The Certified
Realty Story
How one man made a
difference
Certified Realty's beginnings are traced to post-World War
II Portland, Oregon. There, a young ensign named Don Widing
had just completed years of military service with the Merchant
Marines. His tour of duty took him to exotic countries of South
America, plus India, Australia, Hawaii before statehood, and the Arabian Sea. He'd
enjoyed his travels, but was glad to be home and soon headed out on
another journey almost as unpredictable.
In 1946, Don began selling real estate, learning the
business at several local firms. In 1950, he founded Certified
Realty Company. Before long, Certified Realty was involved in every
aspect of Oregon real estate. This included handling the sale
of homes, farms
and commercial properties, along with construction, subdivision
development, business opportunities, industrial properties and even
insurance.
Certified Realty eventually grew to
multiple offices with a capable staff of salespeople, secretaries
and support crew. Certified Realty is also among the first
Oregon real estate firms to hire a minority salesperson.
Many employees remained at Certified Realty for decades, the
surest sign of a satisfying work environment. These included office
manager extraordinaire Nancy Schnackenberg, super-salespersons Ralph
Dehler and R. A. "Rod" Radmacher, plus insurance man and
"Jack of all trades" Max Johnson. A vital part of Certified
Realty for many terrific years was Don's close friend, business partner and fellow
former Merchant Mariner, Andy Fuhrer.
In the 1990's, Don handed the ownership and operation of
Certified Realty to sons Bruce & Roy Widing, who share over a
third of a century of real estate experience. Since 1950,
many firms have come and gone, but Certified Realty is still going
strong. We hope you've enjoyed this story that shows how the
vision of one man can make a positive difference in the lives of so
many others.
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Don Widing at work
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Don at 2712 NE Sandy Blvd.
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Founder Don Widing & wife Shirley-1970's
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Don & Shirley Today |
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