1773 – Richard Ellis founded at 126 Fenchurch Street, London, UK
1896 – Hillier Parker practice established in UK.
1906 – Colbert Coldwell funds Tucker, Lynch & Coldwell in San Francisco, USA.
1914 – Benjamin Banker joins Coldwell’s as a full partner trading as Coldwell Banker.
1936 – US name change to Coldwell, Banker and Company.
1940 – UK Richard Ellis Partnership was transferred to Richard Ellis Holdings Ltd (becoming Insignia Richard Ellis Ltd) along with the regional Richard Ellis corporate businesses.
1965 – Richard Ellis forms Australian partnership.
1968 – Coldwell Banker is the first real estate company to go 29% public. Shares trade at $25 two weeks later they are at $30.
1971 – Coldwell Banker listed for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange.
1980 – The US firm opens first office in New York.
1982 – Sears, Roebuck & Co acquires Coldwell Banker Commercial and Residential.
1991 – Company changes name to CB Commercial.
1996 – CB Commercial completes initial public offering. Acquires L.J. Melody & Co. Revenue exceeds $500 mln
1998 – CB Commercial acquires REI Ltd and subsequently changes company name to CB Richard Ellis. Hillier Parker May and Rowden acquired in the UK. Revenue exceeds £1 billion.
2001 – Management buyout takes the company private again.
2003 – Company merges with Insignia/ESG to become the worlds dominant commercial Real Estate Group.
2004 – Company is returned to the public markets again, on the New York Stock Exchange. Revenue exceeds $2 billion.
2005 – CBRE debuts on the Fortune 1000 list.
2006 – Acquisition of Trammell Crow Co.
2007 – CBRE named as Forbes magazine global superstar for the business services and supplies section.
2011 – For the tenth year running CBRE voted as the premier global brand in real estate by the 2011 Lipsey Company Brand survey.
2012 – Wall Street Journal cites CBRE as the best real estate brand.
2013 – The 2012 revenue was the highest ever reported by CBRE Group Inc.. Acquires Norland Managed Services Ltd, the leading provider of building technical engineering services in the UK and Ireland.
2015 – In 2015, CBRE was ranked #2 (out of 500 companies) in financial growth and performance by Barron’s. In addition, CBRE acquired Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) from Johnson Controls. GWS is a leading provider of integrated facilities management solutions on a global basis. Total revenue exceeded $10 billion for the first time.
2016 – In 2016, Forbes named CBRE America’s 15th Best Employer
2017 – Fortune 500 company since 2008; ranked #214 in 2017 and Fortune also named CBRE one of the Most Admired Companies in the real estate sector for the fifth year in a row. Ranked top real estate brand for 16 consecutive years by Lipsey.
2018 – CBRE has been included in the Fortune 500 since 2008, ranking #207 in 2018. It also has been voted the industry’s top brand by the Lipsey Company for 18 consecutive years, and has been named one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” for seven years in a row.