Baird and Warner Revenue and Competitors

Founded in 1855, Baird & Warner is the largest independent real estate broker in Illinois and the oldest in the country. With more than $4 billion in annual sales, we have a strong commitment to Chicagoland and take pride in our five generations of local ownership. Baird & Warner came into existence as L.D. Olmsted & Co., a real estate loan firm. The company made its first transaction on March 28, 1855, a $5,000 loan on a portion of a block now in the heart of Chicago\'s financial district. Lucius Olmsted was soon joined by his boyhood friend, Lyman Baird, and a partnership was established in 1860. Along with most of Chicago, the company\'s offices were destroyed by The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. However, the company\'s office safe was unharmed and all its contents were intact. This became especially significant when city officials discovered that public real estate records had been destroyed by the fire. The privately owned ledgers and papers served to insure continuity of titles and lot lines, and individuals and companies quickly moved to rebuild their stores and offices.