Coldwell Banker® was founded in the US in 1906, and has grown to become the world’s leading full-service real estate provider with over 3,700 offices and 110,000 Sales Associates worldwide. For almost a decade, it has consistently been ranked by independent bodies and the media as the world’s number one real estate franchise in terms of size, sales revenue, and geographical coverage. Coldwell Banker first arrived in the Middle East in 2001 when Coldwell Banker Intercontinental Affiliates was formed by acquiring the franchise rights for Coldwell Banker and Coldwell Banker Commercial® in Egypt. The company grew to become the leading real estate broker in the country with 18 branches serving Cairo, Alexandria, and several Red Sea areas. The success of the brand is not limited to Egypt. The huge success in Egypt served as a springboard for Coldwell Banker Intercontinental Affiliates to go on to become the Master Franchiser of Coldwell Banker and Coldwell Banker Academy in 35 countries across the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. To date, successful franchises have been launched in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Lebanon, with more launches planned for 2009.