LOCAL CHICAGO STRENGTH
Colliers International’s rich Chicago history extends back to 1947 when Bennett & Kahnweiler was founded by Marshall Bennett and Louis Kahnweiler. In its early beginnings it was best known for the development of the 2,300-acre Centex Industrial Park in Elk Grove Village, IL, resulting in the firm’s reputation as an industrial powerhouse that endured for the next several decades. To provide its clients with a more diverse set of global real estate services, the firm joined the Colliers International family in 1983 and became known as Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler. Colliers B&K operated as a highly successful, independently owned and operated affiliate.
In early-2010, Colliers International merged with FSREA, a subsidiary of publicly traded FirstService Corporation, creating the third largest global commercial real estate services brand. Later, Colliers International completed a partial acquisition of Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler, further strengthening Colliers International’s US business. We are now accelerating the success of our clients under one name, one brand, and one operating philosophy.
Colliers Chicago is owned by its 20 principals and employs more than 225 people in its Rosemont and downtown Chicago offices, including a staff of 125 property management professionals and nearly 80 brokerage professionals. Colliers Chicago has experienced tremendous growth in the last few years, most notably in its Property Management Group. The group provides property management services to a portfolio of 48 million square feet, up from only 3.5 million square feet in 2001. In terms of leasing volume, the firm was named the largest commercial real estate brokerage company in the Chicago area by Crain’s Chicago Business in December 2007. In 2008 and 2009 the firm was named “Biggest Seller” in terms of square feet sold.
