Open warfare in the first elections of Catalan real estate agents

BarcelonaThe institution representing real estate agents in Catalonia is experiencing one of its most turbulent moments: two candidates face off this Friday in the first elections in the association's history. And the more than 3,800 members called to vote will have to decide whether to support the continuing team, led by the current president, Vicenç Hernández, or the alternative candidate, headed by Montserrat Junyent.

But these two renowned names in the world of real estate associations and colleges are not the only protagonists. The historic Gerard Duelo, president of the Barcelona Association of Real Estate Agents (Coapi de Barcelona), and until a few months ago also of the General Council of Coapi of Spain, has been the protagonist of a campaign, in which he has even spoken of a "coup d'état," which has distanced both candidates.

A few days ago, Duelo sent a lengthy voice note to the rest of the members, in which he expressed his support for Hernández and also his rejection of the other candidate because, he says, they have not sought consensus with the Barcelona Coapi (Coapi of the Association of Associations ...

Several sources consulted by ARA explain that, until now, when the AIC board has been renewed, the three associations have always been asked in a friendly manner if they would like to contribute people to the board, which is made up of fifteen people and always has a higher proportion of people from Barcelona. If Junyent's candidacy wins, the Barcelona Coapi would go from eleven seats to just one. But, precisely, his candidacy seeks to end this preponderance of Barcelona and its top leader, Gerard Duelo. "We want things done differently," says a source close to Junyent's candidacy.

"Our program and theirs are similar; many APIs call us and say they see no differences," Vicenç Hernández explains to ARA. He advocates for a government action managed from a business perspective, aimed at offering services to real estate agencies, given the sector's composition of SMEs. For Junyent, this is what needs to change: "We're not committed to a purely business platform approach, but rather to the essence of an association and its interests. We want to prioritize support and advice."