Behind the LATTER & BLUM and CJ Brown signs, you'll find a well-established, professional real estate firm that offers a wide range of residential and commercial services. You'll also find knowledgeable people who take pride in their company and careers. They genuinely care about the communities in which they live and work.

It's this unmatched range of services combined with the people behind the signs that make the difference at LATTER & BLUM/CJ Brown.

Turn of the 20th Century, New Orleans

LATTER & BLUM was founded in 1916 by two young entrepreneurs, Harry Latter and Joseph E. Blum, in the flourishing port city of New Orleans. In its early days, the company specialized in commercial real estate, but later branched out into residential sales.

LATTER & BLUM remained in the Latter family for 70 years, sustaining a strong foothold in the real estate industry. This family tradition helped lay the groundwork that allowed LATTER & BLUM Companies to flourish into the largest and most successful real estate company in the Gulf South.

Toward the 21st Century

Arthur Sterbcow, President Robert Merrick, Chairman and CEO LATTER & BLUM Companies

Robert W. Merrick, CCIM, MAI, SIOR, CRE, purchased LATTER & BLUM in 1986. A visionary and nationally respected appraiser and broker, Merrick restructured the organization, and in ten short years has lead LATTER & BLUM in an incredible growth cycle of more than $1.6 billion in sales and leasing transactions in 2000.

Today, LATTER & BLUM/CJ Brown is comprised of a residential division, commercial division, property management, commercial appraisal/counseling division, insurance and financing.

The residential division has 35 branch offices, which include two new LATTER & BLUM franchises in Louisiana and Mississippi. After a long and successful history in the Greater New Orleans region, in 1993 the company expanded into the Mississippi Gulf Coast region, and two years later purchased CJ Brown Realtors®, a respected real estate company established in 1917 and now Baton Rouge's largest.

Arthur Sterbcow, ABR, ABRM, CCIM, CRB, CRS, GRI, President of LATTER & BLUM Companies, states, "'One-stop shopping' for our real estate clients is one of the valuable advantages that Latter & Blum/CJ Brown offers. We represent Christie's Great Estates properties for high-end buyers and sellers internationally. And, of course, we also represent some of the finest national relocation firms, so vital to this area."

And so vital to the success of the company, LATTER & BLUM/CJ Brown has been able to attract nearly 1,000 agents with its extensive training program, large client base, and high-end technology support.

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