National Realty Trust was formed in 1996 when Cendant, (then HFS Inc.) purchased Coldwell Banker Corporation.
[2] In August 1997, Cendant and Apollo Management formed the current company – NRT LLC.
NRT entered the Columbus, Ohio, New York City, and Utah markets in 2001 and continued to make acquisitions in St. Louis, Dallas/Fort Worth, Lake Tahoe, Denver, Atlanta, Sacramento and San Diego.
[4][5] In 2002, Cendant acquired 100 percent of NRT's common stock and bought out Apollo Management.
By the end of the year, it had acquired the largest independent real estate firms in Florida and the New England area.