Although the company dates back to 1773 internationally and 1906 in North America, the modern day CB Richard Ellis was born in May 1998, when one of North America's top brokerage and facilities management firms, CB Commercial, merged with Richard Ellis, an international name in commercial real estate. The result was the first global real estate services firm with the ability to integrate research, sale and lease transactions, property and facilities management, marketing, financial services and valuations for virtually any property assignment down the street or around the world.

Company Milestones

1773: Richard Ellis establishes REI Limited in London, United Kingdom.

1906: The company that becomes CB Commercial is founded in San Francisco.

1963: CB Commercial is incorporated after operating as a partnership.

1965: Richard Ellis forms a partnership in Australia.

1998: CB Richard Ellis is created and becomes the first global real estate services firm through acquisition of REI Limited, the holding company for all Richard Ellis holdings outside the United Kingdom. Also acquires London-based Hillier Parker May & Rowden, now known as CB Hillier Parker.

1999: Merges operations in Japan with Ikoma Corporation, to become that country's largest real estate services entity. Expands in Scandinavia through acquisition of Stockholm-based Profit Group. South American presence expands through acquisition of Santiago, Chile-based LirAntunez Propiedades, S.A. Acquires Raine & Horne in Wellington, NZ. Acquires Retail Estates in NSW.

2000: CB Richard Ellis Australia & New Zealand joins forces with industry magnates to become a founding member and 25 per cent stakeholder in the region's largest online commercial property portal, PropertyLook.

2001: Opens two new offices in South Sydney, NSW and Camberwell, Victoria. The South Sydney office acquires Herring Daw, a well established city-based property management and brokerage company.

2002: Opens a new office on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.

2003: CB Richard Ellis acquires Insignia Financial Group - bringing together two of the world's most influential real estate companies to set a new benchmark for commercial real estate services. Acquires Ridge Property in Sydney

2004: Acquires Building Consultancy Australia and opens South Auckland office.

2005: Opens Townsville and Mulgrave offices. DTZ business in QLD are acquired and a mortgage valuations division is established.

2006: Acquisitions of McCann's business in Canberra, LJ Hooker business in North Auckland, Rafter O'Hagan on the Sunshine Coast, QLD, DTZ Australia's Residential Valuations business in Perth and Bridge Real Estate on the Northern Beaches, NSW. Opens South Yarra Office in Melbourne. PropertyLook is sold to realestate.com

2007: Launches "Structured Transactions & Advisory Services" business line. Acquisition of pH Group leads to creation of "CBRE Projects" business line and acquisition of Realty Marketing launches new "Residential Projects" busines line. Acquisition of GVA Swale-Hynes and Bayleys, Waikato office. Opens new offices in Liverpool and Newcastle, NSW, and Mandurah, WA.