Note 9 - Intangible assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]

9. Intangible assets

December 31, 2012	Gross
	carrying		Accumulated
	amount		amortization		Net
Customer lists and relationships	$	159,242	$	60,375	$	98,867
Franchise rights		38,255		14,148		24,107
Trademarks and trade names:
Indefinite life		20,995		-		20,995
Finite life		40,335		11,193		29,142
Management contracts and other		19,936		15,111		4,825
Brokerage backlog		2,389		2,376		13
	$	281,152	$	103,203	$	177,949

	Gross
December 31, 2011	carrying		Accumulated
	amount		amortization		Net
Customer lists and relationships	$	152,824	$	48,683	$	104,141
Franchise rights		37,246		12,648		24,598
Trademarks and trade names:
Indefinite life		20,702		-		20,702
Finite life		40,176		9,179		30,997
Management contracts and other		20,010		11,548		8,462
Brokerage backlog		2,240		2,231		9
	$	273,198	$	84,289	$	188,909

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company acquired the following intangible assets:

				Estimated
				weighted
				average
				amortization
	Amount			period (years)
Customer lists and relationships		$	5,917		17.5
Franchise rights			1,339		9.4
Trademarks and trade names			160		4.8
Management contracts and other			43		8.8
Brokerage backlog			147		0.5
			7,606		15.4

The following is the estimated annual amortization expense for recorded intangible assets for each of the next five years ending December 31:

2013	$	33,502
2014		14,443
2015		13,982
2016		13,473
2017		12,245