Kineyirou wins second term as real estate council head amid sector tensions

Marinos Kineyirou has been re-elected president of the Cyprus Real Estate Agents Registration Council, after securing a substantial majority of the vote in an election seen as crucial for the future direction of the profession.

The election, held to choose the council’s president and board members for the next three-year term, recorded a turnout of 83 per cent of registered voters, with the process reported to have proceeded smoothly.

Kineyirou won 71 per cent of the vote, defeating his challenger who received 29 per cent, confirming his continuation at the helm of the regulatory body.

Alongside the presidential race, Marina Constantinidou, Iacovos Iacovides and Herodotos Herodotou were elected to the three available positions as elected members of the council’s board.

“I would like to express my warm thanks to all licensed real estate agents for the trust they have once again shown in me,” Kineyirou said following the announcement of the results.

“Their support is a great honour for me, but also a great responsibility,” he sai.

He added that he would “continue to work with the same dedication for the upgrading of the sector, the protection of the profession and the achievement of shared objectives within the council”.

“This electoral contest was crucial for the future of our profession, and the result sends a message of victory for the genuine real estate agent who always operates within the law, for the benefit of both buyers and sellers,” he said.

“The day after finds us united against illegality and determined to further evolve our profession,” Kineyirou added.

The election followed weeks of heightened tension within the sector, after Christos Nicolaou, president of the Cyprus Real Estate Agents Association and a candidate for the council, publicly challenged Kineyirou’s long tenure, raising allegations of institutional stagnation and transparency issues.

“Twelve years of continuous presidency and the prospect of 15 years without institutional limits” were cited as key concerns by Nicolaou, who questioned both governance practices and the timing of the elections, arguing that the council’s mandate was due to expire on April 12, 2026.

“Unilateral interpretations of the law affecting part-time employment and the payment of staff through commissions have created significant hurdles for the industry,” Nicolaou said during the campaign.

He had also criticised delays to an electronic licensing platform that he argued were depriving agents of their right to collect commissions.

He further claimed that restrictions on staffing levels in large real estate offices contradicted the principles of a free economy and had contributed to pushing individuals into illegal brokerage.

The backdrop to the vote also included the council’s repeated warnings that illegal brokerage remains widespread, with 565 criminal cases filed since 2023 and an average of three to five new cases registered daily, according to previous statements by the regulator.

Kineyirou has previously defended a zero-tolerance stance, stressing that inspection teams have been strengthened across all districts to tackle unlawful activity at its source.

Earlier this month, the council also said it had received threats linked to a complaint over the alleged promotion of Greek Cypriot properties in the north, claims that were reported to police and strongly denied by Nicolaou, who accused the council leadership of running a smear campaign.

With the election now concluded, the renewed mandate gives Kineyirou a strong platform as the council faces continued scrutiny over regulation, enforcement and reform in one of Cyprus’ most closely watched sectors.