I have been with Coldwell Banker for a long time. In fact, I have “bled blue” for all but one year of my 35-year real estate career. I just computed that I’ve been with our great brand for almost 34% of its existence. Wow!

I write this because our great brand is celebrating its 104th birthday today. We are proud to be the nation’s oldest real estate brand.

Coldwell Banker was founded on August 27, 1906, in San Francisco out of the ashes of that year’s horrific earthquake. Colbert Coldwell, and later Arthur Banker, were young men who wanted to bring ethics and integrity to real estate at a time when there was a lot of unscrupulous behavior occurring.

A lot has changed since 1906. The term “hot dog” was coined that year, based on a cartoon of a dachshund posing inside a frankfurter bun. The average American worker earned under $1,000 annually. A gallon of gasoline cost just 28 cents. The median home price was $4,500.

I take great pride in knowing that Coldwell Banker agents continue to embody the brand’s heritage of excellence, providing trustworthy and knowledgeable service during the home buying and selling process.

Coldwell Banker agents have been a valued partner to millions and millions who have bought and sold homes. We have been a real estate constant despite many ups and downs in market conditions.

As we mark another year in business, we wanted to honor a few other companies which are also celebrating 104th birthdays:

• American Greetings Corporation, Inc.: The world’s largest publicly-traded greeting card company has been bringing smiles to friends and family on joyous occasions for 104 years.
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA): Founded in 1906 under the name Intercollegiate Athletic Association, college athletes have been seeking the NCAA National Championship title for 104 years.
• New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.: For the past 104 years, New Balance has been helping people stay active and healthy, as one of the largest makers of sports footwear.
• Xerox: A Fortune 500 global company, Xerox has continued to help businesses by improving its printing technology year after years since discovering xerographic printing in 1906.

Here’s to another 104!