What does CBRE stand for? The letters come from CB Richard Ellis, a name formed when a US commercial real estate firm then known as CB Commercial joined with Richard Ellis, a property firm based in the United Kingdom. CB in turn traces back to Coldwell Banker, the company's earlier name. So in full, the letters stand for Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis.
Today the company is formally CBRE Group, Inc., and it treats the initials as a name in their own right. It works in commercial real estate: offices, warehouses, stores, data centers and other business property, not home sales.
Quick facts
Letters come from
CB Richard Ellis (CB from Coldwell Banker)Legal name now
CBRE Group, Inc.Type
Brand name built from initialsHow to say it
C B R E, letter by letterField
Commercial real estate services and investmentHeadquarters
Dallas, TexasStarted
1906 in San Francisco, under an earlier name
What does CBRE stand for, letter by letter?
| Letters | From | Background |
|---|---|---|
| C B | Coldwell Banker | The name the San Francisco firm used for much of the 1900s |
| R E | Richard Ellis | A property advisory firm based in London |
After the two businesses combined in the late 1990s, the company traded as CB Richard Ellis. The longer name was later shortened to the initials CBRE. Many people assume the RE means "real estate." That fits the business nicely, but the letters actually come from Richard Ellis.
How the company name changed over time
- Early 1900s: the firm began in San Francisco in 1906 and later took the Coldwell Banker name.
- Late 1980s: the commercial side was separated from the home sales side and renamed CB Commercial Real Estate.
- Late 1990s: it acquired Richard Ellis, and the combined business became CB Richard Ellis.
- Later: the company rebranded as CBRE and the parent became CBRE Group, Inc.
One point often confuses people: the home sales brokerage that still uses the Coldwell Banker name is a separate company. When someone mentions CBRE, they mean the commercial real estate firm, not a neighborhood real estate agent.
What CBRE does today
CBRE works for property owners, tenants and investors on business real estate. Its main lines of work include:
- Leasing: helping companies find office, industrial or retail space, and helping owners fill it.
- Sales and capital markets: arranging the purchase, sale and financing of commercial buildings.
- Property and facilities management: running buildings day to day for owners and corporate tenants.
- Valuation: estimating what a property is worth.
- Project management: overseeing building fit outs and moves.
- Investment management: managing real estate funds for investors.
On a sign outside an office building: "Space available. Leasing by CBRE." This means the company is acting as the leasing agent for the owner. Call the number on the sign if you want to rent space there.
Saying and writing CBRE
Say it as four letters: "C B R E." Nobody says it as one word. Use all caps, and skip periods. As a brand name it no longer needs to be spelled out; even the company's own materials simply say CBRE.
- "Our landlord hired CBRE to manage the building."
- "She works as a broker at CBRE in Chicago."
- "A CBRE report on warehouse demand was cited in the article."
- "The tenant was represented by a CBRE team in the lease talks."
CBRE and other company letter names
Many companies keep initials that once stood for founders or older names. KPMG comes from the names of founding partners, and IBM began as International Business Machines. CBRE follows the same pattern: the letters carry history even though few people use the full name now.
You might also see CBRE alongside general business letters, such as Inc. for incorporated and CEO for chief executive officer. Other company names built from letters are collected under brand name acronyms.
Questions people ask
What does CBRE stand for in real estate?
CBRE comes from CB Richard Ellis, and CB stands for Coldwell Banker. The full historical form is Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis, though the company now just uses CBRE.
Does the RE in CBRE stand for real estate?
No, although it is an easy guess. The R and E come from Richard Ellis, a property firm the company acquired.
Is CBRE the same as Coldwell Banker?
No. They share a history, but the home sales brokerage with the Coldwell Banker name is a separate company. CBRE focuses on commercial property.
How do you pronounce CBRE?
Say each letter: C B R E. The letters are never run together into a word.
Where is CBRE based?
CBRE Group is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It has offices in many countries.