For the ninth consecutive year, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has been named number one real estate brand among all real estate franchises based in the US, according to the prestigious Franchise Times Top 200.

Coldwell Banker was the 12th largest franchiser based on worldwide system sales for 2007 in all categories, achieving gross commission income of over €5.59 billion. No less than 78 per cent of the company consists of franchises, with 3,470 of its offices (86 per cent) being in the US.

Data was obtained from over a thousand companies in the US, ranging from multinational household names to lesser known franchisers that include restaurant, hotel, travel, clothing and sport chains. The Franchise Times found that the top 200 franchisers obtained higher sales than their competitors. In the field of real estate, sales were up two per cent.

In terms of units, real estate amounted to four per cent of all the units in the Top 200 and four per cent of sales. All in all, franchise-operated units continue to outnumber company-operated units by a ratio slightly better than four to one.

Commenting on this achievement, Geoffrey Ciantar, general manager of Coldwell Banker Malta, said: "Given today's realities, I'm sure you will agree this is a huge achievement.

Our four offices in Malta are now contributing to this success, and we are proud of this. This continues to reinforce our decision to be associated with such a brand.

"This survey relates to 2007, where concerns about rising fuel prices and stalling home values began to increase, yet Coldwell Banker's knowhow, experience and innovative approach all contributed in securing, once again, leadership in its field."