As a direct and immediate result of the buy, Granite is beingrebranded Savills Granite LLC, and co-founder John D. Lyons becomesSavills chief executive of North America. In a statement, thecompany says that little else will change.

"Savills Granite LLC, whose professional team has collectivelymanaged more than $21 billion in real estate transactionsthroughout their careers, will continue to emphasize investmenttransactions and financing involving portfolios and otherlarge-scale assets representing commercial, retail, medical officeproperties and other categories," the statement said. "The firmengages in transactions in the United States, Canada and theCaribbean basin."

"As a unified entity," said Lyons, "Savills Granite will standas a formidable US base of operations for one of the world'sleading real estate services firms." He added that greater accessto the global capital markets for Granite clients was a strongdriver of the decision to sell.