I would edit your post to make effective monthly payment without equity. This is the result of a net positive lease return and not an incentive/rebate.
It’s hard to categorize this equity (on a vehicle that can’t be sold to anyone except their captive dealers) exactly the same as cash.
It’s like a coupon that’s only from one store and only good for that store. Maybe there’s a better analogy.
Yes, the OP could have taken a check for the equity in this particular instance, but the dealer could also have structured the same payment with a lower selling price and no equity (the profit margin on one car goes up exactly the same as the loss on the other).
No, there is no easy way that I am aware of. You’ll just have to do internet searches. Some of the dealer website will display all of their locations, while some do not.