The Community of Madrid launched the sale of the Chamberí penthouse for €6.69 million, days after the property became the focus of intense public scrutiny. The regional government, led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, published the sale terms for the 485-square-meter apartment and, almost simultaneously, announced renovation work at the presidential headquarters in Puerta del Sol. The sale process has now failed twice, leaving the property unsold.
The penthouse is on the ninth floor at Paseo del General Martínez Campos, 35, and has nearly 200 square meters of terrace. The public company Planifica Madrid purchased it on April 14, 2026, for approximately €6.3 million. The acquisition was not publicly announced at the time. It came to light after EL PAÍS reported it, prompting explanations and action from the regional administration.
Officials initially justified the purchase as a way to provide alternative space during planned renovations at the Real Casa de Correos, the Community of Madrid’s headquarters. Ayuso later said the penthouse was not intended as her personal residence and that she would not have an official home there. She also said Planifica Madrid had acted independently and referred questions to Miguel Ángel García Martín, the regional spokesperson and minister of the Presidency. Subsequent accounts described possible uses as offices or accommodation, while the purpose of the acquisition remained under political scrutiny.
Thirty-three hours after the controversy erupted, the regional government announced it would sell the penthouse alongside four properties on Gran Vía that had already been on the market for a year. Expected proceeds of around €20 million were earmarked for aid and reconstruction in areas of the Sierra Oeste affected by wildfires. El Periódico de España reported that officials initially presented the apartment as part of this wider asset sale and recovery plan.
The penthouse was listed at a minimum of €6,694,201, excluding taxes, roughly €400,000 above its reported purchase cost. A high-end real estate agency from La Moraleja is handling the sale, with a reported commission of €189,000. The four Gran Vía properties were also offered for sale, at a combined minimum price of €11.8 million. The penthouse’s sale terms require bids to meet or exceed the minimum price.
The first sale process, launched after the apartment went on the market in August, did not produce a buyer. A second offer period closed on October 21, 2026, without a qualifying proposal, information from El Periódico de España. On October 23, the technical committee confirmed the outcome, and the minimum price remained unchanged. The apartment has now moved to a permanent public-offer procedure, allowing offers to be submitted indefinitely unless the property is sold or Planifica Madrid withdraws it.
Three hours before the penthouse sale was published, the government also awarded a contract to design and draft the Real Casa de Correos renovation project. Worth nearly €60,000 and awarded without a public tender, the contract went to the studio of Alejandra Pombo, cousin of influencer María Pombo. The work will affect the ground-floor courtyards and the north wing of the second floor, where Ayuso’s office is located. The project is expected to last 19 months, including 12 months of construction, extending the need for temporary office space into early 2028.
The government’s swift decision to sell has not resolved questions about the property’s intended administrative use or the management of the public asset. Ayuso said it was not to be her residence; Planifica Madrid remains responsible for handling the apartment until a buyer meets the published terms or the company withdraws it. The episode also raises broader questions about transparency in public property acquisitions. High-profile events and public figures draw intense scrutiny in Spain, as with the upcoming streamer showdown at La Velada del Año, which continues to attract widespread attention across the country’s media field (see more on the event here).
The penthouse remains unsold months after its acquisition, and the government has kept the same minimum price after two unsuccessful sale attempts. As the open-ended offer process continues, the eventual sale will determine whether the regional administration can turn the asset into proceeds for the wildfire recovery effort it cited when announcing the wider disposal plan.
