said: “The retirement living industry in Australia is currently going through a challenging time, with much of the negative public perception stemming from insufficient transparency, misconceptions and complexity, particularly around fees.

“We recognised that the large number of older Australians who were considering moving into a retirement village didn’t know where to start the process or how to adequately compare retirement living accommodation. Essentially people had no way to easily compare what is a complex product and this has led to a lot of confusion and complaints of the industry.

“Our website independently showcases retirement villages from all over Australia and displays them in a simple way so that people can, free of charge, weigh up the villages’ lifestyle features and assess their fees to help them make a more informed, educated choice,” Ms Kinnear said.

CompareVillages.com.au features include:

• The ability to compare retirement living fees (from entry fees, ongoing fees and departure fees), as well as lifestyle features such as village facilities and access to services
• The ability to enquire directly to the village operator for more information or to request a property inspection or village tour
• A departure entitlement calculator which gives users an estimate of what they could expect to receive when they leave a village.

“Growth in Australia’s retirement living industry is being fuelled by demand from people looking to downsize and by the increasing population of seniors, with the overall number of people said to be seeking retirement living expected to double to almost 400,000 by 2025. As a result, a strong, transparent and trusted sector is needed to support this future growth.

“As we’ve seen in other industries such as insurance and travel, consumers have already benefitted from enhanced transparency and comparability. Prospective retirement living residents are demanding the same from their industry for what is a significant life decision in their golden years,” Ms Kinnear said.

Visit http://comparevillages.com.au/

For media enquiries, contact: 

Emily Kinnear on 0408 359 184 or at [email protected]