Note 10 - Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]

Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]

10. Intangible assets

December 31, 2014

	Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization		Net
Customer lists and relationships	$	192,169	$	70,764	$	121,405
Franchise rights		42,733		16,753		25,980
Trademarks and trade names:
Indefinite life		24,178		-		24,178
Finite life		25,294		12,020		13,274
Management contracts and other		28,833		16,044		12,789
Brokerage backlog		2,742		2,679		63
	$	315,949	$	118,260	$	197,689

December 31, 2013

	Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization		Net
Customer lists and relationships	$	168,966	$	58,054	$	110,912
Franchise rights		36,754		15,762		20,992
Trademarks and trade names:
Indefinite life		24,720		-		24,720
Finite life		32,753		18,540		14,213
Management contracts and other		22,853		16,520		6,333
Brokerage backlog		2,452		2,443		9
	$	288,498	$	111,319	$	177,179

During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company acquired the following intangible assets:

	Amount			Estimated weighted average amortization period (years)
Customer lists and relationships		$	43,792		10.9
Franchise rights			7,800		17.6
Trademarks and trade names - indefinite life			303		-
Trademarks and trade names - finite life			1,790		4.1
Brokerage backlog			1,195		0.5
Other			920		5.7
		$	55,800		11.3

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

2015	$	24,047
2016		22,779
2017		20,818
2018		19,350
2019		17,436