Founded in 1996 by Dennis Carson and Casey Rosen, BlackRockspecializes in investment sales and debt/equity financing with anexclusive focus on retail properties in the Southeast. The company,which has no affiliation with New York City-based BlackRock Inc.,has six employees who will join CBRE's Miami office. The employeeswill cover Florida and the rest of the Southeast, and work withCBRE capital market professionals in Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa andJacksonville.

CB Richard Ellis senior managing director Theodore Carter, whooversees the South Florida region, tells GlobeSt.com that CBREtargeted BlackRock because it is a strong regional player withexperience in the retail sector, which is an area of focus for thecompany. "Retail is one of our global focuses," Carter says. "Theacquisition will allow us to expand our offerings and will alsoassist us on the leasing side and the asset management side."

Since the company's inception, it has closed 125 transactionsworth a total of $2 billion. The company is presently engaged inthe sale of 21 retail properties valued at more than $400 million.Some of the past transactions BlackRock has completed include the$40-million sale of Pine City Center in Pembroke Pines and the$33-million sale of the Ramblewood Square Shopping Center in CoralSprings. It has sold 10 Orlando-area shopping centers, with anaggregate value of more than $217 million, in the past twoyears.