The History of Coldwell Banker®

2006 marks an important milestone for Coldwell Banker; Coldwell Banker® has been a premier provider of full-service real estate, for 100 years. The company is an industry leader in residential real estate.

In 1906, Colbert Coldwell, a young real estate agent, observed families trying to piece their lives together following the San Francisco earthquake. Disapproving of agents who acquired property from vulnerable sellers and resold it at huge profits, and seeing a tremendous need for honest, knowledgeable real estate people, Colbert Coldwell founded his company with a revolutionary philosophy: the customer's best interest above all.

In 1914, Benjamin Arthur Banker joined Colbert Coldwell as a full partner. Together, Coldwell and Banker forged a tradition of integrity, exceptional service and customer satisfaction that became the company's hallmark.

To celebrate this milestone, Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation has launched a series of events that will take place over the course of the year. They include continued involvement with Habitat for Humanity, its corporate national charity of choice since 1993, along with events surrounding the annual Coldwell Banker International Business Conference and other marketing initiatives.

Habitat for Humanity Initiatives

• "100 Homes By Our 100th Anniversary": Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation and its affiliated companies are in the midst of an aggressive fundraising program that will raise approximately $5 million to sponsor 100 local Habitat for Humanity home builds across the country. To date, the Coldwell Banker system has pledged to sponsor 111 homes.

• Habitat for Humanity Home Build in San Francisco: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is scheduled to participate in a Habitat for Humanity home build on Feb. 16. He will be joined at the build by Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. The home, sponsored by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of Northern California, is part of the "100 Homes" initiative.

• "Housewarming for Habitat Celebrity Auction": Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation will launch an online celebrity auction on Feb. 20 on the eBay marketplace. The "Housewarming for Habitat" celebrity auction will benefit the Habitat for Humanity Hurricane Katrina Fund with 100 percent of the proceeds going toward rebuilding Habitat homes for the neediest families in the affected Gulf Coast region. Personal, autographed items from entertainment and sports celebrities, props from movies and television shows, and opportunities for one-on-one VIP experiences with a select group will be on the auction block. The auction includes items from such celebrities as Mia Hamm, Donald Trump, Dr. Phil McGraw, Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas.