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Introducing Ramón Riera Torroba, 2024 FIABCI World President
AREA Press Release No. 503/2024: June 13, 2024
Dr.Sopon Pornchokchai, Ph.D. Dip.FIABCI, MRICS
President, Agency for Real Estate Affairs (AREA)
Ramón Riera Torroba, owner of Barcelona-based Eurofincas International Real Estate, was officially installed as the FIABCI World President for the 2024-2025 term. He is the first Spanish national to preside over the international federation. Dr.Sopon Pornchokchai, President, Agency for Real Estate Affairs (www.area.co.th) and President, FIABCI-Thai would like to introduce him.
Mr. Torroba brings 35 years of experience as a real estate agent, property manager, and real estate lawyer. He has an extensive professional career within the sector, with expertise in real estate promotion and the purchase and sale of real estate assets. Mr. Torroba specializes as a real estate broker for investment funds and family offices.
Ramón Riera Torroba succeeds Budiarsa Sastrawinata, who served as the FIABCI World President from 2023 to 2024. FIABCI extends its sincere appreciation to Mr. Sastrawinata for his sustained efforts and dedication to the federation, which have resulted in an exceptionally rewarding year.
Ramón Riera Torroba comes from a modest family that allowed him to attend school until the age of 14, at which point he needed to start working.
At 14, Mr. Torroba began working at an insurance company. In the evenings, he attended college to finish his schooling and then pursued a degree in Law. He graduated at 22 while still working at the same insurance company. At 26, Ramón Riera Torroba was nominated as Property Manager of 4,000 properties, as the insurance company was involved in the property market. In a short time, he became involved in promoting homes throughout the Mediterranean, creating a company that quickly floated on the stock market. At 40, Mr. Torroba was appointed General Manager and Board Member of the Property Group, overseeing 3,500 properties under construction and 800 employees.
In 2005, he noticed an impending crisis and informed the Board that they should halt some construction, stop all land purchases, and reduce the headcount. His belief in reducing costs dramatically before it was too late was not in line with the rest of the board's thinking. Mr. Torroba realized that he didn't want to be part of the company's decline, so he resigned.
In 1993, his father-in-law, the founder of Eurofincas, passed away. While working at the insurance company, Ramón Riera Torroba had been assisting his father-in-law as legal counsel. After leaving the insurance company, he worked full-time for Eurofincas, a sound company in real estate and property administration.
In 2003, his path intersected with associations, and he was invited to be treasurer of API Barcelona, the most important real estate association in Spain. Through API, Mr. Torroba was offered the position of President of FIABCI-España in 2011 during a challenging period in Spanish real estate. He served as President of FIABCI-España until 2020, leaving the chapter with higher international recognition and over 100 members. During that period, he also served as President of FIABCI European Region from 2020 to 2022 and joined the FIABCI Board of Directors. In the spring of 2022, he successfully ran for the position of FIABCI Vice-President, having been elected at the 72nd FIABCI World Real Estate Congress in Paris after a well-disputed campaign. He also holds several positions of responsibility at the national level for real estate agents at FNAPI.
Ramón Riera Torroba is the father of two sons, Borja and Marc, and a grandfather of three. He greatly enjoys every moment with his family, including his brother and sister, Ricard and Teresa, and especially his lovely wife, Cristina.
See more at https://fiabci.org/en/news-room/view/469