At the age of just 21, Sven Odia decided to strike out on his own as an entrepreneur. Before even completing his training as a real estate agent with Engel & Völkers, he went to Mallorca to set up as a licensed partner of the company. Three years later, having made a success of the business in Mallorca, Odia founded Engel & Völkers International with Christian Völkers, which under his leadership grew to become one of the strongest players in the real estate industry worldwide. A particularly notable achievement was expansion into the United States, where Engel & Völkers became the first non-American company to establish a lasting presence in an extremely competitive market.
Odia brings an unparalleled wealth of experience in the real estate industry and expansion into over 30 countries, having spent over 25 years at Engel & Völkers, most recently as Global CEO and President.
Today, Sven Odia is Chairman of the Advisory Board of Spain Sotheby s International Realty and a member of the Advisory Board of the e-learning company PINKTUM.