ABN AMRO had owned the bank but in October 2007, a consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland that also included Banco Santander and Belgium's Fortis, acquired ABN AMRO and proceeded to dismember it.

On its 50th anniversary, in 1975, Banco Real operated 512 branches in Brazil, the biggest branch network in the country, in addition to 12 associated businesses including Companhia Real de Investimentos, then the number one in the domestic ranking.

It also had 10 units located abroad - in Bogotá, Panama, Grand Cayman, Nassau, Curaçao, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and Mexico City.

ABN AMRO had begun its activities in Brazil in 1917 as Banco Holandés da America do Sul, when it opened two branches: one in Santos, São Paulo (state) and another in Rio de Janeiro.

Then in 1963, the bank acquired 50% of the finance company, Aymoré de Crédito, Financiamento e Investimento.