This paper is a broad review about general regression estimators, which are very useful when auxiliary variables are available in survey sampling. We investigate the process of development of general regression estimators from birth to suggestion of variance estimation method and examine some properties of general regression estimators by comparing with calibration and QR estimators. We also present some forms of general regression estimators available under complex sampling designs such as stratified sampling and cluster sampling. Finally, we comment some advantages as well as disadvantages of general regression estimators and theoretical and practical development in the future.