Cushman & Wakefield Inc. has held informal meetings with banks about a potential initial public offering, people with knowledge of the matter said, less than two years after being acquired by TPG.

The 100-year-old real estate brokerage giant has discussed a possible listing as soon as the third quarter, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorised to speak publicly. No listing plans haven't been formalised and an IPO could be pushed into next year, with any decision based both on the company's performance and market conditions, the people said.

Spokesmen for TPG and Cushman & Wakefield declined to comment.

Cushman & Wakefield's listing would be first for a real estate services firm in the US since Community Healthcare Trust Inc. went public in May 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The brokerage, led by chief executive Brett White has been expanding, including hiring Doug Harmon, the broker behind some of New York's most high-profile commercial property deals.

In May 2015, TPG led a group of investors to buy Cushman & Wakefield from Italy's Exor SpA, controlled by the Agnelli family, for about $2 billion including debt. After the acquisition, TPG combined the company with its Asia-focused DTZ unit to create the world's third-largest real estate brokerage.

The brokerage, which hasn't ever been publicly traded, has changed hands a number of times since 1917, when it was incorporated in New York. Owners prior to Fort Worth, Texas-based TPG include media conglomerate RCA Corp. and the Rockefeller Group.