On August 27, 2026, Coldwell Banker turns 120 — and this milestone has much to tell, because in the real estate market, where brands rise and disappear with the rhythm of economic cycles, reaching one hundred and twenty years is not a matter of luck. It is proof that a way of working has succeeded through every era, every crisis, and every transformation of the world.

As Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Forte dei Marmi, we are proud to be part of this story. And on such a special birthday, it is worth telling it from the beginning — because the way this brand was born explains, better than any slogan, the way it still works today.

San Francisco, 1906: born to protect homebuyers

The story begins amid the rubble. In April 1906, a devastating earthquake, followed by days of fires, razed much of San Francisco to the ground. In the reconstruction that followed, fierce speculation broke out: unscrupulous intermediaries took advantage of families’ desperation, buying land and homes at rock-bottom prices and reselling them for enormous profits.

It was in that context that, on August 27, 1906, a young agent named Colbert Coldwell — joined a few years later by Benjamin Banker — founded a real estate company built on a principle that was revolutionary at the time: the agent was to work in the client’s best interest, with honesty and transparency, never taking advantage of them. A fair transaction, on legitimate terms, as everyone’s right.

One hundred and twenty years later, that principle has a name the industry knows well: trust. And it is still the foundation of every mandate we receive.

From a wounded city to a worldwide network

From that San Francisco office, Coldwell Banker has grown to become the world’s longest-standing real estate network: today it counts 3,000 offices in 45 countries and more than 110,000 agents, with an international marketing platform capable of reaching over 160 million potential clients. In the prestige segment, the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury program represents the most exclusive properties on the planet, from Beverly Hills to Dubai — and from Versilia.

The brand arrived in Italy in 2009, with the idea of combining the excellence of America’s oldest real estate franchise with the quality and uniqueness of Made in Italy. Last year, for the 119th anniversary, we retraced the values and vision that guide the brand; this year, the round-number milestone invites us to look at the whole story — and to notice a symmetry that touches us closely.

From San Francisco to Forte dei Marmi: the American dream comes full circle

There is something poetic in this brand’s journey. Coldwell Banker was born in America at a time when thousands of families were chasing the dream of a home; one hundred and twenty years later, that same American brand accompanies Americans — along with British, Northern European, and Middle Eastern clients — in fulfilling their dream in Italy: a villa in Forte dei Marmi, between the Versilia sea and the Apuan Alps.

And it is not just us saying it: +FORTE Magazine recently told this story, dedicating a feature to our work titled, precisely, “Forte, the real American dream.” A bridge between two worlds that Colbert Coldwell could never have imagined — and that today is our everyday reality: bringing Versilia’s finest properties before a global audience, speaking the language and the business culture of those who buy and those who sell.

Our agency’s 2026: an anniversary we celebrate as protagonists

This 120-year milestone arrives in an especially meaningful year for our team. In April, at GenBlue Italy in Riccione, our Alessandro Tognetti was awarded International President’s Premier, the recognition that places him among the finest professionals in the network worldwide. An achievement that belongs to the entire Forte dei Marmi team and, above all, to the clients who entrust us with their properties and their life plans every day.

It is the best way we know to honor a 120-year story: not to keep it as a relic, but to prove it in practice, one mandate at a time.

“Live Well with Coldwell”: the next 120 years

The tagline that accompanies the brand around the world today — Live Well with Coldwell — says something simple and ambitious at once: real estate is not made of transactions, but of lives finding the right place to be lived well. It is as true in San Francisco as it is in Forte dei Marmi.

The years ahead will bring new technologies, new tools, new markets — and Coldwell Banker, a pioneer in every era of this industry, will continue to anticipate them. But the substance will remain what was written in 1906: trust cannot be inherited and cannot be bought. It is built, every day, one family at a time.

Happy birthday, Coldwell Banker. The first 120 years are just the beginning.