Sonia Catalán, a success story at Engel & Völkers Spain

A brilliant career with no previous experience

Our protagonist joined Engel & Völkers in April 2015, after taking a rewarding break from her career to focus on motherhood. Sonia had decided to take some time off to raise her three young children.

With a degree in Business Administration and an MBA from ESADE, her previous experience was in auditing and investment management. In other words, she was not involved in anything related to sales activities that might have made the  transition to working in real estate easier.

Sonia joined the team of real estate consultants in Sant Cugat del Vallès, one of the brand's most strategic areas due to its location in the Barcelona metropolitan area and the high-end target market of local residents. It was a professional challenge, especially given her lack of experience in the real estate sector.

Sonia herself acknowledges that she chose the role of a real estate consultant because it offered many opportunities to balance her professional and family life.

She was able to set her own schedule based on the number of properties and/or clients she could handle at any given time. Without a doubt, this is one of the most appealing advantages of working as an independent real estate agent.

Moreover, the company made her entry into the market easier by providing specific information, marketing materials, legal and commercial advice, and, of course, its powerful brand image. All of these elements paved the way and made her transition into the real estate sector much simpler, despite her lack of experience in this field.

Advancing to Management in Sant Cugat and Relocating to Madrid

Her achievements should not go unnoticed. In just two years, Sonia earned a well-deserved reputation in the area and was awarded the title of Senior Consultant, a distinction given to consultants who double the company's average turnover. This made her a key member of the Engel & Völkers team.

These months of hard work paid off. In 2017, she was selected to lead the Vallès Occidental team, benefiting from a series of organizational changes in the province of Barcelona, in recognition of her accomplishments.

Additionally, when the company expanded its structure in the region by creating a new team for Vallès Oriental and Badalona, Sonia also took on the responsibility of leading it. By 2018, she was overseeing a region with more than 70 real estate consultants, achieving excellent results in such competitive markets.

At the end of 2019, Sonia decided to move to Madrid for personal reasons, and, as expected, Engel & Völkers also facilitated her transfer to another important division of the brand. Specifically, she assumed leadership of the real estate consultant team in Chamartín, one of the key districts in the capital.

Commercial Director of the Market Center in Madrid... and the Story Continues

Despite the challenge of relocating and switching offices, Sonia's efforts and achievements continued. Her strong results followed her to Madrid, and after just one year, she was tasked with managing the commercial department of the Market Center in Madrid.

It’s important to note that this is one of the most important hubs in Southern Europe for the real estate company, where some of Spain’s most significant real estate transactions are handled annually.

Sonia did not hesitate. In fact, she continues to write her success story today while leading the commercial strategy of around 400 real estate consultants. Not to mention the staff responsible for supporting them in their daily tasks (legal, financial, marketing, architecture, photography departments, etc.).

Sonia's Example and the Unique Value of Engel & Völkers

Contrary to what might be expected, Sonia Catalán’s case is not an isolated one. Her story is similar to other professionals who, at one point, were drawn to the idea of joining Engel & Völkers as real estate consultants.

Thanks to this career as a real estate agent, they enjoy great flexibility in managing their time and properties, as well as their clients. This allows them to balance their professional and personal lives, as it's possible to manage both with good time management.

Sonia was very clear that her next professional challenge involved becoming her own "boss," and the model offered by this luxury real estate firm perfectly aligned with those expectations.

Like her, other consultants have essentially become "mini-franchisees", making decisions as if they were running their own business. All of this without forgetting the core values that explain the success of Engel & Völkers, even during potentially uncertain times for the sector.

As Sonia Catalán herself puts it: "For me, Engel & Völkers stands out from its competitors due to the quality of service and the passion we put into every transaction."

Do you relate to her story and are you looking for a new professional challenge that offers freedom and the possibility of growth? Being a real estate agent with Engel & Völkers is a great opportunity to achieve personal and professional fulfillment while maintaining a balance with family life.

Discover how to start in the real estate sector and build your success story like our protagonist by joining our team.