Long-Term Debt and Short-Term Borrowings (Credit Agreement) (Narrative) (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Jul. 13, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 18, 2009	Dec. 31, 2012 Interest At Daily Chase-London LIBOR Plus 2.50% [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Interest At Daily Chase-London LIBOR Plus 2.50% [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 2.00% [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 2.00% [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 1.35% [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 1.35% [Member]	Aug. 31, 2009 Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 1.35% [Member] As Soon As Pooled Sale Agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 2.75% [Member]	Dec. 21, 2010 Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 2.75% [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 1.90% [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 1.90% [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 2.25% [Member]	Sep. 21, 2012 Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 2.25% [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 First Tennessee Bank [Member]	Aug. 19, 2008 First Tennessee Bank [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Wells Fargo Bank [Member]	Mar. 02, 2007 Wells Fargo Bank [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Bank Of America [Member]	Mar. 04, 2008 Bank Of America [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 JP Morgan Secured Credit Agreement [Member]	Oct. 29, 2012 JP Morgan Secured Credit Agreement [Member]	Aug. 15, 2012 JP Morgan Secured Credit Agreement [Member]	Jul. 26, 2012 JP Morgan Secured Credit Agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 TD Bank Secured Credit Agreement [Member] Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 2.00% [Member]	Jun. 26, 2012 TD Bank Secured Credit Agreement [Member] Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 2.00% [Member]	Dec. 21, 2010 TD Bank Secured Credit Agreement [Member] Interest At Daily One-Month LIBOR Plus 2.00% [Member]	Oct. 08, 2010 Change Of Control Triggering Event [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Change Of Control Event [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Change Of Control Event [Member]	Mar. 02, 2012 Minimum [Member]	Jul. 10, 2012 Minimum [Member] Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 1.35% [Member] As Soon As Pooled Sale Agreement [Member]	Mar. 02, 2012 Maximum [Member]	Jul. 10, 2012 Maximum [Member] Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 1.35% [Member] As Soon As Pooled Sale Agreement [Member]	Oct. 08, 2010 Redemption On Or After October 15, 2014 [Member]	Oct. 08, 2010 Redemption Prior To October 15, 2014 [Member]	Oct. 08, 2010 Redemption Prior To October 15, 2013 [Member]	Jun. 18, 2009 Redemption On Or After June 15, 2013 [Member]	Jun. 18, 2009 Redemption Prior To June 15, 2013 [Member]	Jun. 18, 2009 Redemption Prior To June 15, 2012 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Uncommitted Funding Arrangement With Kemps [Member] Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 2.75% [Member]	Mar. 02, 2012 Uncommitted Funding Arrangement With Kemps [Member] Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 2.75% [Member]	Dec. 21, 2010 Uncommitted Funding Arrangement With Kemps [Member] Interest At Daily LIBOR Plus 2.75% [Member]	Oct. 08, 2010 6.625% Senior Notes Due October 15, 2020 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 6.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 6.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Oct. 08, 2010 6.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Jun. 18, 2009 11.625% Senior Subordinated Notes Due June 15, 2017 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 11.625% Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 11.625% Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]	Jun. 18, 2009 11.625% Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
percentage of capital in non-U.S. subsidiaries	65.00%
Senior long term loans	$ 350,000,000			$ 350,000,000																																														$ 350,000,000				$ 450,000,000
Interest rate of long term debt																																																		6.625%	6.625%	6.625%			11.625%	11.625%
Redemption price percentage							101.00%																											101.00%							104.969%	100.00%	35.00%	105.813%	100.00%	35.00%							106.625%				111.625%
Senior long term loans net of discount	440,523,000			439,016,000																															440,500,000	439,000,000																		435,900,000
Minimum coverage ratio of EBITDA to total interest expense	2.25
Maximum leverage ratio of total debt less available cash to EBITDA	3.75
Coverage ratio of EBITDA to total interest expense	10.45
Leverage ratio of total debt less available cash to EBITDA	1.38
Short-term borrowings	1,099,361,000			758,203,000
Short-term debt, weighted average interest rate	2.40%			2.90%
Revolving credit facility principal amount outstanding																						15,000,000		50,000,000		35,000,000
Revolving credit facility current borrowings capacity																					4,000,000		40,000,000		5,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate																					0.25%		0.25%		1.00%
Line of credit maturity date										May 29, 2013							Jul. 29, 2013		Sep. 20, 2013		Aug. 04, 2013				Feb. 28, 2013						May 31, 2013
Warehouse line of credit before temporary increase																													300,000,000	210,000,000							125,000,000		150,000,000
Warehouse line of credit after temporary increase			200,000,000																								210,000,000	200,000,000
Line of credit over LIBOR rate								2.50%		2.00%		1.35%		1.35%		2.75%		1.90%		2.25%											2.00%
Debt instrument, maturity date								Oct. 28, 2013		May 29, 2013					Sep. 14, 2012
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity																																						150,000,000		200,000,000							375,000,000	475,000,000	500,000,000
Line of credit, LIBOR floor rate												0.35%		0.35%	0.25%
Secured Debt	800,000,000																	200,000,000		300,000,000											100,000,000	150,000,000	75,000,000
Warehouse lines of credit	1,026,381,000	[1]		713,362,000	[2]			78,072,000	197,533,000	171,330,000	38,145,000	38,718,000	56,574,000
Non-cash activity increased the warehouse lines of credit	313,000,000			234,600,000		141,000,000
Loans Held-for-sale, Mortgages	1,000,000,000			720,100,000
Non-cash activity increased the warehouse receivables	$ 313,000,000			$ 234,600,000		$ 141,000,000

[1] Although CBRE Capital Markets is included among our domestic subsidiaries, which jointly and severally guarantee our 11.625% senior subordinated notes, our 6.625% senior notes and our Credit Agreement, a substantial majority of warehouse receivables funded under the JP Morgan Master Repurchase Agreement, BofA, Capital One, TD Bank, JP Morgan and Fannie Mae ASAP lines of credit are pledged to JP Morgan, BofA, Capital One, TD Bank and Fannie Mae, and accordingly, are not included as collateral for these notes or our other outstanding debt.

[2] Although CBRE Capital Markets is included among our domestic subsidiaries, which jointly and severally guarantee our 11.625% senior subordinated notes, our 6.625% senior notes and our Credit Agreement, a substantial majority of warehouse receivables funded under the Kemps Landing, JP Morgan, TD Bank, Fannie Mae ASAP Program and BofA lines of credit are pledged to Kemps Landing, JP Morgan, TD Bank, Fannie Mae and BofA, and accordingly, are not included as collateral for these notes or our other outstanding debt.