Note 9 - Intangible assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]

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

Schedule of Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Table Text Block]

				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

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

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